What should you pay attention to when caring for camellias? There are quite a few methods

Camellia

 Big Names Meet Good Voices Episode 10

Huang Qishan 

00:00/04:11

Camellia is one of the ten traditional famous flowers of our country. It likes a warm environment, prefers to grow in semi-shade, in environments with relatively high air humidity, and in fertile, loose, well-drained soil. It fears blazing sun and dryness. Camellia is also called "Naidong" (winter-tolerant); just from the name you can tell it likes coolness and dislikes heat!

Camellia is actually a relatively delicate plant. If you want to grow it well and beautifully, there are many things to pay attention to. The most important of these is the control of temperature and light! Camellia likes warm, humid and semi-shady environments. The suitable growth temperature is 18-25°C, 13-18°C from March to September, and 10-13°C from September to the following March. When the temperature is above 12°C it begins to sprout, and above 30°C it stops growing. The temperature for the start of flowering is 2°C, and the suitable temperature for flower opening is 10-20°C. Cold-hardy varieties of camellia can withstand -10°C for a short time, while ordinary varieties can withstand -3 to -4°C. When the summer temperature exceeds 35°C, leaf scorching will occur. Camellia is suited to an environment with sufficient water and humid air, and it fears dryness. In the hot, dry summer and autumn, water or spray water promptly. The relative air humidity is best at 70%-80%. During the plum rain season, pay attention to drainage to avoid waterlogging and rot of the roots.

If you want to grow camellias well, you must also pay special attention to the supply of fertilizer. Extending the flowering period naturally requires nutritional support, so when the leaf buds begin to sprout, the frequency of fertilizing should be appropriately increased. But pay attention to the amount. We all know that no matter how good something is, you cannot consume too much of it at once, otherwise you will be harmed. This should also be remembered when dealing with plants.

Camellia relatively likes fertilizer. After repotting camellia in spring, there is no need to fertilize immediately. However, when potting, pay attention to placing base fertilizer in the potting soil, mainly phosphorus and potassium fertilizer. Fertilizers applied include decomposed bone meal, hair, chicken feathers, rice husk ash, poultry manure, and superphosphate and other substances. After the beginning of summer, during the period of vigorous stem and leaf growth, fertilize once every half month. From budding in September to the flowering period, apply 1-2 additional rounds of phosphorus and potassium fertilizer. In late summer and early autumn, camellia begins to form flower buds. Each branch tip should keep 1-2 flower buds, not too many, so as to avoid consuming nutrients and affecting the blooming of the main flower bud. When removing buds, pay attention to the position of the leaf buds so as to maintain a beautiful plant shape. At the same time, remove dried and useless buds by hand at any time. Normally, do not fertilize too much. Generally, apply 2-3 times of dilute fertilizer water between April and May after flowering, and apply one slightly stronger water fertilizer in November in autumn. When using fertilizer, note that the proportion of phosphorus fertilizer should be slightly larger, in order to promote abundant flowers and vivid colors.

For the soil used to plant camellias, be careful to choose deep, loose soil with good drainage. A pH of 5-6 is most suitable. Alkaline soil is not suitable for camellia growth. For potting soil, use fertile, loose, slightly acidic loam or leaf mold.

For water control, when planting camellias keep the soil moist, but not overly wet, and prevent alternating dry and wet conditions. Generally, in spring you can water a bit more to help sprouting and shoot growth; in summer, insist on watering in the morning and evening, and it is best to spray water on the leaf surfaces so the leaves become thoroughly wet. Do not water with a hard direct stream or fill the pot completely. Do not water with hot water, and avoid watering around midday when temperatures are high. In autumn, water in appropriate amounts; in winter, it is best to water around midday, and you can spray water once every two or three days.

When choosing a location for planting camellias, you must take into account the light control mentioned above! Camellia is best placed in a warm, humid, ventilated and well-lit place. In spring it needs sufficient light; in summer pay attention to shading, avoiding direct sunlight and west-facing sun exposure. If placed on a balcony, it often dries out and dies if you are not careful. In winter it is best to move it indoors where the room temperature is above 3°C.

In daily care, during storage and transport, prevent high temperatures and dry air, otherwise flower buds and flowers are prone to dropping, affecting quality. Camellia flowers easily fall off if you are not careful, which is a shortcoming. Remember not to water too much, to prevent root rot.

Camellia grows relatively slowly, so excessive pruning is not advisable. Generally, just cut off leggy branches that affect the plant shape, as well as diseased, pest-damaged and weak branches. If there are too many flower buds on each branch, you can thin the flowers and keep only 1-2, maintaining a certain distance, and remove the rest early to avoid consuming nutrients. In addition, promptly remove flowers that are close to withering, which can also reduce nutrient consumption, helping the plant grow robustly and form new flower buds.

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