How do you grow potted camellias so they do not wither and die?
If camellias are grown well, they are very beautiful, but because camellias like warm, humid environments, you need to pay attention during cultivation to providing a suitable environment for them. Potted camellias often run into the problem of withering and dying. What exactly causes this?
Camellia
When camellia roots lack oxygen, the root system gradually rots and dies. After the beginning of spring, pay special attention that the drainage holes at the bottom of the pot are not blocked. It is best to choose clay pots, which have good air permeability. For the soil used to grow camellias, slightly acidic mountain soil is best, while field soil is the worst. If mountain soil is paired with a clay pot, it is beneficial to camellia growth and the plants are less likely to wither and die.
Potted camellias should be kept in as humid an environment as possible, with some water vats or water basins placed around them. In hot seasons, spray water on the camellia leaves frequently. When spraying, it is best to add a drop of edible vinegar to the water, which can both clean the leaf surface and increase the acidity of the potting soil, avoiding chlorosis.
In addition, camellias are best repotted once a year, with repotting done after flowering in spring, replacing the soil and pruning the roots. For potted camellia seedlings, if urea is used as a top dressing, be especially cautious; too high a concentration will cause leaf drop, and the plant's cell fluid will leak out, very easily causing the plant to wither and die.
Why do potted camellias wither and die?
News from the China Landscape Web on March 26: If potted camellias at home are managed improperly, they very easily wither and die, giving flower growers a headache. The reasons are mainly two factors: first, poor ventilation of the roots; second, insufficient humidity on the leaf surface.
When camellia roots lack oxygen, it causes breathing difficulty, the body's physiological vitality declines, and over time the root system gradually rots and dies. After the beginning of spring, pay special attention that the drainage holes at the bottom of the pot are not blocked. When planting camellias in large pots and wooden barrels, insert several specially made drainage sticks into the pot; that is, when potting, depending on the size of the pot, insert several hard paper cylinders around the inside of the pot, fill the cylinders with river sand, then pull out the round paper cylinders to ensure good drainage. For camellias, it is best to choose clay pots, which have good air permeability, while porcelain is the worst. For the soil, slightly acidic mountain soil is best, while field soil is the worst. If mountain soil is used with a clay pot, it is beneficial to camellia growth and the plants are less likely to wither and die.
When the space where camellia branches and leaves are located lacks humidity, especially for camellias under dry air and high heat, it is easy for the water in the branches to lose balance and cause withering and death. Therefore, potted camellias should be kept in as humid an environment as possible, with some water vats or water basins placed around them. When the hot season arrives, frequently spray water on the leaves of potted camellias and on the ground around the pot surface, to increase the air humidity in a small area and lower the ground temperature. At the same time, when spraying, it is best to add a drop of edible vinegar to the water: first, it can clean the leaf surface; second, it can increase the acidity in the potting soil and avoid chlorosis; third, it can kill bacteria and insects on potted camellias.
In addition, if potted camellias are not repotted for a long time, the growing environment deteriorates, which is also one of the reasons camellias fail to bloom or wither and die. Camellias are best repotted once a year, with repotting done after flowering in spring; at the very least, repot and change the soil every other year and prune the roots. Another harm of not repotting for a long time is that the soil easily becomes compacted, and when watering, permeability is poor, causing the top to be wet and the bottom dry. Repotting, pruning the roots, removing part of the old soil, and adding new soil are very beneficial to their growth. For potted camellia seedlings, if urea is used as a top dressing, be especially cautious; if the concentration is too high (liquid fertilizer is generally applied diluted with 600-1000 times water), applying urea will cause leaf drop, and the plant's cell fluid will leak out, very easily causing the plant to wither and die.
How to prevent potted camellias from withering and dying
If potted camellias are grown at home and managed improperly, they very easily wither and die.
News from the China Landscape Web on August 14: When camellia roots lack oxygen, the root system gradually rots and dies. After the beginning of spring, pay special attention that the drainage holes at the bottom of the pot are not blocked. It is best to choose clay pots, which have good air permeability. For the soil used to grow camellias, slightly acidic mountain soil is best, while field soil is the worst. If mountain soil is paired with a clay pot, it is beneficial to camellia growth and the plants are less likely to wither and die.
Potted camellias should be kept in as humid an environment as possible, with some water vats or water basins placed around them. In hot seasons, spray water on the camellia leaves frequently. When spraying, it is best to add a drop of edible vinegar to the water, which can both clean the leaf surface and increase the acidity of the potting soil, avoiding chlorosis.
In addition, camellias are best repotted once a year, with repotting done after flowering in spring, replacing the soil and pruning the roots. For potted camellia seedlings, if urea is used as a top dressing, be especially cautious; too high a concentration will cause leaf drop, and the plant's cell fluid will leak out, very easily causing the plant to wither and die.