How to grow potted Camellia nitidissima? Sharing cultivation and care tips
Camellia nitidissima is a national first-class protected plant, with golden yellow flowers and a beautiful, dazzling flower form. It is an excellent raw material for camellia beverages, and it is pure, natural and pollution-free, with a faint fragrance when brewed. Below are the potted cultivation and care tips for Camellia nitidissima compiled by the editor. You can refer to them.
Step 1: For potting, it is best to use a growing medium made from leaf mold or peat soil plus some garden soil and river sand; to make it grow quickly, it should be planted in a breathable clay pot; when planting, it is best to use a deep cylindrical pot, and before potting, first place a layer of broken tile pieces at the bottom of the pot to improve drainage; then apply a small amount of decomposed cake fertilizer powder or bone meal on top as a base fertilizer, and cover the fertilizer with a layer of growing medium; then place the seedling in the center of the pot, straighten it, and fill in the growing medium layer by layer, firming it as you fill, finally leaving about 3 cm of the pot rim; after planting, water thoroughly and place it in a semi-shaded spot for cultivation, and after it recovers from transplanting, move it to normal management;
Step 2: The best time for transplanting into pots is early spring or late autumn; during the seedling stage it likes shade, and after entering the flowering stage it likes scattered light; usually watering should not be too much, and "water when dry, stop when wet" is best; in summer when temperatures are high, watering needs to be sufficient, but not so much that water accumulates in the pot; at the same time, spray clear water on the branches and leaves 2-3 times every morning and evening to increase air humidity; although it tolerates poor soil, it also likes fertilizer, and during the seedling stage it is best to apply light fertilizer frequently to promote rapid growth; for mature plants, generally apply 1-2 times of fully decomposed diluted cake fertilizer water or 0.1% compound fertilizer before and after flowering;
Step 3: After winter begins, move it to a cold room to overwinter; usually repot once every 2-3 years in early spring after flowering, and when repotting, cut off decayed roots, add new growing medium, and plant it with the original soil ball into a pot one size larger; generally no special pruning is needed, just cut off leggy branches and diseased or pest-damaged branches.
Preferably, the care points include:
Habit: It likes a warm and humid climate, prefers well-drained acidic soil, likes shade during the seedling stage, and after entering the flowering stage, quite likes transmitted
sunlight; it is not strict about soil and can grow in slightly acidic to neutral soil; it tolerates poor soil and also likes fertilizer; it has strong tolerance to waterlogging;
Wind direction: Camellia nitidissima fears strong wind, especially north wind and typhoons, so wind protection measures must be taken;
Soil: Fertile, deep, moist, breathable, with a pH that is weakly acidic between 4.5-6.5; use pine needle soil mixed in the proper proportion, and gradually remove the "yellow mud" brought from the south;
Temperature: To achieve high-yield planting of Camellia nitidissima, its most suitable temperature must be maintained between 20-30 degrees, and the lowest temperature must not fall below minus 5 degrees;
Light: Camellia nitidissima is a semi-shade and semi-sun tree species, and the method of planting trees for shade can be used, with about 30 percent light transmission being best;
Watering: The water used for watering the flowers must have 1% ferrous sulfate added each time, so that the water always maintains a certain weak acidity;
Fertilizing: One type is diluted sour milk, which can be used directly without fermentation; another traditional method is fermented soybean cake water; fertilizing once a month is enough.
Conclusion: When pests such as small green leafhoppers and tussock moths harm potted care, the method of spraying 40% dimethoate 1000-1200 times solution was used for control, effectively preventing Camellia nitidissima from being infested by pests; moreover, this method also sprays clear water on the branches and leaves 2-3 times every morning and evening to increase air humidity, and during the seedling stage it is best to apply light fertilizer frequently, effectively promoting the rapid growth of Camellia nitidissima and reducing the time needed for growth; it also includes selecting a deep cylindrical pot when planting, and first placing a layer of broken tile pieces at the bottom of the pot before potting, to improve drainage; then applying a small amount of decomposed cake fertilizer powder or bone meal on top as a base fertilizer, so that Camellia nitidissima grows better; and soaking cuttings in a 50-100 ppm rooting powder solution to increase the survival rate of cuttings.
In the editor's view, potted Camellia nitidissima has excellent ornamental value, and its flowers are also excellent tea, combining ornamental value and economic value. The above are the potted care tips for it, and those interested can refer to them.
How to grow Camellia nitidissima? The complete guide to cultivating and caring for Camellia nitidissima
Characteristics of Camellia nitidissima: The flowers are golden yellow and dazzlingly bright, with a beautiful flower form and high ornamental value. It is much loved by people in daily life. Recently, many friends who like flowers and plants have asked the editor how to grow Camellia nitidissima. In fact, the method is very simple; just pay attention to soil, water and fertilizer, and flowering-period management. Below is the detailed complete guide to cultivating and caring for Camellia nitidissima for everyone's reference.
Growing environment
Camellia nitidissima likes a warm, humid climate and a semi-shaded, semi-cool, moist environment. It likes shade during the seedling stage, and after entering the flowering stage, it quite likes transmitted sunlight. This plant tolerates poor soil, also likes fertilizer, has strong tolerance to waterlogging, and is not cold-tolerant.
Soil management
Camellia nitidissima is not picky about soil and likes to grow in well-drained slightly acidic to neutral soil. For potting, leaf mold, garden soil, and river sand can be mixed.
Water and fertilizer management
Camellia nitidissima likes weakly acidic soil, so when watering, a little ferrous sulfate can be added to maintain a certain weak acidity in the soil and water. It likes fertilizer and needs fertilizing once a month, mainly with organic soybean cake water fertilizer or nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium fertilizer. After flower buds appear, stop nitrogen fertilizer, and during the flowering period apply additional phosphorus and potassium fertilizer to promote more buds and larger flowers.
Sunlight management
Camellia nitidissima likes semi-shade. During the growing period, maintain weak light in the morning and evening. In hot summer, shade is needed to avoid direct sunlight. During the flowering period, keeping air circulation is helpful for flowering.
Temperature control
The suitable growth temperature for Camellia nitidissima is 15 to 30 degrees. When the summer temperature reaches 30 degrees, shade is needed, and when the winter temperature reaches 5 degrees, keep it warm.
Flowering-period management
Camellia nitidissima flowers only after 3 to 5 years of planting. For potted plants, when the seedling is 30 cm tall, pinch off the growing tips to maintain the plant shape. After the plant forms buds, some weak buds, inward-facing buds, overly dense buds, and deformed buds can be cut off, thus concentrating nutrients, making the flowers larger, and also extending the flowering period. By November, Camellia nitidissima fully opens, and it continues blooming until March of the following year, with the peak flowering period lasting 1 to 2 months.
Pest and disease control
Mature Camellia nitidissima is prone to pests and diseases, so just pay attention to prevention.
Camellia nitidissima is a very beautiful flower. Its flower color is golden yellow, as if coated with a layer of wax, crystal clear and glossy. Its flower form is delicate and charming, elegant and refined. It is very popular among friends who like flowers and plants. Such a beautiful flower can be trial-planted according to the care tips shared by the editor.
Planting methods and care points for Camellia nitidissima
Video: High-yield cultivation techniques for Camellia nitidissima
[Common question] How to plant Camellia nitidissima?
[Expert answer]
Planting methods for Camellia nitidissima:
① Cuttings: In the dry season from May to June, select a young mother tree and cut a current-year tender branch about 10 cm long from the top, remove the lower leaves, flatten the cut below the node with a blade, keep one terminal bud and one lateral bud at the top, and 2-3 leaves, then insert it into a medium of river sand or gravel, with the insertion depth at 1/3 to 2/3. After insertion, cover with a straw curtain for shade, increase leaf-surface misting, maintain air humidity in the cutting bed, and promote rooting. To improve the survival rate of cuttings, a 50-100 ppm ABT rooting powder solution can be used to soak the cuttings for 8-12 hours.
② Grafting: Use vigorous seedlings or camellia species that root easily from cuttings as rootstock, cut it off at 4-5 cm from the ground diameter, split it through the pith about 1.5 cm deep, and use 1-2 year old branches as scions. Keep 1-2 leaves on the upper part of the scion, cut the lower part into a wedge shape, insert it into the split opening of the rootstock, make sure the cambium on both sides fits closely, then bind it tightly with plastic tape. 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 drip onto the rootstock from time to time. Then put a paper bag outside the plastic bag to block direct sunlight.
③ Bud cuttings: Take each bud node as a section, keep one leaf, about 1.5 cm long, cut the lower part diagonally, then insert it into the medium, with the depth just covering the branch section. This method can fully utilize branches and is suitable for large propagation needs.
④ Potting: When potting Camellia nitidissima, it is best to use a growing medium made from leaf mold or peat soil plus some garden soil and river sand. To make it grow quickly, it should be planted in a breathable clay pot. When planting, it is best to use a deep cylindrical pot. Before potting, first place a layer of broken tile pieces at the bottom of the pot to improve drainage; then apply a small amount of decomposed cake fertilizer powder or bone meal on top as a base fertilizer, and cover the fertilizer with a layer of growing medium; then place the seedling in the center of the pot, straighten it, and fill in the growing medium layer by layer, firming it as you fill, finally leaving about [number missing in source] cm of the pot rim. After planting, water thoroughly and place it in a semi-shaded spot for cultivation, and after it recovers from transplanting, move it to normal management.
Care points:
Habit: It likes a warm and humid climate, prefers well-drained acidic soil, likes shade during the seedling stage, and after entering the flowering stage, quite likes transmitted sunlight. It is not strict about soil and can grow in slightly acidic to neutral soil. It tolerates poor soil and also likes fertilizer. It has strong tolerance to waterlogging.
Wind direction: Camellia nitidissima fears strong wind, especially north wind and typhoons, so wind protection measures must be taken.
Soil: Fertile, deep, moist, breathable, with a pH that is weakly acidic between 4.5-6.5. Use pine needle soil mixed in the proper proportion, and gradually remove the “yellow mud” brought from the south.
Temperature: To achieve high-yield planting of Camellia nitidissima, its most suitable temperature must be maintained between 20—30 degrees, and the lowest temperature must not fall below minus 5 degrees.
Light: Camellia nitidissima is a semi-shade and semi-sun tree species. The method of planting trees for shade or shade-shed shading can be used. The shade shed should preferably be designed with a height of 2.2 m—2.5 m, with about 30 percent light transmission being best.
Watering: The water used for watering the flowers must have 1% ferrous sulfate added each time, so that the water always maintains a certain weak acidity.
Fertilizing: One type is diluted sour milk, which can be used directly without fermentation; another traditional method is fermented soybean cake water. Fertilizing once a month is enough.
[Editor's comments] Camellia nitidissima is one of China's rare and endangered plants, known as the “giant panda” of the plant kingdom. So, do you know how Camellia nitidissima should be planted and how it should be cared for? The editor of First Agricultural Economics above introduced the planting methods and care points for Camellia nitidissima, hoping it will be helpful to you.