Camellia home pot cultivation techniques: can it be placed indoors in a bedroom?

Nowadays people use their spare time to grow flowers and plants in places such as their own balconies and rooftops, and camellia, as one of China's traditional flowering plants, is certainly indispensable. Although camellia has a very long history of cultivation in China, most people are not very experienced in how to grow it well in pots. Below, the editor will introduce what its home pot cultivation techniques are.

Camellia home pot cultivation techniques

1. Light

Camellia should be placed in a warm, humid, ventilated and well-lit place. In spring it needs sufficient light; in summer take care to provide shade, avoiding direct sunlight and the western sun. If placed on a balcony, it often dies from sun exposure before you realize it.

2. Watering

For potted camellia, the soil should be kept moist, but not overly wet, and avoid alternating dry and wet conditions. Generally, in spring water a little more generously to encourage budding and new shoot growth; in summer water in the early morning and evening, and it is best to spray water on the leaves so they are thoroughly wet. Do not pour water in a hard direct stream or flood the pot, do not water with hot water, and avoid watering around midday when temperatures are high; in autumn water moderately; in winter water around midday, and spray water once every two or three days.

3. Fertilizing

Camellia likes fertilizer. When potting, be sure to put base fertilizer in the potting soil, mainly phosphorus and potassium fertilizer. Normally do not fertilize too much; generally, after flowering, between April and May, apply 2-3 times of dilute fertilizer solution, and in November of autumn apply one application of slightly stronger liquid fertilizer. When fertilizing, note that the proportion of phosphorus fertilizer should be slightly larger to promote abundant flowers and vivid color.

4. Pruning

Camellia grows relatively slowly and should not be pruned excessively. Generally, just cut off leggy branches that affect the tree shape, as well as diseased, pest-damaged and weak branches. You may thin the flowers and keep only 1-2, maintaining a certain distance between them, to avoid consuming nutrients. In addition, promptly remove flowers that are close to fading, which can also reduce nutrient consumption, helping the plant grow robustly and form new flower buds.

5. Repotting

Potted camellia can be repotted once every 1-2 years, and the new pot should be one size larger than the old one to facilitate the stretching and development of the root system. Repotting is best done in April in spring, or in autumn. Along with changing the soil, appropriately remove some of the compacted old soil, replace it with fertile, loose new soil, and add base fertilizer.

6. Pest and disease control

The main diseases of camellia include black mold and anthracnose, which can be controlled by spraying 0.5-degree Bordeaux mixture. The main pest is the tea shoot moth; the control method is to cut off the infested shoots, preferably from April to June.

Can camellia be placed indoors in a bedroom?

Camellia can be placed indoors in a bedroom. It repels mosquitoes and can absorb many harmful substances. From this aspect, it is beneficial for sleep quality and relatively beneficial to the human body. However, many people are allergic to pollen; in such cases it is best not to place it in the bedroom for cultivation.

Small care tips after camellia blooms

1. Prune promptly

After the peak flowering period, remove the remaining faded flowers, and at the same time cut off overly dense overlapping branches, crossing branches and dry, withered branches. On one hand, this prevents wasteful consumption of the tree's nutrients; on the other hand, it enhances the plant's ventilation and light penetration, prevents the occurrence of pests and diseases (such as scale insects and black spot), and promotes robust growth.

2. Fertilize promptly

From bud formation to flower fade, camellia consumes a large amount of nutrients. To quickly restore the tree's vigor, fertilizer must be applied to replenish them. After flowering, apply a thin liquid fertilizer once about every week. The liquid fertilizer can be made by sealing and soaking bean cake, hoof and horn meal, fish bone meal and black alum together; after decomposition, take the upper fermented liquid and dilute it with clean water before use. Never irrigate with concentrated fertilizer or raw fertilizer, to avoid root rot. At the same time, 0.2% monopotassium phosphate can be used for foliar topdressing, sprayed once every ten days for 5 consecutive applications, to promote thick, strong spring shoots and improve bud-setting ability.

3. Water moderately

Around mid-April, camellia's spring shoots begin to grow, but the climate at this time is dry and air humidity is low, so water moderately and spray water on the leaves once or twice a day to increase local air humidity and facilitate plant growth.

4. Repot promptly

After flowering, plants that need repotting should be repotted immediately. When repotting, it is best to use slow-release fertilizers such as hoof and horn meal and hair as base fertilizer. After repotting, water once thoroughly, place in a humid, cool place, and normal care can resume after 20 days.

What are the reasons camellia does not grow?

1. Unsuitable watering amount

A large part of the reason camellia grows too slowly or stops growing is too little watering. When water is insufficient, camellia's growth slows; too much water causes root rot, which is also unfavorable to plant growth.

2. Too little fertilizer

Applying too little fertilizer leaves camellia short of nutrients and affects plant development.

3. Improper light

Too much direct sunlight or insufficient sunlight will both affect camellia's normal growth.

4. Transplanting seedlings too late

Many people transplant camellia seedlings during the Spring Festival, and this is an important reason for poor camellia growth.

Camellia is of great value; it can not only be used for ornamental purposes, but can also be used for food and beauty. However, in the process of developing it, everyone must not refrain from pruning it for fear of affecting its appearance, because proper pruning is what ensures better growth.