A Detailed Guide to Golden Camellia Planting Techniques and Cultivation Management Points
Golden Camellia belongs to the Theaceae family, Camellia genus, and is a twin sister to tea, camellia, Nanshan camellia, oil tea, and sasanqua. The flowers of Golden Camellia are golden yellow, dazzling and eye-catching, as if coated with a layer of wax, crystal clear and glossy, with a sense of translucence. Golden Camellia flowers are solitary in leaf axils; when in bloom, they are cup-shaped, pot-shaped, or bowl-shaped, delicate and varied, elegant and refined. Previously, people had never seen a species with golden yellow flowers. In 1960, Chinese scientific workers first discovered a golden yellow camellia in the Nanning area of Guangxi, and it was named Golden Camellia. Abroad, it is called the magical Oriental magic tea, and is honored as the “giant panda of the plant kingdom” and the “queen of the tea family.”
Planting Environment
Golden Camellia prefers a warm and humid climate, likes well-drained acidic soil, prefers shade during the seedling stage, and rather likes transmitted sunlight after entering the flowering stage. It has low requirements for soil and can grow in slightly acidic to neutral soil. It is tolerant of barren soil but also likes fertilizer. It has strong waterlogging tolerance. It is not tolerant of strong direct light and is relatively shade-tolerant; leaves die under strong light. It grows below 700 m elevation, with elevations between 200-500 m being more common, and the lower limit of its vertical distribution is around 20 m elevation.
The main distribution areas of Golden Camellia have an average temperature of 21-23°C, a January average temperature of 12.1-14.4°C, an extreme minimum temperature of around 0°C, a July average temperature of 27-23°C, and an extreme maximum temperature of 40°C. Annual rainfall is 1130-1700 mm, with a relatively obvious dry and wet season, and the dry season lasts as long as half a year. The air in the forest area is humid, with an average annual relative humidity of about 80%. It is shade-tolerant and is a lower-layer component tree species of northern tropical monsoon forests and ravine rainforests. Its main associated tree species include Xylia xylocarpa, Garcinia paucinervis, Cephalomappa sinensis, Cleidiocarpon cavaleriei, Dracontomelon duperreanum, Deutzianthus tonkinensis, Saraca dives, Ficus semicordata, Mytilaria laosensis, Hopea hainanensis, Antiaris toxicaria, and others. Young trees need to grow under shaded conditions, while mature trees grow better under sparse shade. It prefers humid, low-light environments under shaded arbor forests in ravines or in shrub thickets, and grows poorly on sunny slopes. It is tolerant of damp heat and avoids dryness and direct scorching sun.
The suitable soils for Golden Camellia are acidic soils such as lateritic red soil and latosol, and calcareous limestone soil, requiring a pH value of 4.5-6.5, deep soil layers, textures ranging from clayey to loose, high soil organic matter and water content, and good structure. It is a deep-rooted tree species with a well-developed main root, very few lateral roots and fibrous roots, strong sprouting ability, and can regenerate by sprouting. During the seedling stage, it produces shoots and leaves in all three seasons of spring, summer, and autumn. Mature trees produce new shoots twice a year, and young leaves are purplish red. Flower buds appear in July-August, the flowering period is from November to April of the following year, the full flowering period is in January-February, each flower opens for about 10 d, and fruits ripen from October to December. Under natural conditions, as long as temperature and humidity are suitable, seeds germinate relatively easily after falling to the ground.
Propagation Techniques
Golden Camellia is commonly propagated by sowing, grafting, and cuttings. The cultivation soil should be breathable and not water-retentive. During the seedling stage, a shade shed must be set up. North of the Yangtze River basin, pot cultivation is preferable, and in winter it must be moved into a greenhouse. Golden Camellia is a warmth-loving plant and a tree species with tropical characteristics, with relatively high heat requirements, but there are certain differences among species and at different growth stages. When introduced to a mid-subtropical climate, it can still grow and develop normally.
1. Cuttings: In the rainy season from May to June, select young mother trees, cut annual tender branches from the top, about 10 cm long, remove the lower leaves, flatten the cut below the node with a blade, retain one terminal bud and one lateral bud at the top, and 2-3 leaves, then insert into a medium of river sand or gravel, with insertion depth of 1/3-2/3. After insertion, cover with straw curtains for shading, strengthen leaf surface spraying, maintain air humidity in the cutting bed, and promote rooting. To improve the survival rate of cuttings, soak the cuttings in a 50-100 ppm ABT rooting powder solution for 8-12 hours.
2. Grafting: Select robust seedlings or camellia varieties that root easily from cuttings as rootstock, cut off at 4-5 cm above the ground diameter, split about 1.5 cm deep through the pith, use 1-2 year old branches as scions, retain 1-2 leaves on the upper part of the scion, cut the lower part into a wedge shape, insert into the split opening of the rootstock, ensure the cambium layers of both sides fit closely, then bind tightly with plastic tape. Post-grafting management: after grafting, cover the scion with a plastic bag and tie it below with a string, but not too tightly, so that water droplets form inside the bag and continuously drip onto the rootstock. Then add a paper bag outside the plastic bag to shade direct sunlight.
3. Bud cuttings: Use each bud node as a segment, retain one leaf, about 1.5 cm long, cut diagonally at the lower part, then insert into the medium, with the depth just covering the branch. This method can make full use of branches and is suitable for large-scale propagation needs.
Planting Techniques
1. Open-field planting of Golden Camellia
① Choose fertile, well-drained, slightly acidic loam soil, with a pH value between 5.5 and 6.
② Planting time: spring planting in February-March is mainly with small seedlings; autumn planting after November gives better results.
③ Fertilization: Camellias do not like heavy fertilizer. Generally, apply fertilizer 2-4 times before flowering in October-November and after flowering in April-May. Fertilizers mainly include compound fertilizer and compost, combined with an appropriate amount of phosphate fertilizer; (the fertilization principle is light application and frequent application. Apply more to strong seedlings, less or none to weak seedlings.)
④ Camellias grow slowly and should not be heavily pruned; the crown develops evenly, so special pruning is not needed. It is only necessary to cut off diseased and pest-infested branches, overly dense branches, weak branches, and leggy branches. For newly planted seedlings, moderate pruning may also be done to ensure survival. Bud thinning is an important part of cultivation management. Generally, each branch should retain at most 3 flower buds and maintain a certain spacing, which can reduce excessive nutrient consumption by the plant and affect flowering. The flowering period of camellias lasts as long as half a year. Promptly removing withered flowers is greatly beneficial for reducing nutrient consumption and strengthening tree vigor.
⑤ Intertillage and weeding. Intertillage and weeding, as well as cleaning the garden, can also effectively prevent and control diseases and pests, strengthen tree vigor, and make flowers larger. Intertillage and weeding need to be carried out 6-7 times throughout the year.
2. Pot cultivation techniques for Golden Camellia
① Pot soil selection: choose slightly acidic, loose, fertile mixed soil as pot soil. The ratio of the mixed soil is 6 parts garden soil, 3 parts pine leaf humus soil, and 1-2 parts sandy soil.
② Pot selection: clay pots are better for cultivation. The ratio of pot size to seedling is: for camellias with a seedling height of 40-50 cm and a crown width of 20-25 cm, the pot diameter should be about 20 cm. Other sizes follow the same pattern. For commercial seedlings, purple clay pots are better and can improve the ornamental effect.
③ Pot seedling selection: choose plants that are robust, have a main trunk and a single stem without branching, have a beautiful crown, tender green leaves, and no diseases or pests.
④ Watering management: For newly planted seedlings, water thoroughly the first time, water frequently within 2 months, and keep the pot soil moist. After that, water as with other potted flowering plants. The frequency depends on climatic conditions, following the principle of keeping the soil moist. Water more in spring to meet the needs of sprouting and shoot growth; in summer, water in the morning and evening; in the rainy season, prevent water accumulation; in autumn drought, water promptly; in winter, to prevent freezing, water at noon.
⑤ Shading and cold protection: Camellias should receive sufficient sunlight in spring and the rainy season, and be shaded and cooled in summer and autumn; when the winter temperature drops to zero, they need to be moved indoors for cold protection.
⑥ Flowering period control is mainly achieved through variety selection, temperature control, and hormone treatment to advance or delay flowering. For example, to delay flowering, choose late-flowering varieties and subject them to low-temperature control (a cold storage at 2-3 degrees or above, storing plants wrapped for cold protection), which can delay flowering by one month. To make them bloom earlier, choose early-flowering varieties such as Xiaotaohong, Xueta, Simianjing, and then apply heavy fertilizer and hormone treatment. The method is to stop spring growth of camellias. After flower buds form, apply heavy fertilizer so that the tender branches after flowering become full and mature early and stop growing early; in mid-July or early August, use a brush to dot 500-1000 PPm gibberellin onto the flower buds once every three days, accompanied by reasonable water and fertilizer; in September, depending on the plumpness of the flower buds, dot with gibberellin again. If the requirement is not met, appropriately increase the number of dot applications, continue to accompany with water spraying and topdressing, and the flower buds will grow rapidly, allowing earlier flowering from late September to November.
Fertilization Techniques
Golden Camellia likes fertilizer, but is afraid of raw fertilizer and concentrated fertilizer, and even more so should not be given a large amount at one time. It is best to “apply frequently and lightly” so that flowers are abundant and leaves are lush. From March to April, when Golden Camellia grows branches and leaves, apply nitrogen-based fermented cake fertilizer water 3-4 times to promote new bud germination and shoot growth; from May to June, during the flower bud differentiation period of Golden Camellia, apply liquid fertilizer based mainly on phosphorus and potassium 3-4 times in succession, such as superphosphate, bone meal, potassium dihydrogen phosphate, and fully decomposed liquid fertilizer from chicken, duck, pigeon, and fish waste water, to promote flower bud formation and enhance drought resistance; from September to November, apply mixed liquid fertilizer 2-3 times to promote flower bud enlargement and enhance cold resistance. However, in the hot summer (July-August) and severely cold season (December-February), fertilization is generally not needed.
Pest and Disease Control
The main diseases of Golden Camellia include anthracnose, red leaf blight, and sooty mold, and the main pests include aphids and scale insects.
1. Golden Camellia anthracnose mainly damages leaves, fruits, tender shoots, and tender buds. The control method is to strictly carry out seedling quarantine, and immediately destroy diseased seedlings when found. Before sowing, soak seeds with 0.2% Ceresan or 50% Tuzet 1000-fold solution for 24 h, spray 1% Bordeaux mixture in early spring, and from June to August spray monthly with 1% Bordeaux mixture plus 1%-2% tea seed cake water.
2. Golden Camellia red leaf blight is a common leaf disease in nurseries. A shade shed can be built in the nursery for shading, and leaf spraying can be increased during drought, or in the early stage of the disease, spray with 70% Topsin 1000-1500-fold solution or 20% Folpet 400-fold solution for control. Tea aphids begin to cause damage in mid-March and are severe in May-June. When aphids occur in large numbers, they gather in groups to damage tender branches, tender leaves, and flower buds, causing leaf curling and inducing sooty mold, affecting plant growth. The control method is, in the early stage of aphid occurrence, spray 50% dimethoate emulsion 1000-fold solution on trees where aphids are concentrated.
Golden Camellia Planting Methods and Care Points
Video: High-yield Cultivation Techniques for Golden Camellia
[Common Questions] How do you plant Golden Camellia?
[Expert Answer]
Golden Camellia planting methods:
① Cuttings: In the dry season from May to June, select young mother trees, cut annual tender branches from the top, about 10 cm long, remove the lower leaves, flatten the cut below the node with a blade, retain one terminal bud and one lateral bud at the top, and 2-3 leaves, then insert into a medium of river sand or gravel, with insertion depth of 1/3-2/3. After insertion, cover with straw curtains for shading, strengthen leaf surface spraying, maintain air humidity in the cutting bed, and promote rooting. To improve the survival rate of cuttings, soak the cuttings in a 50-100 ppm ABT rooting powder solution for 8-12 hours.
② Grafting: Select robust seedlings or camellia varieties that root easily from cuttings as rootstock, cut off at 4-5 cm above the ground diameter, split about 1.5 cm deep through the pith, use 1-2 year old branches as scions, retain 1-2 leaves on the upper part of the scion, cut the lower part into a wedge shape, insert into the split opening of the rootstock, ensure the cambium layers of both sides fit closely, then bind tightly with plastic tape. Post-grafting management: after grafting, cover the scion with a plastic bag and tie it below with a string, but not too tightly, so that water droplets form inside the bag and continuously drip onto the rootstock. Then add a paper bag outside the plastic bag to shade direct sunlight.
③ Bud cuttings: Use each bud node as a segment, retain one leaf, about 1.5 cm long, cut diagonally at the lower part, then insert into the medium, with the depth just covering the branch. This method can make full use of branches and is suitable for many propagation needs.
④ Pot cultivation: When potting Golden Camellia, it is advisable to use a culture soil prepared from leaf mold or peat soil plus some garden soil and river sand. To make it grow rapidly, it should be planted in a breathable clay pot. When planting, it is best to choose a deep simple pot. Before potting, first place a layer of broken tile pieces at the bottom of the pot to facilitate drainage; then apply a small amount of decomposed cake fertilizer powder or bone meal on top as base fertilizer, and fill a layer of culture soil above the fertilizer; then place the seedling in the center of the pot, straighten it, and fill in the culture soil layer by layer, compacting while filling, finally leaving about several cm of pot rim. After planting, water thoroughly and place in a semi-shaded place for cultivation. After the seedlings recover, shift to normal management.
Care Points:
Habits: Prefers a warm and humid climate, likes well-drained acidic soil, prefers shade during the seedling stage, and rather likes transmitted sunlight after entering the flowering stage. It has low requirements for soil and can grow in slightly acidic to neutral soil. It is tolerant of barren soil but also likes fertilizer. It has strong waterlogging tolerance.
Wind direction: Golden Camellia is afraid of strong wind, especially north wind and typhoons, so wind protection measures must be taken well.
Soil: Fertile, deep, moist, breathable, with a weakly acidic pH between 4.5 and 6.5. Use pine needle soil mixed in proportion, and gradually remove the “yellow mud” brought from the south.
Temperature: To achieve high-yield planting of Golden Camellia, its most suitable temperature must be maintained between 20—30 degrees, and the minimum temperature must not be lower than minus 5 degrees.
Light: Golden Camellia is a semi-shade and semi-sun tree species. Shading can be achieved by planting trees or using a shade shed. The shade shed should preferably be designed with a height of 2.2 m—2.5 m, so that the light transmittance reaches about thirty percent, which is optimal.
Watering: The water used for watering flowers must be mixed with 1% ferrous sulfate each time, so that the water always maintains a certain weak acidity.
Fertilization: One type is diluted sour milk, which can be used directly without fermentation; the other traditional method is fermented soybean cake water. Applying fertilizer once a month is sufficient.
[Editor's Comments] Golden Camellia is one of China's rare and endangered plants, known as the “giant panda” of the plant kingdom. So, do you know how Golden Camellia should be planted, and how it should be cared for? The editor of First Agricultural Economics above introduced the planting methods and care points of Golden Camellia, hoping it will be helpful to you.
The Functions of Golden Camellia and Cultivation Environment Requirements
Golden Camellia is a world-famous ornamental plant and the only variety in the camellia family with golden petals, so its status in the world is very high, and it is also deeply loved by people. However, because Golden Camellia has very strict requirements for its growing environment, the possibility of growing Golden Camellia yourself is very low.
Golden Camellia
I. Functions
After shaping and pruning, Golden Camellia can form a better tree shape and can be used as a solitary planting, opposite planting, or grouped planting in garden landscapes, and can also be used as a potted plant. The flowering period generally begins in November and continues until April of the following year. The full flowering period coincides with the Spring Festival. When in bloom, the flower quantity is abundant, the petals are golden yellow, with a waxy luster, crystal clear, elegant and refined, and truly spectacular.
II. Cultivation Points
Golden Camellia is a shade-loving, shade-tolerant, warmth-loving, moisture-loving, strong-light-avoiding negative tree species. In nature, it mostly grows in loose, well-drained, shady and humid ravines or beside streams under forests. The plant composition of Golden Camellia communities is diverse, and most are tropical tree species. When introduced to mid-subtropical regions, Golden Camellia can also grow and develop normally. It has been introduced and cultivated in Kunming, Yunnan, Guangdong, Fuzhou, and other places. Under a low temperature of -4°C, it was not frozen to death and could flower and bear fruit normally. Golden Camellia likes to grow in acidic soil. Under ordinary circumstances, it grows well when the soil pH value is 4.5-5.0.