How to care for camellias in winter? A full guide to winter care methods
Camellia, also called camellia flower, is one of China's top ten famous flowers and one of the world's precious flowering trees and shrubs, native to eastern China. Its leaves are emerald green and ready to drip, and its flowers are colorful, gorgeous and varied in form, making it a treasure of the horticultural world, so many people grow camellias in pots at home. It happens to be deep winter now, and everyone has put on thick winter clothing, so how do camellias grown in pots get through the winter? Below, Qinnong Web will introduce the winter growing methods for camellias.
I. Winter care locations for camellias
Most camellias are fairly cold-resistant and can tolerate low temperatures of -8°C, so they can overwinter naturally, but the possibility of frost damage or freezing to death cannot be ruled out. Therefore, for camellias grown in pots at home, when the temperature drops below 0°C, the potted camellia can be placed outdoors in a warm, sunny, wind-sheltered spot for care, and at night an insulating film can be added. Or it can be placed in a warm indoor spot, and when doing so, care must be taken to ensure there is plenty of sunlight.
II. Winter fertilizer and water management for camellias
The habit of camellias is that they like moisture but fear waterlogging, so in winter, watering should be moderate, generally determined according to room temperature. For watering, generally spraying water on the camellia leaves once every 3 days or 5 days is enough; note that the water temperature should be close to room temperature and not too low, and the best time for spraying is at noon on a sunny day.
Camellias quite like fertilizer, and winter is the growth period for camellia flower buds, so winter fertilization needs to be more frequent, mainly with light and frequent fertilizer applications, and a dilute liquid fertilizer can be applied once a month. For better growth of the flower buds, fertilization should focus on phosphorus and potassium fertilizer, with less nitrogen fertilizer.
III. Winter light and temperature for camellias
As for light, it must be sufficient. Winter is the period when camellia flower buds grow, so there must be plenty of light. Winter daylight hours are relatively short, so if conditions allow, be sure to let it receive full sun. Camellias grown indoors should be placed in a bright location.
Camellias like warmth and fear cold, so the winter care temperature needs to be kept at a relatively high level, preferably 10°C to 15°C, and generally not lower than 5°C, otherwise it is not conducive to camellia growth in winter.
The above is the winter growing methods for camellias brought to you by Qinnong Web. Generally speaking, as long as care is proper, there is no need to worry too much about camellias freezing to death in winter, but Qinnong Web also mentioned above that camellias grow flower buds in winter, and if the temperature is too low or nutrients are insufficient during this period, it will affect the timing and beauty of spring flowering. Therefore, in winter we must also give our camellias certain care so that we can see beautiful camellia flowers in early spring next year!