How to grow camellias? A detailed explanation of the growing environment and cultivation methods

Camellias have a beautiful form, lush and glossy leaves, and lovely, brilliantly colorful flowers. They are one of the world's famous flowers, and are the provincial flower of Yunnan Province, the city flower of Chongqing, Ningbo in Zhejiang Province and other cities, and the prefecture flower of the Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture in Yunnan Province. The cultivation of Chinese camellia had already entered the imperial court as early as the Sui and Tang dynasties. So how should camellias be grown to do well? Let's share the cultivation methods for camellias below:

The growing environment for camellias

The suitable growing temperature for camellias is between 15 and 32°C, with a certain temperature difference required, and an environmental humidity above 60%. Most varieties can tolerate low temperatures of -8°C (natural overwintering; Yunnan camellias are slightly less cold-tolerant), and in areas south of the Huai River they can generally overwinter naturally. The planting soil for camellias should be on the acidic side and require good air permeability. To favor root hair development, peat, rotted sawdust, red soil, humus soil, or a mixed substrate of the above can usually be used for cultivation. Camellias require stronger light than rhododendrons; in spring, autumn and winter no shading is needed, while in summer 50% shading can be used.

1. Light and temperature: Camellias are long-day plants. Flower buds can only form in an environment with a day length of 12 hours. The optimum growing temperature is 18 to 25°C, the optimum flowering temperature is 10 to 20°C, and above 35°C the leaves will be scorched. They are not cold-tolerant, so in winter they should be brought indoors with the temperature kept at 3 to 5°C; they can also endure short periods of -10°C, but must not be kept above 16°C for long periods, otherwise it will promote sprouting and cause leaf drop. During the growing period they should be placed in a semi-shaded environment and should not receive overly strong direct sunlight. In particular, in summer and autumn, shading is needed, or they can be placed in dappled shade under trees.

2. Watering and fertilizing: Camellias have relatively high requirements for water and fertilizer, and both neutral and alkaline loam soils are unfavorable for their growth. In the north, particular attention must be paid to acidifying alkaline water before it can be used to water the flowers. The specific method is to store tap water for 2 days to let the chlorine in the water evaporate, then add an appropriate amount of ferrous sulfate (about 0.5% of the water). The amount of water should not be too large, otherwise root rot easily occurs. The potting soil must also not be dry, otherwise the roots easily shrink from water loss; it is best to keep the potting soil and the surrounding environment moist. Do not spray water during the flowering period. For fertilizing, dilute alum fertilizer water is good, and strong fertilizer should be avoided. Generally, after spring sprouting, apply a thin fertilizer solution once every 17 days; in summer apply phosphorus and potassium fertilizers; in early autumn fertilization can be stopped for about 1 month; before flowering apply alum fertilizer water again, and at flowering apply quick-acting phosphorus and potassium fertilizers, so that the flowers are large and vividly colored and the flowering period is long.

Propagation methods for camellias

There are many propagation methods for camellias; both sexual and asexual propagation can be used, among which cuttings and approach grafting are the most commonly used.

1. Cutting propagation: Cutting propagation is the simplest. The best time for cuttings is September, and spring also works. Choose well-grown, semi-lignified branches, remove the leaves at the base, keep the upper 3 leaves, cut a slanted opening with a sharp knife, immediately dip the cut end into 200 to 500 ppm indolebutyric acid for 5 to 15 minutes, dry it in the sun, then insert it into a sand pot or vermiculite pot. After insertion, water it; after about 40 days the wound heals, and after about 60 days roots form. Cuttings treated with hormones produce roots 2 to 3 months earlier than those not treated with hormones. When vermiculite is used as the cutting bed, rooting is also much faster than in a sand bed.

2. Approach grafting propagation: Choose a suitable variety such as chazhong tea or oil tea as the rootstock, and approach-graft a precious camellia onto it. The time for approach grafting is generally between Qingming Festival and Mid-Autumn Festival. First plant the rootstock in a flower pot, use a knife to shave off about half at the parts to be joined, with smooth cuts, then press the cut surfaces of both tightly together, wrap with plastic film, and water the rootstock twice a day; after 60 days it will have healed. At that time it can be cut off and planted, and placed under tree shade to avoid direct sunlight. In February of the following year, use a knife to cut off the tail of the rootstock, then plant it out.

3. Leaf cutting propagation: For camellia propagation by leaf cutting, branch cuttings are generally used, but for some precious varieties, due to limited availability of branches, or because taking material would affect the tree shape, the leaf cutting method is also used. Use mountain soil as the cutting substrate, and mix in 1/3 river sand to improve aeration and drainage. Put the substrate in a clay pot, then do the pot cutting. Leaf cuttings are best done in the rainy season; take one-year-old leaves as the leaf cutting material, as leaves that are too old are not easy to root and those too tender rot easily. Insert about 2 cm into the soil, press the soil firmly after insertion, water thoroughly, then place in a cool, ventilated place. Generally roots develop in 3 months, and in the spring of the following year they can sprout and send out shoots.

4. High-level cutting propagation: The greatest feature of the high-altitude layering method is that it can give new life to all the weak and small branches on the camellia that would otherwise have been pruned off. This method also has a high survival rate, quick rejuvenation, and early flowering. The method is: on the weak branches that need to be pruned off, perform ring-barking at an appropriate position (generally leaving 15 to 25 cm of branch at the upper part), with a ring-barking length of 5 to 8 mm, tie on a suitably sized plastic film, add sterilized and disinfected peat soil or leaf mold inside the film, and after 7 to 10 days, ring-bark another 5 to 8 mm below the plastic film; this is called the double ring-barking high-cut method.

5. Tree grafting propagation: Camellias are plants that are relatively difficult to keep alive. There are many and varied propagation methods for camellias, among which grafting is the most commonly used. Grafting camellias has many advantages: it can maintain the superior traits of the variety; it can accelerate plant growth, enabling it to take shape quickly and allowing large-scale production; it saves scion material, which is especially important for rare varieties with few sources of scions; the technique for grafting camellias onto oil tea trees is as follows.

① Grafting time: The suitable grafting time is between June and July. At this time the new shoot leaves of the camellia scion have already unfolded, and the temperature is relatively high, so the grafting wound heals quickly and the survival rate is high.

② Grafting method: Use the cut grafting method among the branch grafting methods. Because the grafting position is relatively high, we often call it “high grafting to change the head.”

After reading about the growing environment and propagation methods for camellias, next please follow the editor to take a look at the cultivation methods for camellias!

Cultivation methods for camellias

Camellias are usually watered with neutral or slightly acidic surface water. Watering should follow the principle of watering when dry and keeping it dry-wet, watering again when dry, and watering thoroughly when watering, but care must be taken not to let it become too dry. Generally, at the end of spring shoot growth and before budding, water should be appropriately withheld to favor the transition to reproductive growth, and water must not be cut off before flowering.

1. Location: Camellias should be placed in a warm, humid, ventilated and well-lit place. In spring they need sufficient light; in summer attention should be paid to shading, avoiding direct sunlight and west-facing sun exposure. If placed on a balcony, they are often accidentally scorched to death.

2. Watering: The cultivation of potted camellias should maintain the soil in a moist state, but not overly wet, to prevent alternating dryness and wetness. Generally, in spring they can be watered a little more to favor sprouting and shoot growth; in summer insist on watering in the morning and evening, and it is best to spray water on the leaf surface so the leaves are thoroughly wet. Do not use a strong stream of water to pour directly or flood the pot; do not water with hot water; avoid watering around midday when temperatures are high; in autumn watering should be moderate; in winter it is best to water around midday, and spray water once every two or three days.

3. Fertilizing: Camellias like fertilizer, so when potting, base fertilizer should be placed in the potting soil, mainly phosphorus and potassium fertilizers. Fertilizers used include decomposed bone meal, hair, chicken feathers, rice hull ash, poultry manure, and superphosphate and other substances. Usually too much fertilizer should not be applied; generally after flowering, between April and May, apply 2 to 3 times of thin fertilizer water, and in November of autumn apply one slightly stronger water-soluble fertilizer. In using fertilizer, note that the proportion of phosphorus fertilizer should be slightly larger, to promote abundant flowers and vivid colors.

4. Pruning: Camellias grow relatively slowly and should not be pruned excessively. Generally, it is enough to cut off the water sprouts that affect the tree shape, as well as diseased, pest-damaged and weak branches. If there are too many flower buds on each branch, the flowers can be thinned to leave only 1 to 2, keeping a certain distance, and the rest removed early to avoid consuming nutrients. In addition, flowers that are close to withering should also be removed in time, which can also reduce nutrient consumption and favor robust plant growth and the formation of new flower buds.

5. Repotting: Potted camellias can be repotted once every 1 to 2 years. The new pot should be one size larger than the old pot, to favor the spreading and development of the root system. The best time for repotting is April in spring, and autumn also works. Along with changing the soil, appropriately remove part of the compacted old soil, replace it with fertile, loose new soil, and add base fertilizer at the same time.

6. Pests and diseases: The main diseases of camellias 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, generally best done from April to June.

7. Flowering period: Because camellias are not cold-tolerant, delaying the flowering period is not very commonly used. Generally, methods such as selecting varieties, temperature control, and hormone treatment are used to control the flowering period. To make camellias bloom on “National Day” (October 1), in mid-July or early August you can use a writing brush dipped in 0.1% gibberellin and dab it on the flower buds, applying once every 3 days, with normal water and fertilizer management. In September, decide whether to apply it to the flower buds based on their growth; if it is estimated that blooming on “National Day” is not assured, the number of applications to the buds can be increased and the amount of water and fertilizer increased, to promote rapid growth of the flower buds so that flowers appear on “National Day.”

Winter management of potted camellias

1. Cold protection and warmth: When the temperature drops below 0°C, move potted camellias to a sunny, warm, wind-sheltered place outdoors, or place them in a plastic shed sealed on three sides and facing the sun on one side. They can also be placed indoors, but the place where they are put must have good light and ventilation. In severe frosty weather, attention should be paid to keeping them warm; before a sudden temperature drop, it is best to move outdoor camellias indoors. If left outdoors, plastic film, newspaper or cloth and other materials should be added as cover at night.

2. Water and fertilizer management: Camellias like a warm, humid environment and are afraid of waterlogging. Before flowering, watering should follow the principle of not watering when the potting soil is not dry, and watering thoroughly when watering.

3. In winter, spray the leaf surface once every 3 to 5 days with clean water at a temperature close to room temperature, to increase humidity and wash dust off the leaves. During the flowering period, the amount of watering should be such that the potting soil is dry-wet; the suitable time for watering is midday on a sunny day. Winter is the period when camellia flower buds swell; each month, along with spraying water on the leaf surface, spray 0.1% to 0.3% potassium dihydrogen phosphate solution once, or apply a dilute liquid fertilizer mainly of phosphorus and potassium to the roots (fertilizer-to-water ratio 1:4) once.

4. When watering, do not spray water on the flowers, otherwise it will cause the flowers to rot and shorten the flowering period. After the flowers fade, remove the spent flowers in time.

Cultivation methods for camellias: cultivation methods and precautions for camellias

Camellia is a plant of the genus Camellia in the family Theaceae, and it likes warm, humid environments. Among the many flowering plants, the flowering period of camellia is relatively long; it can bloom from October to May of the following year. The flower colors of camellia include red, purple, white, yellow and other different colors. Because the camellia's plant shape is elegant, its leaves are deep green and glossy, and its flower forms are brilliantly colorful, it is very popular. Today, everyone, please join the editor Yiai to take a look at what the cultivation methods and precautions for camellias are.


Soil for camellia cultivation methods
Camellias like loose, fertile, well-drained sandy soil and grow in loess and humus soil. Generally, when choosing soil for cultivation, peat, rotted sawdust, red soil, humus soil, or a mixed substrate of the above can be used. The pH value for planting camellias is best between 5 and 6.5. Slightly acidic soil is best.


Light and temperature for camellia cultivation methods
Camellias are semi-shade plants, and when growing them in summer they need shading. After the Start of Autumn, when temperatures drop, camellias enter the flower bud differentiation stage, and at this time they should promptly be given sufficient light. In winter they should be placed indoors and in a sunny place. Camellias are long-day plants, so they can only form flower buds in an environment with a day length of 12 hours. Their growing temperature is best at 18 to 25°C. If it is above 35°C, their leaves will be scorched. When growing them in winter, the temperature should be kept at 3 to 5°C; they can also endure short periods of -10°C, but must not be kept above 16°C for long periods, otherwise it will promote sprouting and cause leaf drop.


Watering and fertilizing for camellia cultivation methods
Camellias have relatively high requirements for water, and neutral or alkaline soil is unfavorable for their growth. When watering, adding too much water will cause root rot. The potting soil must also not be dry, as that easily causes the roots to shrink from water loss; it is best to keep the potting soil and surrounding environment moist. During the flowering period of camellias, do not spray water. When watering, do not pour water onto the flowers, as that easily causes the flowers to rot and shortens the flowering period. After the camellia flowers fade, remove the spent flowers in time. In winter, watering is generally once every three days, keeping the potting soil moist. Camellias like fertilizer, and generally sufficient base fertilizer is applied when repotting. In autumn and winter, apply a decomposed dilute liquid fertilizer once a week, and additionally apply phosphorus and potassium fertilizer 1 to 2 times. When fertilizing, dilute alum fertilizer water can be used for watering. After spring sprouting, apply a thin fertilizer solution once every half month; in summer apply phosphorus and potassium fertilizers; in early autumn fertilization can be stopped for about 1 month; before flowering apply alum fertilizer water again, and at flowering apply quick-acting phosphorus and potassium fertilizers, so that the flowers are large and vividly colored and the flowering period is long.


Shaping and pruning for camellia cultivation methods
When pruning camellias, mainly cut off dead branches, diseased and weak branches, crossing branches, and overly dense branches. If camellia flower buds affect the tree-shaped branches, excess flower buds can be removed. If it is a potted camellia, it can be shaped and pruned according to your own preferences, but when pruning, it must not be cut too heavily, as that will affect its growth.


Precautions for camellias
1. When watering camellias, be sure to first store tap water in a bucket for one or two days to let the chlorine evaporate. It is best to put one percent ferrous sulfate in the water to help improve the water quality.

2. Camellias should not receive overly strong direct light; especially in summer and early autumn, they must be shaded.

3. When fertilizing camellias, if there is too much nitrogen fertilizer, the flower buds easily scorch; after flowering, less or no fertilizer can be applied.

4. Because camellias are not cold-tolerant, sometimes their flowering period is delayed; this is relatively normal.


Summary: Camellia is an evergreen plant of all four seasons. Its plant shape is elegant, its leaves are deep green and glossy, and its flower forms are brilliantly colorful. It is a traditional ornamental flower of China and ranks eighth among the “Ten Famous Flowers.” It is also one of the world's precious flowering trees. The above is the editor's introduction to the cultivation methods and precautions for camellias. After reading the editor's introduction, I believe everyone has a fairly good understanding.

Cultivation and care methods for camellias

Camellias have always been very beautiful flowers. After camellias bloom they are extremely gorgeous, and their floral fragrance is rich, making people fall in love at first sight. Camellias are so beautiful that many people want to plant some camellias for viewing. So how should camellias be planted to do well, and what are the cultivation and care methods for camellias?

1. Cultivation and care methods for camellias——planting location

Camellias like a semi-shaded growing environment, and it is relatively advisable not to expose them to the scorching sun. Therefore, potted camellias are suitable to be placed in a warm environment that also has sufficient ventilation. Growing camellias requires a certain amount of light, but at midday and other times with abundant sunlight, attention should still be paid to shading, and problems such as direct sunlight must not occur.

2. Cultivation and care methods for camellias——temperature

Camellias are relatively suited to a warm growing environment; that is, camellias are most suited to growing at temperatures above 15 degrees and below 25 degrees. Camellias will stop growing once the temperature exceeds 36 degrees. At the same time, when growing camellias, attention should be paid to the temperature difference; when the temperature difference is relatively large, camellias will instead grow even better.

3. Cultivation and care methods for camellias——watering

Watering camellias should emphasize a suitable balance of dry and wet. In spring, camellias are relatively prone to sprouting, so they can be watered more. In summer, watering in the morning or evening is better, and spraying some water on the leaves is beneficial to plant growth. In winter, it is better to water less and spray the pot more.