Why Is My Camellia Dropping Leaves? Improper Watering, High Temperatures, and Disease Are the Key Causes

Growing Techniques Jan 1, 1970 0 views

Camellia, also called camellia flower, is one of China's top ten famous flowers; not only are its blooms beautiful, but its emerald-green leaves are lovely too. In daily life, many people buy camellias to grow at home, but during the growing process, many flower enthusiasts run into the problem of leaf drop. So why do camellias drop their leaves?

I. Why Camellias Drop Leaves: Improper Care

In daily life, because of its famous reputation, the camellia is grown in many people's homes. But because they do not follow camellia cultivation methods, many flower enthusiasts often run into troublesome problems, such as camellia leaves turning yellow and falling off at a touch. What exactly is going on? Here, the editor analyzes watering, temperature, pests and diseases, and several other aspects one by one, in great detail. Let's keep reading.

II. Causes of Camellia Leaf Drop and Solutions

1. Improper Watering

During cultivation, because camellias like a humid environment, watering is essential, but this is troublesome for many beginners, who often cannot control the degree and cause camellia leaf drop. Improper watering comes in two situations: one is overwatering, the other is underwatering.

Overwatering: When the soil remains moist for a long time, the soil's oxygen content drops, and in severe cases the camellia roots cannot properly absorb oxygen and nutrients, after which leaf drop occurs. Solution: Immediately reduce watering, and loosen the soil frequently so the soil is well aerated.

Underwatering: The camellia roots do not absorb enough, which very easily causes the leaves to become dull and lusterless and to fall off at a touch. Its symptoms are: the lower old leaves age, and gradually yellow and drop from bottom to top. Solution: Water in small amounts, let it gradually recover, then return to normal watering.

2. High Temperatures in Winter

During camellia cultivation, temperature is a point everyone should focus on. To make camellias grow well, the winter temperature is best kept at 3-5°C and must not exceed 16°C, otherwise it will promote sprouting and cause leaf drop.

Solution: Control the temperature and place the camellia in a room at 3-5°C; after a period of care it will recover its health.

3. Sudden Environmental Changes

Why do camellias drop leaves? Storms come without warning; during camellia cultivation, once the environment changes greatly, such as temperature alternating between cold and hot, or light alternating between strong and weak, it will cause part of the plant's old leaves to fall off.

Solution: First, do not move the camellia around often; second, keep the environment unchanged; then, adjust artificially according to environmental changes: if light is insufficient, supplement light; if the temperature drops, raise it artificially. In short, supplement whatever is lacking, and do not let the camellia's growing environment change too much at once.

4. Poor Ventilation

While growing camellias, we need to give them a ventilated environment, because once ventilation is poor, it can also cause camellia leaf drop. Especially in winter, because the camellia is placed indoors for a long time, poor ventilation or poor air quality will cause camellia leaf drop.

Solution: Very simple, place the camellia in a ventilated environment for care, and it will recover after a period of time.

5. Pest and Disease Infestation

Why do camellias drop leaves? Pests and diseases are also a point we must consider. During camellia cultivation, infestation by pests and diseases is unavoidable, especially anthracnose, which makes camellias drop leaves and in severe cases can even cause the plant to die.

Solution: Spray the corresponding pesticide according to the different disease. As for which pesticide to use, it is described in detail in camellia pest and disease control, so we won't say more here.

6. Leaf Drop After Repotting

In addition to the points above, repotting is also something everyone needs to pay attention to for camellia leaf drop. A camellia that has just been repotted has not yet rooted into the current soil and cannot take up enough water from the soil; at this point the plant adopts the method of shedding leaves to reduce its own water evaporation. This is a fairly common cause.

Why do camellias drop leaves? After reading the above, everyone should know! In fact, leaf drop is triggered by one cause, but is often the result of multiple factors, so when you run into this situation, you must make a correct diagnosis, only then can you treat the root cause.

Camellia Camellia japomica Camellia illustrated guide: how to grow camellias / how to propagate camellias

Camellia Profile
Camellia Camellia japomica
Aliases: Mandala tree, Sou chun, Mountain camellia, Nai dong, Camellia, Late camellia, Camellia flower, Foreign tea
Classification: Tree flower
Family and genus: Plantae, Angiosperms, Dicotyledons, Ericales, Theaceae, Camellia
Full bloom period: Spring, Winter
Camellia, also known as camellia flower, is a plant of the Theaceae family, an evergreen shrub and small tree. Its ancient name is sea pomegranate. It has aliases such as Yuming flower, Nai dong, or mandala, and is also divided into East China camellia, Sichuan camellia, and late camellia. There are extremely many camellia varieties; it is a traditional ornamental flower of China, ranked seventh among the "top ten famous flowers," and is also one of the world's precious flowers and trees.

Camellia cultivation methods and precautions, introduction to camellia
Camellia, also known as camellia flower, is a plant of the Theaceae family, an evergreen shrub and small tree. Its ancient name is sea pomegranate. It has aliases such as Yuming flower, Nai dong, or mandala, and is also divided into East China camellia, Sichuan camellia, and late camellia. There are extremely many camellia varieties; it is a traditional ornamental flower of China, ranked seventh among the "top ten famous flowers," and is also one of the world's precious flowers and trees.
Morphological Characteristics of Camellia
Camellia is an evergreen broad-leaved shrub or small tree. The branches are yellow-brown, and the twigs are green or green-purple to purple-brown. The leaves are leathery, alternate, elliptical, oblong, ovate to obovate, 4-10cm long, with a gradually pointed or sharply pointed tip, a wedge-shaped to nearly semicircular base, and serrated margins; the upper surface of the leaf is dark green, mostly glossy, the underside is lighter, the leaf is smooth and hairless, and the petiole is thick and short, with soft hairs or hairless.
The flowers are bisexual, usually solitary or 2-3 borne at the top of the branch tips or in the leaf axils. The pedicel is extremely short or inconspicuous, the bracts and sepals number 9-10, arranged in imbricate fashion, covered with down. The flower is single-petaled, with 5-7 petals arranged in 1-2 whorls in imbricate fashion, the flower diameter is 5-6cm, the color is bright red, the petal tips have notches or gaps, and the bases are joined into one body and form a tube; the stamens are well developed, up to more than 100, the filaments are white or have a red blush, the bases are joined into a tube shape, gathered at the flower center, and the anthers are golden yellow; the pistil develops normally, the ovary is smooth and hairless, 3-4 chambers, the style is single, the stigma is 3-5 lobed, and the seed-setting rate is high. The capsule is round, the shell is lignified, and the ripe capsule can naturally split open from the dorsal suture and scatter the seeds.
Camellia twigs are green or green-purple to purple-brown. The flowers are bisexual, usually solitary or 2-3 borne at the top of the branch tips or in the leaf axils. The pedicel is extremely short or inconspicuous, the bracts and sepals number 9-10, arranged in imbricate fashion, covered with down. The flower is single-petaled, with 5-7 petals arranged in 1-2 whorls in imbricate fashion, the flower diameter is 5-6cm, the color is bright red, the petal tips have notches or gaps, and the bases are joined into one body and form a tube.
The seeds are pale brown or black-brown, nearly spherical or pressed against each other into a polygonal shape, with flat surfaces and angular edges, the seed coat is horny and hard, the seeds are rich in oil, and the cotyledons are thick. The capsule is oblate-spherical, with hairs on the surface. Golden camellia is a small tree, 2-6m tall, with thin leathery leaves, oblong leaves, margins with bony small serrations or fine serrations, both sides smooth, sometimes hairy. The petals number 7-8, up to 17 in some, golden yellow to pale yellow, with a waxy luster, flower diameter 3-5.5 (10)cm; the ovary mostly has 3 chambers, hairless or hairy. The capsule is oblate-spherical or nearly spherical.
Yunnan camellia leaves are larger than those of camellia, 6-14cm long, 3-7cm wide, with sharp serrations on the leaf margins. The flowers are larger than those of camellia, 8-16cm in diameter, with some reaching 22cm; the ovary has 3-5 chambers, densely covered with silky down. The capsule is oblate-spherical, with hairs on the surface. Golden camellia is a small tree, 2-6m tall, with thin leathery leaves, oblong leaves, margins with bony small serrations or fine serrations, both sides smooth, sometimes hairy. The petals number 7-8, up to 17 in some, golden yellow to pale yellow, with a waxy luster, flower diameter 3-5.5cm; the ovary mostly has 3 chambers, hairless or hairy. The capsule is oblate-spherical or nearly spherical.
Camellia is a semi-shade-loving tree species, with a deep root system and well-developed taproot; it often grows in pine-oak mixed forests or secondary scrub of evergreen broad-leaved forests, and grows well in deep soil, organic-rich, lightly shaded, moist places or on both sides of ravines. The flowering period of Yunnan camellia is from December to February-March of the following year, each flower lasts about 15 days from first bloom to final bloom, and the fruit ripening period is September-October.
In addition to the original species, camellias have many horticultural varieties. Today the world's camellia varieties have grown to more than 5,000. China has about 300 camellia varieties, which are currently being organized and studied. Based on the petalization of stamens, the natural increase of petals, the evolution of stamens, and the petalization of sepals, they are broadly divided into 3 major classes and 12 flower forms:
Single class: petals arranged in 1-2 whorls, 5-7 pieces, joined at the base, mostly tubular, with pistils and stamens fully developed and able to set seed.
(1) Single form: characteristics as above.
Semi-double class: petals arranged in 3-5 whorls, about 20 pieces, up to nearly 50 in some (including petalized stamens).
(1) Semi-double form: petals arranged in 2-4 whorls, the small stamen petals and most of the stamens concentrated at the flower center, most stamens tending to degenerate, occasionally able to set seed, such as 'Bai Mian Qiu', 'Xing Hong Mu Dan', etc.
(2) Five-star form: petals arranged in 2-3 whorls, the corolla star-shaped, stamens present, pistils tending to degenerate. Such as 'Dong Yang Cha', etc.
(3) Lotus form: petals arranged in 3-4 whorls, the corolla lotus-shaped, stamens present, pistils tending to degenerate or occasionally present. 'Shi Yang Jing', 'Hu Zhua Bai', etc. are representative species.
(4) Pinecone form: petals arranged in 3-5 whorls, pinecone-shaped, both pistils and stamens present. 'Da Song Zi' is a representative species.
Double class: most stamens petalized, petals naturally increased, the number of petals above 50 (including petalized stamens).

Ecological Habits of Camellia
Camellia likes semi-shade and avoids blazing sun. It likes a warm climate, the optimum growth temperature is 18-25°C, and the initial flowering temperature is 2°C. It is slightly cold-tolerant, and general varieties can withstand a low temperature of -10°C; it is heat-tolerant, but growth is inhibited above 36°C. It likes high air humidity and avoids dryness, and is suitable for growing in areas with annual rainfall above 1200mm. It likes fertile, loose, slightly acidic soil, with a PH of 5.5-6.5 being best. It has 2 rounds of shoot growth per year; the first is the spring shoot, beginning in March-April; the summer shoot grows in July-September. The flowering period is long, 1-2 months for most varieties, and a single flower generally lasts 7-15 days. The flowering period is February-March. Aliases: Camellia, camellia flower, mandala tree, late camellia, Nai dong, sandalwood, foreign tea, Gu chun, mountain camellia.
Camellia likes a warm, humid, and semi-shaded environment. It fears high temperatures and avoids blazing sun. The optimum growth temperature of camellia is 18-25°C, 13-18°C from March to September, and 10-13°C from September to March of the following year. It begins to sprout when the temperature is above 12°C, stops growing above 30°C, the initial flowering temperature is 2°C, and the suitable temperature for flower opening is 10-20°C. Cold-tolerant varieties of camellia can withstand -10°C for a short time, and general varieties -3 to -4°C. When the summer temperature exceeds 35°C, leaf scorch will appear.
Camellia is suited to an environment with sufficient water and humid air, and avoids dryness. In the hot, dry summer and autumn, water or mist promptly, and the relative air humidity is best at 70%-80%. During the plum rain season, pay attention to drainage to avoid root waterlogging and rot.
Camellia is a semi-shade plant, suited to growing in diffused light, and fears direct sunlight and exposure; seedlings need shading. But long-term excessive shade is unfavorable for camellia growth, making leaves thin and flowers few, affecting ornamental value. Adult plants need more light to favor flower bud formation and flowering.
For open-field cultivation, choose deep, loose soil with good drainage; a pH of 5-6 is most suitable, and alkaline soil is not suitable for camellia growth. For potting soil, use fertile, loose, slightly acidic loam or leaf mold.

Cultivation Techniques of Camellia
Camellia can be propagated by sowing, cutting, grafting, layering, and other methods. Sowing is generally used to breed new varieties or propagate rootstock; the seeds are collected after ripening in autumn and winter and sown immediately in the seedbed, and at a temperature of 18-20°C they germinate in 10-30 days, and cultivation requires 4-5 years to flower. Cutting is done in April-June, selecting one-year-old hardwood branches, about 10-15cm long, leaving one terminal bud and one lateral bud at the upper end, with 2-3 leaves attached, ring-barking, and all lower leaves must be cut off. The cutting medium can be sandy loam or humus soil. The cutting pot is placed under a shade shed, keeping the temperature at 18-20°C and the relative humidity at 80%-85%, and rooting takes about 60-100 days, with new branches able to grow the following spring. Current-year softwood cuttings can also be used, rooting in about 30 days. Camellia horticultural variety propagation commonly uses approach grafting; the rootstock can be camellia, oil tea, and sasanqua seedlings, and locally the cutting seedlings of the camellia variety Bai Chuai Cha are often used as rootstock; the scion is best 2-3 years old and about 30-40cm long, and a 4-5cm cut is made at the base of the approach scion and at the root neck of the rootstock, then the two are joined. Approach grafting is suitable for May-June, and about 100-120 days after grafting the rootstock and scion can fully heal and can be cut away from the mother plant. Air layering is done in May-October, selecting robust one-year-old branches, making a 1cm-wide ring bark, wrapping the wound with a plastic bag filled with leaf mold, keeping it moist, and it roots in 2 months, then is cut off and potted. Arranged in imbricate fashion, covered. The flower is single-petaled, 5-7 pieces, arranged in 1-2 whorls in imbricate fashion, diameter 5-6cm, bright red, the petal tips have notches or gaps, and the bases are joined into one body and form a tube; it likes fertile, loose, slightly acidic soil with a PH of 5.5-6.5 being best. It has 2 rounds of shoot growth per year; the first is the spring shoot, beginning in March-April; the summer shoot grows in July-September. 1-2 months for most varieties, and a single flower generally lasts 7-15 days. The flowering period is February-March. 6-14cm long, 3-7cm wide, with sharp serrations on the leaf margins. Flowers reaching 22cm, densely covered with silky. The capsule is oblate-spherical, with hairs on the surface. With a flower diameter of 3-5.5cm, oblate-spherical or nearly spherical.

Field-grown Camellia
It is further divided into garden cultivation and nursery cultivation. For landscaping cultivation, there must be shade trees as companions; for nursery cultivation, shade trees must be planted in rows. In warm regions, autumn planting is generally better than spring planting. Fertilization must grasp three key periods, namely: apply topdressing in February-March to promote the growth of spring shoots and flower buds; apply topdressing in June to promote secondary branch growth and improve drought resistance; apply base fertilizer in October-November to improve the plant's cold resistance and lay a good foundation for new shoot growth the following spring. Cleaning the garden is one of the effective measures to control pests and diseases and strengthen tree vigor. Winter plowing can eliminate overwintering pests. Throughout the year, 5-6 rounds of cultivating and weeding are needed, but in the high-temperature summer season cultivating should be stopped to reduce soil water evaporation. The main pests of camellia are: tea tussock moth, tea leaf roller, tea black citrus aphid, etc. The main diseases are: tea ring spot, camellia algal leaf spot, and camellia anthracnose, etc. Control methods are: remove dead branches and fallen leaves to eliminate the source of infection. Strengthen cultivation management to enhance the plant's disease resistance, and use chemical control.

Potted Camellia
The pot size and seedling ratio must be appropriate. The potting soil used is best garden soil with 1/2-1/3 of one-year decomposed cut pine needles added. Pot in November or February-March of the following year, and never pot in the high-temperature season. After potting, water thoroughly, and water appropriately at ordinary times. The amount of watering should change with the seasons; around Qingming the plant enters the growth and sprouting period, so the water amount should gradually increase; after the new shoots stop growing (about late May), watering should be properly controlled to promote flower bud differentiation. June is the plum rain season, so guard against waterlogging. In the high-temperature summer season, leaf surface evaporation is large, so leaf surface misting is needed, and misting is best done in the early morning or evening, never at noon. In winter the plant gradually enters dormancy, and the watering frequency should be correspondingly reduced. Never water with cold water under high temperature and blazing sun, to avoid the roots being unaccustomed and producing physiological leaf drop. On hot or windy days, leaf surface evaporation is large, so water or mist more. When air humidity is high, reduce the amount of watering. If drought and dehydration occur, with branches and leaves wilting, immediately place the plant in a shaded place, water thoroughly, and at the same time mist the leaf surface. Generally, camellia large-leaf, large-flower species and fast-growing varieties have a large water requirement and should be watered more. Precious varieties such as Shi Xiang Jing, Yuan Feng Guan, Sa Jin Bao Zhu, Feng Xian, Lu Zhu Qiu, etc. have low water evaporation, and overwatering will cause leaf drop and bud drop. In the high-temperature summer and autumn seasons, shade and cool promptly. In winter, take freeze protection measures. Potted plants overwintering indoors should be kept at 3-4°C; if the temperature exceeds 16°C, it will promote early sprouting. The fertilization, pruning, and pest and disease control of potted camellia are basically the same as for open-field cultivation.

Camellia Propagation Methods and Cultivation Characteristics
Camellia likes a warm and humid climate environment, avoids blazing sun, likes semi-shaded diffused light, and is also shade-tolerant.

Fertilization Methods
Do not over-fertilize, and do not apply concentrated fertilizer; this is camellia's characteristic of not liking concentrated fertilizer, otherwise it will damage the root system and reduce the number of flowers. The base fertilizer for camellia is best organic fertilizer, such as fermented chicken and duck manure and animal organs, as well as bean cake and fish bone meal, etc. These organic fertilizers contain nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and other components, are relatively comprehensive, and have long-lasting fertilizer effect. When applying, they can be sun-dried, crushed into powder, first mixed with 5-6 times the dry soil, then scattered 2-3cm from the plant roots when repotting and filling the potting soil.
Camellia likes cool weather and fears high temperature and heat; after the beginning of spring, when topdressing, alum fertilizer water must be applied. To make alum fertilizer water, add 100g of green to 10kg of clear water, then add 200g of bean cake powder and 1000g of dried poultry manure and soak to ferment. In hot weather, soak for 1 month; in cool weather, soak for 3-4 months to fully decompose.

Common Propagation Methods
There are cutting, grafting, and sowing.
（1）Cutting
The suitable cutting period in the East China region is mid-to-late June. The 2nd cutting is done in late August to early September. In both periods the temperature is around 30°C, and with shade facilities the temperature can be controlled at around 25°C. The cuttings should be selected from the outer canopy with full tissue, complete leaves, plump leaf buds, and no pests or diseases, from the current year's semi-mature branches. The cutting length is generally 4-10cm, leaving 2 leaves at the tip, and when cutting, the lower part must have a heel. The cutting density is generally 10-14cm row spacing and 3-4cm plant spacing, requiring the leaves to interlock without overlapping; the cutting is inserted about 3cm into the soil; shallow insertion roots quickly, deep insertion roots slowly, and after insertion water thoroughly. From cutting to rooting generally takes about 30 days. "The key to survival is to maintain sufficient humidity in the early cutting stage, take measures to reduce hot air convection, never allow direct sunlight, and pay attention to leaf surface misting, keeping the leaf surface often covered with a thin film of water." After rooting, gradually increase sunlight; after October, let the seedlings receive full sunlight to accelerate lignification.
（2）Grafting
Seedling rootstock bud grafting: after the seeds are sown in a sand bed and grow for about 2 months, when the seedlings reach 4-5cm tall, they can be dug up and grafted using the cleft grafting method. Select well-growing semi-lignified branches as scions, cutting them one by one from bottom to top with 1 bud and 1 leaf. Cut the scion into a positive wedge shape and place it in a wet towel. Take the dug-up rootstock seedlings, clean off the mud and sand, then cut them off 1-1.5cm above the cotyledons, and split the stem vertically along the cotyledon suture line, with a depth matching the cut slope of the scion; insert the prepared scion into the rootstock cleft, align the cambium on one side, and tie tightly with a plastic film strip. Plant the grafted seedlings in the seedbed at 8cm x 2cm row and plant spacing. The bed soil should be fertile, loose sandy loam. After planting, the seedbed should be covered with a plastic shed for warmth; generally healing begins in 10-15 days, and after 20-25 days the film can be uncovered at night for ventilation. Thereafter gradually strengthen ventilation, appropriately increase light, and after new growth starts, remove all the film. Semi-mature branch grafting: use thick-species camellia or oil tea adult plants as rootstock for replacement side grafting, and in 1-2 years a large plant of a famous camellia variety can be cultivated. Select plants that are healthy, with plump buds and no pests or diseases as rootstock; for summer grafting, trim before the end of February, and for autumn grafting, trim in early-to-mid June, cutting off diseased and weak branches, drooping branches, crossing branches, and overly dense branches. The suitable grafting temperature is 5-30°C. For branches with a diameter of 1cm or more, use bark grafting, that is, make one cut each on the top, left, and right at the appropriate part of the rootstock, deep to the xylem, pull the bark down, with a length matching the cut surface of the scion, then stick the prepared scion to the pulled-bark part of the rootstock, pull the bark up to wrap the scion, then bind it with a plastic strip, exposing the buds, then put on a plastic bag to increase humidity and promote healing; after 30 days remove the binding, and after the scion sends out new shoots and gradually lignifies, remove the binding. Cutting off the rootstock is done in 3 stages: the 1st time, cut off the shoot tip when binding; the 2nd time, after the scion's 1st new shoot fully lignifies, cut off the upper 1/3 of the rootstock; the 3rd time, after the scion's 2nd new shoot fully lignifies, cut off the rootstock at the graft union. When grafting in the high-temperature season, success depends on the control of high temperature. A shade shed must be set up, covered with double-layer curtains, so that basically no direct sunlight enters the shed; around noon, mist water to cool down, controlling the local temperature at around 30°C.
（3）Sowing
In early-to-mid October, place the harvested fruit in a ventilated indoor place to dry in the shade, and after the capsule splits open take out the seeds and sow immediately. If sowing cannot be done immediately in autumn, store in sand until sowing in February of the following year. Before sowing, seeds can be mixed with Xinguozhimu; generally autumn sowing has a higher germination rate than spring sowing.
Commonly propagated by cutting, grafting, layering, sowing, and tissue culture.

Cutting Propagation
Mid-June and around the end of August are most suitable. Select current-year semi-mature branches from the outer canopy with full tissue, complete leaves, and plump leaf buds as cuttings, 8-10cm long, leaving 2 leaves at the tip. When cutting, keep as much old branch as possible at the base; after insertion it easily forms callus tissue and roots quickly. Cut the cuttings in the early morning and insert them immediately after cutting, inserting about 3cm into the medium; when cutting, the leaves are required to interlock, and after insertion press firmly with the fingers. Shallow insertion is better, as it allows air flow and heals and roots quickly. The cutting bed needs shading, mist the leaf surface daily, keep it moist, and maintain the temperature at 20-25°C; about 3 weeks after cutting it begins to heal, and roots in 6 weeks. When the roots are 3-4cm long, transplant into pots. When cutting, dip the base of the cutting in 0.4%-0.5% indolebutyric acid solution for 2-5 seconds, which has a clear effect of promoting rooting.

Grafting Propagation
It is often used for varieties that are difficult to root by cutting or have little propagation material. Grafting in May-June, when the new shoots have become semi-lignified, has the highest survival rate, and after grafting the buds sprout and shoots grow quickly. The rootstock is mainly oil tea, with seeds collected in October, stored in sand in winter, sown in early April of the following year, and when the seedlings grow to 4-5cm they can be used for grafting. Use the softwood cleft grafting method: use a blade to cut off the embryo bud part of the bud rootstock, make a vertical split upward along the pith center at the center of the hypocotyl cross-section, then take one node of camellia scion, also cut the base below the node into a positive wedge shape, immediately insert the prepared scion into the bottom of the rootstock cleft, align the cambium on both sides, bind with cotton thread, and put on a clean plastic bag. After about 40 days remove the bag, and only after about 60 days can it sprout and send out shoots.

Layering Propagation
In the plum rain season, select robust 1-year-old branches, 20cm from the tip, make a ring bark 1cm wide, bind with leaf mold, then wrap with plastic film; it roots after about 60 days, and can be cut off and directly potted, with a high survival rate.

Sowing Propagation
Suitable for single or semi-double varieties. The seeds mature in mid-October and can be sown immediately. Shallow sowing is better, using vermiculite as the medium, covering 6mm, at room temperature 21°C, with 10 hours of light each night, which can promote seed germination; germination begins 15 days after sowing, the seedlings reach 8cm tall within 30 days, and are transplanted when the seedlings have 2-3 leaves.

Tissue Culture Propagation
The explant is commonly seedlings; after routine disinfection, cut into 1cm lengths and inoculate on MS medium with 1mg/L kinetin, 1mg/L 6-benzylaminopurine, and 0.1mg/L indoleacetic acid added; after 4 weeks of culture only callus tissue forms, without forming buds. After transferring to new medium, it begins to form a single 4cm shoot, then soak in 0.5mg/L indolebutyric acid solution for 20 minutes, then transfer to 1/2 MS medium, and roots after 4 weeks. After growing for 8 weeks on the rooting medium, transplant the seedlings into pots filled with perlite and peat.

Pest and Disease Control of Camellia
There are camellia anthracnose and camellia blister blight; common pests are red spider mites and scale insects.
When camellia is cultivated indoors or in a greenhouse, if ventilation is poor, it is prone to red spider mite and scale insect damage; it can be controlled by spraying with 40% omethoate emulsifiable concentrate at 1000 times dilution or by washing clean. In the plum rain season, air humidity is high, and anthracnose damage often occurs; it can be controlled by spraying with equal-amount Bordeaux mixture or 25% carbendazim wettable powder at 1000 times dilution.
When semicircular or irregular brown lesions appear on the leaf tip or leaf margin of camellia, with massive leaf drop and even death of the whole plant, it is caused by fungal infection. Common ones are: brown spot disease, which in the early stage forms many small brown spots on the leaf surface, then gradually expands into semicircular, circular, or irregular large brown spots, and finally turns silver-gray, with many small black dots arranged in whorls or scattered, and a clear boundary between the lesion and normal tissue. Red spot disease, which in the early stage is light brown small spots, then expands into circular or irregular reddish-brown lesions, but there are no small dots on the lesion; the lesion edge is slightly raised, the color is darker, and the boundary with normal tissue is clear. This disease occurs in the Jiangsu, Zhejiang areas and in Yunnan, Sichuan, Hunan, and other places, and in severe cases a large number of leaves fall off, even killing the whole plant.
In addition, there is camellia anthracnose caused by anthracnose fungi, which also mostly occurs at the leaf margin; the shape and color of the lesions are basically similar to the above leaf spot diseases caused by leaf spot fungi, but the typical symptom unique to anthracnose is that the lesion produces a pale red sticky substance when humidity is high, which distinguishes it from other lesions. There are also fungi that infect the leaf surface, young leaves, and young shoots of camellia, but the location, shape, and color of the lesions are clearly different; the control method is the same. The above diseases mainly occur under high temperature and high humidity, when the disease resistance of the camellia plant decreases and it is infected by fungi; they also occur at low temperature and rainy, or high temperature and dry conditions, as well as on wounds of plants with poor ventilation or sunscald spots; they generally occur easily in summer and autumn.
Strengthen management and careful care, enhance the plant's disease resistance to reduce the chance of infection. For example, appropriately increase the distance between plants and rows to maintain good ventilation; frequently weed, loosen the soil, and drain standing water; the soil should be acidic (PH around 6) and loose, with good drainage; at ordinary times it should be dry-then-wet, and never apply excessive nitrogen fertilizer; in midsummer pay attention to shading to prevent sunscald, and avoid injuring leaves during management operations.
Chemical control: during the camellia growing period, spray once every half month for prevention. Found diseased leaves should be removed immediately and burned in a centralized manner to reduce the source of infection. Diseased plants should temporarily stop fertilization (especially nitrogen fertilizer), promptly drain standing water, keep the potting soil appropriately on the dry side, and pay attention to ventilation. At the same time, spray the leaf surface with chemicals. Commonly used control chemicals are: 65% zineb wettable powder, at 800 times dilution; 50% Tuzet wettable powder, at 800-1000 times dilution; 75% chlorothalonil and 50% carbendazim at 500-800 times dilution; 70% thiophanate at 800-1000 times dilution, etc., all have good control effects; spray the leaf surface once every two weeks, wetting the entire leaf surface, for three consecutive times, preferably in the evening, and note that when using zineb it should not be mixed with other alkaline pesticides.
The reason for poor chemical effect also lies in often using one chemical for control; over time the pathogen will develop a certain resistance, and the efficacy will become less obvious; other chemicals can be appropriately substituted, or chemicals used alternately or mixed, and the plant's ecological environment improved promptly. In addition, improper concentration, timing, and method of application will also reduce the fungicidal effect.

Common Pests and Diseases of Spring Flowers
In spring the temperature is warm then cold again, and air humidity is high; the occurrence of crop pests and diseases is at a medium-to-heavy level, and flower pests and diseases are also more numerous. Generally, the following are more serious in April-May:
Aphids: Hibiscus, ornamental peach, Chinese hibiscus, Chinese rose, honeysuckle, etc. are all easily damaged by aphids. As the temperature rises, aphids also increase day by day. Control methods: 1. Spray with 40% omethoate or 50% phosmet mixed with water at 1200-1500 times dilution. 2. For a small number of pot flowers, spray with 70-100 times neutral laundry detergent solution.
Red spider mites: Damage to jasmine, Chinese hibiscus, asparagus fern, Chinese rose, dahlia, etc. starts in early April. Control methods: 1. Spray with Suposa at 1000 times dilution. 2. For a small number of pot flowers, often rinse the front and back of leaves with tap water, or spray or dip with boiled and cooled 100-150 times flour paste water, then rinse once with clear water after a day or two, which can achieve obvious results.
Scale insects (flower lice): Scale insects on white magnolia, Chinese rose, boxwood, and pittosporum mostly begin to hatch from mid-April to mid-to-late May. Control methods: 1. Before hatching, gently brush off the insect bodies by hand. 2. During the larval hatching period, spray with 40% omethoate at 1000-1500 times dilution.
Damping-off: When the temperature reaches 20°C, newly sown flowers, saplings, and some flowers prone to root rot are very likely to develop damping-off when soil moisture is high. Control methods: 1. Before sowing, evenly mix 1.5-4kg of 70% quintozene per mu into the soil. 2. Control watering in the seedling stage, do not let the soil become too wet. 3. At the early stage of disease, irrigate with 1% ferrous sulfate or 200-400 times 50% amobam solution, irrigating 2-4kg of solution per sq m.
Rust disease: Rose rust disease infects when rose flowers are in bud. Control methods: 1. When roses sprout, promptly remove and burn the yellow diseased buds that sprout first, to eliminate the source of infection. 2. In the early infection period, spray with 15% triadimefon at 700-1000 times dilution.
Powdery mildew: Chinese rose powdery mildew and impatiens powdery mildew mostly occur in May-June, and in summer easily cause symptoms such as yellow leaves, withered leaves, and curved young shoots. Control methods: 1. Pay attention to the ventilation and light transmission of the flowers. 2. Apply less nitrogen fertilizer and more phosphorus and potassium fertilizer. 3. In the early infection period, spray once with 15% triadimefon at 700-1000 times dilution.

Identifying Flower Pests and Diseases
Flower diseases are generally divided into two categories: physiological diseases and parasitic diseases. Physiological diseases are mainly caused by unsuitable conditions such as climate and soil. Common physiological diseases include: scorch caused by strong light in summer; freeze damage caused by low temperature in winter; root rot caused by too much water; leaf edge scorch and wilting caused by insufficient water; deficiency symptoms from lack of certain nutrient elements in the soil, and so on. Parasitic diseases are caused by fungi, bacteria, viruses, nematodes, etc. infecting flowers. These organisms have different forms, but most have parasitic and pathogenic ability, and strong reproductive capacity; they can spread from infected plants to healthy plants through various channels (stomata, wounds, insects, wind, rain, etc.), and under suitable environmental conditions grow, develop, reproduce, and spread, cycling over and over, gradually expanding and spreading. Therefore, this type of disease causes the greatest harm to flowers. Fungi: Fungi are lower organisms without chlorophyll that have true nuclei. They use mycelium as the vegetative body and reproduce by spores, and are the most important category among flower diseases. Most fungal diseases have obvious disease signs, such as mold-like, powdery, rust-like, dot-like, and thread-like substances; these features are one of the main bases for identifying fungal diseases. Common fungal diseases include powdery mildew, anthracnose, etc. Bacteria: Bacteria are a type of single-celled prokaryotic organism that reproduce by division. The characteristics of bacterial diseases are mainly that the affected tissue is water-soaked or the lesion is translucent, and under humid conditions bacterial slime oozes out from the diseased part, showing an "ooze" phenomenon, which is one of the main bases for identifying bacterial diseases. Common bacterial diseases include iris bacterial soft rot, etc. Viruses: Viruses are an extremely tiny parasitic organism. Their morphology must be observed with an electron microscope. They parasitize within the living cell tissues of flowers, and can travel with the host sap flow within the flower body and spread to the whole plant, causing whole-plant disease. Viral diseases often show symptoms such as mosaic, yellowing, deformity, and ring spots. Common viral diseases include narcissus viral disease, etc. Nematodes: Nematodes belong to a type of lower animal. Nematodes are slender in body shape, slightly pointed at both ends, generally 1-2mm in body length, like a roundworm. The female adults of a few nematodes are spherical or pear-shaped. They mostly survive in the soil, parasitize the flower roots, stimulate the proliferation of local host cells, and form tumor-like substances. Common nematode diseases include cyclamen root-knot nematode disease, etc.

Camellia Variety Classification (1) The 3 major classes of camellia:
1. Single class
2. Semi-double class
3. Double class

(2) The 12 forms of camellia:
1. Single class is divided into: single form;
2. Semi-double class is divided into: semi-double form, five-star form, lotus form, pinecone form;
3. Double class is divided into: tuogui form, chrysanthemum form, hibiscus form, crown form, hydrangea form, radial form, rose form.

There are about 2000 camellia varieties, which can be divided into 3 major classes and 12 flower forms. The "Compendium of Materia Medica" says: "Camellia flower's leaves are like tea, and can also be made into a drink, hence the name."
"Hua Jing" records nineteen camellia varieties: agate camellia, crane-top red, jewel camellia, banana-sepal white jewel, Yang Fei camellia, Zhenggong pink, pomegranate camellia, Yi Nian Hong, Zhao Dian Hong, late camellia, southern camellia, etc. Camellia has many flower forms, including single, semi-double, double, curved-petal, five-star petal, hexagonal, pine-shell form, etc. The flowers come in red, yellow, white, pink, and even white petals with red dots, and other colors:
Single class: petals 1-2 whorls, 5-7 pieces, joined at the base, mostly tubular, seed-setting. Under it there is only 1 form, namely the single form.
Semi-double class: petals 3-5 whorls, about 20 pieces, up to nearly 50 in some. Under it are divided into 4 forms, namely semi-double form, five-star form, lotus form, pinecone form. 3. Double class: most stamens petalized, petals naturally increased, the number of petals above 50. Under it are divided into 7 forms, namely tuogui form, chrysanthemum form, hibiscus form, crown form, hydrangea form, radial form, rose form.
Common varieties include the single class Chenxi, with ruffled petals, pure white; Sai Jinguang, white flowers, covered with peach-red lines and sprinkled with fine dots; Da Hua Jin Xin, bright red flowers, flower diameter 6-7cm.
Semi-double class includes Sai Luoyang, red flowers with white spots; Da Song Zi, dark red flowers; Zui Yang Fei, pink flowers; Xing Tao Mu Dan, peach-red flowers.
Double class includes Bai Bao Zhu, pure white flowers; Hong Fu Rong, oleander-red flowers; Hua Fu Rong, white flowers with red lines; Hua Bao Zhu, pink flowers with irregular red stripes; Wu He Peng Qiu, bright red flowers; Hua Fo Ding, bright red flowers with a small amount of white spots; Hong Shi Ba Xue Shi, red flowers; Chi Dan, bright red flowers; Hua He Ling, light red flowers with white spots.

Foreign-bred cultivars include:
Adolphe Audusson: large flowers, deep red, double. Alba Plena: large flowers, white, double.
Berenica Boddy: pale pink flowers, semi-double, highly cold-tolerant.
Debutante: large flowers, peony form, pale pink.
Donckelarii: red flowers with white marbled stripes, semi-double.
Elegans: large flowers, anemone form, rose red with white speckles. Finlandia: pale pink flowers, semi-double.
Glen 40: large flowers, deep red, double.
Herme: pink flowers with irregular white edges and deep pink stripes, semi-double.
Kumasaka: rose form, rose red.
Magnoliaeflora: pale red flowers, semi-double.
Mathotiana: large flowers, rose form, deep red, double.
Purity: white flowers, rose form, double.
Among hybrid camellias there is Donation: large flowers, pink, semi-double.
Fragrant Pink: small flowers, peony form, deep pink, very fragrant.

Distribution range of camellias
The camellia is native to the Himalayan region, Chongqing, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Sichuan and Shandong; it is also distributed in Japan and the Korean Peninsula, and is especially abundant in Yunnan. Later the camellia was introduced to Europe and America and became one of the world's well-known flowers.
China already has more than 306 camellia cultivars. Batch production has begun in Zhejiang, Fujian, Jiangsu and other places. It has become the main potted ornamental flowering plant in the flower market in winter.
The camellia is native to China. Wild camellias are distributed under the trees in the mountain valleys and ravines of Chongqing, Zhejiang, Jiangxi and Sichuan, and on Laoshan in Shandong Province and the coastal islands. In Ningbo, Zhejiang, among the Siming Mountains, there are also patches of wild camellias. In the rocky crevices at an altitude of 380 m at Baoyan, Huacheng Cave, Daluo Mountain, Ruian County, Wenzhou, southern Zhejiang Province, an ancient camellia tree more than 1,200 years old is still preserved. In Chongqing, Lichuan in Jiangxi and Mount Emei in Sichuan, there are natural distributions of ancient wild tea trees forming forests that are more than 1,000 years old.
As for the cultivation distribution of camellias, the open-field planting areas are mainly in the Yangtze River basin. In China, apart from parts of the Northeast, Northwest and North China where the climate is too cold for planting, they are planted in gardens almost everywhere across the country. However, large-scale open-field cultivation is mostly found in Chongqing, Zhejiang, Fujian, Sichuan, Hunan, Jiangxi and Anhui provinces. Yunnan camellia is a specialty of Yunnan, originating from Tengchong in southwestern Yunnan. It has a wide open-field cultivation distribution within Yunnan Province. After Liberation, Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou and other places introduced and planted it, but mostly under greenhouse cultivation. In 1824, Yunnan camellia was first introduced to Europe. Golden camellia is mostly native to Guangxi, China; northern Vietnam has only 4 species, and it has also been found in Yunnan.

The role and uses of camellias: ornamental value
The genus Camellia of the family Theaceae has about 220 or more species, among which Camellia japonica, Yunnan camellia, Camellia sasanqua and the newly discovered golden camellia in China are all important ornamental flowering plants.
The camellia is an evergreen flowering plant that blooms at the turn of winter and spring, with graceful flowers and brilliant colors. Comrade Guo Moruo praised it highly: "A camellia tree blooms as early as peach-red, a hundred crimson clouds proudly stand in the midst." He also once wrote a poem in praise of Yunnan camellia: "It is said with admiration that the camellia is the provincial flower; only today do I see clouds of it filling the city; everyone says the peony is fine, but I say the peony cannot match the camellia."

The dietary therapy or medicinal value of camellias
The medical information and health dietary therapy information on Hugarden Network is for reference only and cannot serve as a basis for diagnosis or medical treatment. Any health problem should be consulted with professional medical personnel, and the treatment of any disease should follow a doctor's advice.
Ultimate flower-protecting mission: love yourself, start from reality, and strictly follow a doctor's advice. Toward illness, do not be careless, do not delay, do not give up hope; face it bravely, warm the silent world with love, and care for the flower field in your heart with your heart.
Brief introduction to the medicinal material
[Alias] Camellia.
[Source] It is the plant Camellia japonica L. of the genus Camellia in the family Theaceae, and its roots and flowers are used as medicine. The roots can be collected throughout the year; the flowers are collected in spring and winter, then sun-dried or oven-dried.
Camellia, also known as tea flower, is a plant of the genus Camellia in the family Theaceae. The camellia flower is full and graceful, dignified and elegant, and is one of China's traditional ten famous flowers. It is also one of the world's famous flowers.
The camellia is an evergreen shrub of the family Theaceae. It belongs to the family Theaceae, an evergreen shrub or small tree, reaching up to 3-4 m in height. The trunk is smooth and hairless. The leaves are ovate or elliptical, with fine serrations at the edges, leathery, and bright green on the surface. The flowers are solitary or paired, growing in the leaf axils or at the tips of the branches; the petals are nearly round, and in double-flowered varieties the petals can reach 50-60. The flower colors include red, white, yellow, purple and ink-black, all very brilliant. The flowering period varies with the cultivar, with flowers opening from October to April of the following year. The capsule is round and ripens in late autumn, but most double flowers cannot bear fruit. The camellia has the proud plum-like character of "only the camellia is especially long-lasting, alone able to occupy the spring wind in the deep month," and also the peony-surpassing brilliance of "flowers abundant and brilliantly red, deeply eclipsing the morning clouds." Therefore since ancient times it has been an extremely famous woody flowering plant, reaching its peak in the Tang and Song dynasties, and after being introduced to Europe in the 17th century it caused a sensation and thus gained the reputation of a "world-famous flower." It likes a cool and humid climate and cannot tolerate high temperatures. It is not demanding about soil, but sandy soil with high moisture content is more suitable, and full sun or partial sun are both suitable. The fruit is a capsule, large with a thick skin, containing 1-2 or more than 2 seeds.
The medicinal material is pungent and bitter in flavor, cold in nature.
"Bencao Jingshu": sweet in flavor with a slight pungency, balanced in qi and slightly cold.
"Benjing Fengyuan": bitter, warm, non-toxic.
"Baicao Jing": astringent in flavor.

Medicinal material meridian entry:Liver; lung meridians.
"Bencao Zaixin": enters the liver and lung meridians.
"Bencao Cuoyao": enters the foot jueyin and hand yangming meridians.

Functions and indications
Astringes and cools the blood, stops bleeding. Used for hematemesis, epistaxis, hemafecia and metrorrhagia; externally used to treat burns and scalds, and traumatic bleeding.
"Gangmu": for burns and scalds, grind into powder and apply mixed with sesame oil.
"Yilin Zuanyao": tonifies the liver and soothes the liver, breaks blood stasis and removes heat.
"Baicao Jing": cools the blood, breaks blood stasis and stops bleeding. Dissipates carbuncles, swellings and injuries from falls, stops chronic dysentery, intestinal wind with bloody stools, profuse uterine bleeding with bloody strangury, nasal bleeding and hematemesis; externally applied for moxibustion sores.
"Bencao Zaixin": treats the blood aspect, regulates intestinal wind, clears liver fire, moistens the lungs and nourishes yin.

Applied prescriptions
To treat hematemesis and cough: One Baozhu camellia, roasted black on a tile, mixed with red granulated sugar, taken daily in any amount. Two: ten Baozhu camellias, five qian of safflower, one liang of bletilla, four liang of red dates. Decoct in water and take one bowl, then take the residue again; the red dates may also be taken and eaten at any time. (Wang Diangui, "Bù Yào Liáng Fāng")
To treat red dysentery: large red Baozhu camellia flowers, dried in the shade and ground into powder, mixed evenly with white sugar, steamed over the rice pot three or four times and taken. ("Jiusheng Kuhai")
To treat bleeding hemorrhoids: Baozhu camellia, ground into powder and taken mixed with water. ("Gangmu Shiyi")
To treat nipple cracking about to fall off with exceptional pain: Baozhu camellia, roasted and ground into powder, mixed with sesame oil and applied. ("Gangmu Shiyi")
[Usage and dosage] 10-15 grams. For external use, an appropriate amount, ground into powder and applied mixed with sesame oil.
[Excerpt] "Compilation of Chinese Herbal Medicines", "Gangmu".

Cultural background of camellias: cultivation history
The camellia is native to China. In the early 7th century AD, Japan introduced camellias from China, and by the early 15th century it introduced large numbers of Chinese camellia cultivars. In 1739 Britain first introduced Chinese camellias, and afterward camellias spread to European and American countries. To date, countries such as the United States, Britain, Japan, Australia and Italy have developed rapidly in camellia breeding, propagation and production, and have entered the stage of industrialized production; interspecific hybrids and new cultivars are constantly coming onto the market.
China has a long history of cultivating camellias. Camellia cultivation dates back to the Southern Dynasties. In the Tang Dynasty camellias were cultivated as precious flowering plants. By the Song Dynasty, camellia cultivation was already very popular. In the Southern Song Dynasty, camellias from Wenzhou were introduced to Hangzhou and developed rapidly. In the Ming Dynasty, "Huashi" described and classified camellia cultivars. By the Qing Dynasty, camellia cultivation was even more flourishing, and camellia cultivars kept appearing. Since 1949, China's camellia cultivation level has improved to a certain extent, and cultivar selection and breeding have also developed. China already has more than 300 camellia cultivars.

A beautiful legend
According to legend, there was a woman named Dabu. She was very hardworking and kind, but had always been alone, working from dawn to dusk. She had food and clothing, and lived a comfortable life.
Her greatest hobby was loving flowers and plants. Inside and outside her courtyard, she planted many flowers and plants. Whenever she had time, she watered the flowers and plants, weeded and caught insects. Red, white, yellow and purple, there was nothing she did not have; in spring, summer, autumn and winter, there were always flowers blooming. They vied in beauty and splendor, a riot of color, with a delicate fragrance that penetrated the heart. But there was not one she especially liked. She always wanted to find a flower she loved most and plant it in the center of her courtyard. She searched everywhere, looked over all the mountains and ridges, yet the flower she loved most was still not found.
One day, Dabu went to the Kuige Longtan to carry water to water the flowers. When she reached the edge of the dragon pool, she saw a flower with nine stamens and eighteen petals reflected on the water surface, its colors extremely brilliant, and she was stunned. After looking for a while, she raised her head and looked around, but did not find any flower like the one on the water surface, so she filled her container with water and carried it home on her back. Going out the door she thought of that flower, coming in the door she thought of that flower again; with her eyes open she thought of that flower, with her eyes closed she thought of that flower too! Thinking and thinking, within a few days she fell ill, eating and drinking nothing, lying in bed all day. What illness had she contracted? She did not know either. Many doctors came to treat her, but none cured her illness. Her illness grew worse day by day! She did not know how many days she had been ill, and Dabu was about to die.
At the critical moment, a beautiful girl stepped over the threshold, came to Dabu's bedside, called her "Ama" sweetly, and said she had come to cure her illness. Dabu opened her eyes and saw that the flowers stuck in the girl's hair and hung on her chest were exactly the same as the kind she had seen on the water surface. Without taking a single pill, she was well! Dabu suddenly turned over, jumped out of bed with a thud, and stared at the girl without blinking. The girl's smiling face was also just like the flower she had seen.
Dabu asked the girl what flower she was wearing, and she said it was a camellia; when asked whether she had any flower seedlings, she gave Dabu one.
After the girl left, Dabu took a hoe and planted the camellia in the center of her courtyard. Dabu watered the camellia every day, fertilized it every month, and weeded it every season, as careful and thorough as raising a nursing baby. Within a few years, the camellia tree grew up and bloomed. That tea tree had a vigorous and graceful form, with green leaves that did not wither through the four seasons; each flower was as large as a peony, as brilliant as clouds and sunset, graceful and dazzling! What was even stranger was that when that camellia was in full bloom, people from the surrounding villages, using a golden basin to draw water, could see the reflection of the camellia; and when they went to the edge of the dragon pool to carry water, they could also see the beautiful image of the camellia on the water surface.
No one knows how many years passed, but Dabu died. It is said that the girl who gave Dabu the camellia was the Camellia Fairy from heaven! In order to commemorate the Camellia Fairy, and also to commemorate Dabu, a temple was built at the place where the camellia was planted, named the Camellia Temple. During the late Qing Dynasty, the Camellia Temple was destroyed, but the legend about the camellia is still told to this day!
The camellia braves wind and snow, fears no harsh environment, and can bloom for a long time without fading in the severe cold winter. The fighting people all praise it as the flower of victory.
The camellia is called the flower of victory, and there is another legend: Wu Sangui, a commander under Chongzhen, the last emperor of the Ming Dynasty, guarded Shanhaiguan. The peasant rebel army led by Li Zicheng captured Beijing, and Emperor Chongzhen hanged himself on Coal Hill. Wu Sangui surrendered to the Qing army, and brought in the Qing army to suppress the peasant rebel army, serving as the vanguard, killed the Prince of Gui of the Ming, and the Qing enfeoffed him as the Prince of Pingxi, to guard Yunnan. In Yunnan, Wu Sangui acted tyrannically, built a palace on Wuhua Mountain, constructed Axiang Garden, and issued an order that all parts of Yunnan offer rare flowers and plants. In Luliang County there was a camellia at Puji Temple, more than two zhang tall, with flowers having nine stamens and eighteen petals, overflowing with rich fragrance, a rare treasure of the world. When the county magistrate of Luliang saw the decree, he went to Puji Temple and forced the residents beside the temple to dig up the tea tree. The villagers refused, and it went on until dark. No one raised a spade to act. That night, an elderly man of high prestige in the village saw a beautiful girl come over, holding a blooming camellia in her hand, and say to him: "The villagers love me and cultivate me; my flowers open only for the fellow villagers, and Wu Sangui need not think of seeing even a glance of me. You cannot keep me by staying, and insisting on defying the order will make the common people suffer. Better to let that county magistrate send me away; I have my own way to deal with them, and I will surely return in victory." The old man reached out to grasp the girl's hand, and with a start he woke up; it had been a dream.
The next day the old man told the dream to the villagers, and everyone thought it was the Camellia Fairy sending a dream, so they should do as she said! The county magistrate personally escorted the villagers in delivering the tea tree to Wu Sangui's Axiang Garden. Who would have thought that as soon as the tea tree was set down, a "hua" sound was heard, and all the leaves of the tea tree fell off. Wu Sangui was furious and blamed the county magistrate for not protecting it properly along the way. A counselor advised: "Being exposed to the sun all along the way, this often happens; once planted it can still survive." By spring, the tea tree had grown a full set of leaves, but simply would not bloom. Wu Sangui lashed the tea tree with a whip, leaving a scar. In the second spring, Wu Sangui brought many concubines to Axiang Garden to admire the flowers, and saw that the camellia had only a few thin, small flowers. Wu Sangui said angrily: "What kind of world-famous flower is this!" He raised his whip and lashed again, leaving a second scar on the tea tree trunk. In the third spring, Wu Sangui saw that the garden was withered, with no flowers blooming at all, and on the tea tree perched a crow, cawing straight at him. Wu Sangui's anger flared, and he swung his whip at the tea tree again, and blood seeped from the second scar. Wu Sangui ordered the gardener seized and punished. To rescue the gardener, the Camellia Fairy, disregarding her own pain, came into Wu Sangui's dream and sang: Sangui, Sangui, do not stay intoxicated; blame not the Flower King, blame your own muddled folly. I am a common woman, seeking no wealth or honor, only wishing to return home and live out my poor years. Wu Sangui raised his precious sword and cut at the Camellia Fairy. With a "kacha" sound, the sword struck the nine-dragon chair, cutting off a bloody dragon head. The Camellia Fairy gave a cold laugh and sang again: Your soul is base and low, your reputation stinks. Betraying your lord for glory, you are of the fox pack and dog kind! In vain you build palaces and gardens, staining the throne with blood. Heaven is angry and people resentful; calamity will surely descend. Hearing this, Wu Sangui was frightened into a cold sweat, and found a counselor who interpreted dreams to ask about good or ill fortune. The counselor said: "The ancients said, fortune is what disaster leans on, disaster is what fortune lies hidden in. The tea tree is a lowly species; entering the palace brings disaster, leaving the palace brings fortune. Better to demote it back to its original home, to escape disaster and gain fortune." Wu Sangui thought this reasonable, and so sent the tea tree back to Luliang.
When the tea tree returned to the village, all the men, women, old and young came out to welcome it. Everyone touched the whip scars on the trunk, mixed feelings of sorrow and joy, and shed excited tears. That night, the villagers had the same dream: the Camellia Fairy said to everyone: "In struggling against the enemy, be patient and be tenacious. Though I am covered with scars, I have finally returned; I am the victor." From then on, in Yunnan the camellia has been called the flower of victory, and when the camellia blooms, it always shows people's joy at the victory of their struggle.

Related poetry and prose: Camellia at the Fanxing Temple of Shaobo
(Song Dynasty) Su Shi
Camellias face each other, who planted them? In fine rain, with no one else, I come alone.
I tell it to you, but you do not understand: brilliant red like fire, it blooms amid the snow.

Camellia
(Southern Song Dynasty) Lu You
In the East Garden for three days there was rain and wind; peach and plum blossoms drifted and fell, swept away to nothing.
Only the camellia is especially long-lasting; among the green bushes it puts forth several more branches of red.

Camellia
(Tang, Five Dynasties) Guan Xiu
Carved by wind and dyed by sun, it opens in the immortal garden; the hundred flowers' colors fade, and the orangutan blood is mistaken.
Today one blossom has fallen before the steps; there must be someone looking on who resents Sun Xiu.

The Kaiyuan Temple formerly had no flowers, but this year they bloomed abundantly
(Song Dynasty) Su Shi
Beneath the ever-burning lamp and the stone railing, it long keeps the cold of the year together with pines and firs.
Its leaves are thick and angular, sturdy as rhinoceros armor; its flowers are deep-colored and modest in form, red like a crane's head.
Long have I accompanied the abbot's mandara rain; ashamed I face the master's alfalfa plate.
That it blooms abundantly here, I know, has meaning; next year after it opens, who else will look?

White Camellia
(Ming Dynasty) Shen Zhou
Rhinoceros-armor leaves brave the cold, heavy with blue-green; where the jade cup is lifted, the dew is rich and thick.
When could one borrow the wine of long spring for longevity? I fear only the Camellia Immortal would not allow it.

Camellia
(Qing Dynasty) Liu Hao
Braving the cold, it rivals the elegance of pine and bamboo; putting forth brilliance, it startles in vain that the years are not the same.
Amid the confusion of ice and snow its true nature remains; its roots and trunk are old and large, rare in the many gardens.

November Camellia
(Tang Dynasty) Bai Juyi
As if with heavy makeup it emerges from crimson gauze; a moving light reflects the morning clouds.
Sending fragrance and displaying brilliance, how much spring it brings; it is like a true red, long-lasting flower.

The flower language of camellias
Ideal love - modesty
Family: Theaceae
Place of origin: China
Flower colors: peach red - red - white
Flowering period: late autumn to winter
Alias: Jizhuang
The camellia was named by a German botanist and spread throughout the world.
It always blooms quietly in the courtyard when the weather turns a little cool in late autumn. Unlike the stump, the camellia does not drop its whole flower at once; instead its petals wither slowly, one by one, until life ends. Is not such a careful way of withering just like people's attitude in pursuing an ideal partner? So gradually the camellia became the spokes-flower for expressing one's feelings to the woman one admires in one's heart. In winter, when almost all flowers have withered, the red camellia seems especially warm and full of life. Moreover, planted in a courtyard it also lets people enjoy its faint fragrance. Lovable, modest, ideal love, cautious, remarkable charm
Camellia (white): pure and innocent
Camellia (red): naturally beautiful
White camellia (Camellia): reserved
Flower divination: You are a gentle and emotional person, and your willpower is strong. Your heart hides passion and longs for love. Even so, you will not take an aggressive attitude to confess to the other party. After you have set your sights on the target, you will pursue the other party step by step, and then your inner passion will slowly be drawn out.
Flower motto: Never rush into marriage; wait until love has matured.
Camellia pictures

A practical compendium of home flower growing (Part Two)

61.Where indoors should small and medium-sized foliage plants be placed？
Generally, plants under 1 m are called small and medium-sized foliage plants. The small and medium-sized plants mentioned here do not include hanging foliage plants.
Compared with large plants, small and medium-sized foliage plants are much richer both in variety and color. They mainly include: various ferns, Peperomia, Acalypha, poinsettia, Clivia, begonia, Coleus, Pilea, Dieffenbachia, anthurium, Caladium, Cyperus, Aspidistra, asparagus fern, Echeveria, Crassula, Gynura, Sedum, aloe, Syngonium, Asparagus, bromeliads, marantas, Sansevieria, etc.
For these plants, according to their ecological conditions and the size and shape of the plants, they can be placed on windowsills, flower stands, tea tables, writing desks and other places. The number placed should not be too many, otherwise it gives people a dizzying feeling. In young people's rooms, more brightly colored plants can be placed, such as Coleus, Caladium and Gynura; in elderly people's rooms, plants with relatively fresh and elegant tones are mostly chosen, such as Syngonium, Philodendron and Peperomia. If in a room where children are active, placing a pot of mimosa can better satisfy children's innocent and curious psychology, and imperceptibly increase the child's knowledge. But note that the sap of Dieffenbachia has a certain toxicity and should not be placed where children can touch it.

62.What is the relationship between flower growth and environmental conditions？
Most amateur flower-growing enthusiasts treat their flowers as their treasures and care for them meticulously. Yet although they all grow flowers, some grow them lush and leafy, while others often fail to bloom or grow them to death. So people say growing flowers requires "flower qi." In fact, the so-called "flower qi" is the environmental conditions suitable for flower growth. These environmental conditions include 6 aspects: temperature, light, moisture, air, soil and fertilizer. Each kind of flower has its own unique requirements for these environmental conditions. Only by understanding their habits and, according to the temperature, humidity, light and other conditions of their places of origin, creating as far as possible an artificial small environment suitable for them, can the various organs of the flowers grow and develop healthily and greet guests with graceful posture.

63.How can one grow flowers well？
The factors for growing flowers well are many-sided, and especially growing potted flowers well on a home balcony involves even broader aspects. To grow flowers well, one must at least possess the following three aspects of basic knowledge.
(1) Understand the function of each part of a flowering plant. Flowering plants generally have six organs: roots, stems, leaves, flowers, fruits and seeds. The roots anchor the plant in the soil and absorb water and nutrients from it. The stem supports the leaves, flowers and fruits, and conducts the water and nutrients absorbed by the roots as well as the organic nutrients made by the leaves. The leaves manufacture organic nutrients and also carry out respiration and transpiration. Although the functions of these three organs - roots, stems and leaves - differ, they are all related to the nutrition of the plant, so they are all vegetative organs.
After a flowering plant grows and matures, it blooms; once the flowers fade, fruits form, and the fruits contain seeds. The mature seeds fall into a suitable environment and grow into a new plant. Flowers, fruits and seeds are all related to reproducing offspring, so they are all reproductive organs.
(2) Understand the growth habits of flowering plants. Some flowering plants like the sun, others tolerate shade; some like warmth, others tolerate cold; some fear cold, some fear heat; and some like sunlight in winter but need shade in summer. Most flowering plants like loose soil, but a few prefer heavy clay soil; some are very demanding about the pH of the soil, while others are not; most flowering plants like fertilizer, but a few do not.
(3) Understand the characteristics of the climate, soil and other conditions of the places where various flowering plants originate. What influence do these characteristics have on their growth habits? How were they introduced? What changes occurred after introduction? Once these things are clear, you can choose flowering plants suited to your area to grow, and you can also artificially create for different plants a special microclimate and soil type that meets their needs. In this way you will not plant jasmine in a shaded window or hosta on a sunny balcony. Otherwise, even if the grower puts in painstaking effort, the plants still cannot be grown well.
Once you have clarified the function of each part of a flowering plant, and also understood its growth habits and its relationship with the external environment, you can plant it according to its own laws and achieve the desired result - growing it well.

The Practical Complete Guide to Home Flower Growing (Part Two)

64.Which foliage plants are most averse to low temperatures？

Many plants can only live in moderate or high temperature environments, and they are least able to endure low temperatures; otherwise they will suffer various kinds of cold injury, or even die. Therefore, special attention must be paid during cultivation.
The optimum growing temperature for Alocasia lowii is 20-30°C, and the indoor temperature in winter must not fall below 18°C; croton drops its leaves when it meets cold; ferns are also averse to low temperatures, but among them the maidenhair fern can endure a temperature of 10°C; plants of the genus Maranta are the most averse to low temperatures - if the ambient temperature falls below 15°C, the leaves will curl, shrivel and turn yellow, until they drop, and among them Maranta roseopicta and Maranta leopardina require even higher temperatures; Syngonium, golden pothos and the like grow poorly when the temperature is below 10°C for a short period, and may even develop yellow leaves and leaf drop; Peperomia species will suffer cold injury below 10°C, and black spots often appear on the leaves. In addition, Philodendron, Fittonia and others are all averse to cold environments.
Therefore, if the temperature in your room in winter is often or occasionally below 15°C, then you should be very careful when choosing foliage plants.

65.What are the light requirements of flowers？

The growth and development of flowers have two requirements regarding light, namely the intensity of light and the length of time.
Flowers are usually divided into two groups: sun-loving and shade-loving. Those that need to grow well under light, such as Chinese rose, pomegranate, chrysanthemum, narcissus, purslane, oxalis and lotus, are sun-loving flowers. If these flowers are placed in a shaded environment where light intensity is insufficient, they often develop slender branches, elongated internodes, thinner leaves and poor leaf color, and are also more susceptible to pests and diseases. Shade-loving flowers refer to flowers that originally grow on shady slopes or in relatively shaded, damp forest environments; most of them dislike direct strong light, and especially in hot seasons they need varying degrees of shading, along with attention to appropriately increasing air humidity. Shade-loving flowers include wax begonia, maidenhair fern, Impatiens, asparagus fern, fuchsia, orchid, clivia, rhododendron, Monstera deliciosa and Chinese evergreen.

66.What should be done when indoor light is insufficient when cultivating foliage plants？
Plants placed indoors cannot receive the most ideal light because of the limitations of sunlight exposure. But artificial methods can be used to make up for the lack of light.
If you feel the daylight hours are too short, you can use a fluorescent lamp or incandescent lamp for several hours every evening to supplement the light; the light they emit can also enable plants to carry out photosynthesis. But the intensity of the light is limited, so place the fluorescent lamp or incandescent lamp close to the plant, 30-40 cm away. For example, African violets need plenty of sunlight, and if placed under a desk lamp indoors every evening, they can bloom profusely and grow lush leaves. But even so, this is only about 5%-10% of sunlight.
Some people also place a mirror beside a sunny window to reflect the light into dark indoor areas, letting plants placed in the dark grow by the reflected light. This can also have the effect of strengthening the light.

The Practical Complete Guide to Home Flower Growing (Part Two)

67.Why is watering the key to growing flowers？

A gardening proverb says: "Whether it lives or not depends on water; whether it grows or not depends on fertilizer." Watering is the key to success or failure in growing flowers. Many beginners are puzzled by the question of how much to water: "The book says not too much and not too little, so just what counts as neither too much nor too little?" In fact, how much to water depends first on what kind of flower you are growing - whether it likes dry conditions, likes moisture, or is semi-dry. Never treat all flowers the same, so that if you have 10 pots of flowers at home, you water them all together and let them dry together. Water is the source of plant life, but an overly moist soil environment will prevent the roots of some drought-loving flowers from breathing, and then the roots will rot and die; if the roots die, the flowers certainly cannot survive either. Therefore, if you want to grow flowers well, the first step is to figure out the water requirements of each kind of flower. First it must survive, and only then can you talk about blooming.

68.How to water potted flowers？

Potted flowers are limited by specific environmental conditions, so watering is not only troublesome but is also the key to success or failure. To water just right, you must first understand the natural habits of different varieties of flowers regarding how much water they need at each stage of growth and development; you must also consider whether the weather is cloudy or clear, the temperature and humidity levels, the type of flowerpot, the size of the plant and the texture of the potting soil.
There are roughly the following situations and methods for watering potted flowers:
(1) Watering: Water before 10 a.m. in spring, summer and autumn, and at 2 p.m. in winter. Make sure the water temperature is close to the soil temperature, slightly higher in winter and slightly lower in summer. However, the difference between water and soil temperature should not exceed about 5°C. The amount of water should be such that the potting soil is uniformly moist from the surface to the bottom. Watering must not be "halfway" watering (wet on top, dry below) or allow water to collect (water accumulating at the bottom of the pot). Also avoid soil and fertilizer being washed out through the drainage hole, which can create hollows in the center of the pot and seriously affect the growth and development of the potted flower. When watering, note that drought-loving flowers can have their water amount controlled, keeping the potting soil slightly moist, with the surface soil showing a whitish appearance but not completely dried out. Moisture-loving flowers should have the potting soil kept moist at all times, with no whitish appearance on the surface soil, but there must be no standing water or prolonged wetness.
(2) Supplementary watering: In dry weather, at 15:00-16:00, check the dryness or moisture of the potting soil and supplement with an appropriate amount of water as needed, just enough to keep the potting soil moist. When the weather changes suddenly or special circumstances require water, watering is not restricted by time or frequency.
(3) Generous watering: During the period of vigorous growth and development of potted flowers, in order to promote shoot growth, plant development, flower forcing and fruit enlargement, the amount of watering can be increased along with topdressing, keeping the surface soil free of any whitish appearance and the leaves free of wilting.
(4) Restrained watering: During the dormant period or in low-temperature seasons, or to harden seedlings, promote flower bud formation, prevent excessive vegetative growth, and correct the phenomena of yellow leaves and bud drop caused by too much water, the amount of watering should be appropriately controlled, keeping the potting soil merely moist, combined with loosening the soil to conserve moisture.
(5) Misting: In the dry seasons of spring and autumn, in addition to normal watering and supplementary watering, water should be sprayed on the leaf surfaces and around the flower-growing area to increase environmental humidity, prevent young leaves from scorching and flowers from fading early, and keep the plants fresh. This is especially important for southern flowers, which need an even more humid environment. In summer, after rain when it suddenly clears or on stuffy evenings, misting should be used to lower the temperature and prevent disease; whenever misting, the leaf surfaces should be sprayed clean to prevent residual water droplets and dust on the leaves from forming stubborn stains that are hard to remove.

69.How to master the watering principles for potted flowers such as "water thoroughly when completely dry" and "water when dry, stop when wet"？

These watering principles are all summarized according to the water preferences of flowering plants. For example, potted flowers that like dryness and fear waterlogging, such as wintersweet, plum blossom, hydrangea, dahlia and geranium, should be watered according to the principle of "water thoroughly when completely dry." Only when the surface of the potting soil has completely dried should you water. "Water thoroughly" means do not give "halfway water"; the potting soil must be watered through and moistened from top to bottom. If not watered thoroughly, the root tips cannot absorb water, which affects growth. But watering thoroughly does not mean watering until it leaks out; frequent leaking carries away too much fertilizer and also affects growth.

For flowers that like moisture but cannot tolerate heavy watering, such as rhododendron, camellia, Chinese rose, gardenia, Aglaia, nandina, hydrangea and Chinese evergreen, water according to the principle of "water when dry, stop when wet." Water when the potting soil turns pale, and stop once it is moist. Do not wait until the potting soil is completely dry before watering, and do not give heavy watering. The potting soil should alternate between dry and moist; it must neither be dry for a long time nor often thoroughly wet, but rather alternate between dry and wet.

The Practical Complete Guide to Home Flower Growing (Part Two)

70.Why is it hard for water to seep down when watering potted flowers？

When watering potted flowers, the water collects on the surface of the potting soil and does not seep down for a long time. There are several reasons:
(1) The potted flower has not been repotted for many years, and the roots have filled the pot and formed a dense mass, so water can hardly seep down.
(2) The tile over the drainage hole at the bottom of the pot is improperly placed and blocks the hole, or the gravel layer at the bottom of the pot is too thin, or no gravel drainage layer was placed at all, so water seeps poorly.
(3) The newly added potting soil is clayey soil that contains no organic matter or fine sand, so it is very hard for water to seep through.
In the above situations, you should choose loam rich in organic matter; if it is clay soil, add some fine sand appropriately, repot, and prune away excess fibrous roots. Otherwise, over time the leaves will turn yellow and drop, and standing water will rot the roots and cause death.

71.How to prune flowering plants to promote flowering and fruit set？

When cultivating flowers grown for their blooms or fruit, the plant should have a graceful shape, luxuriant flowers and leaves, and abundant fruit for seasonal viewing. Therefore, in addition to water and fertilizer management, pruning should also be used to regulate the relationship between the growth of branches and leaves and the development of leaves, flowers and fruits, so as to promote flowering and fruiting. First consider the number of flowers and fruits and the leaf area, and maintain an appropriate ratio so as to carry out sufficient photosynthesis and produce enough nutrients to meet the needs of flowering and fruiting. Fruit-bearing ornamental plants especially need enough leaves left on the plant. Flowering plants bloom and fruit at different times, so you must grasp the favorable timing for pruning. Generally, for those that bloom in early spring, the flower buds are roughly formed on the previous year's branches, so during the winter dormancy period, heavy pruning is not suitable. For example, for ornamental peach and plum blossom, you can only cut off the autumn shoots that have no flower buds, but after flowering, do one shaping and pruning.
For flowers that bloom on current-year branches, such as crape myrtle, Chinese rose, oleander, poinsettia and kumquat, heavy pruning should be carried out during the winter dormancy period so that nutrients are concentrated, which can promote the production of more strong branches the following spring. Some flowering plants generally do not need frequent pruning, such as rhododendron and camellia; to keep the tree shape attractive and well balanced, you may also appropriately cut off the tips of some branches, but heavy pruning is not allowed. Climbing flowers generally do not need pruning; simply cut off overly old branches, densely growing branches, diseased and pest-infested branches, and blind bud branches to maintain ventilation and light penetration.
There are also flowers such as Hydrangea macrophylla, which in winter need all branches and leaves cut off so that the stem base sends out new shoots and buds, promoting flower bud formation and making the plant neat and sturdy. For Hippeastrum, after autumn all the leaves can be cut off, and when brought indoors it should be placed in a sunny spot with the room temperature kept at around 20°C, and it will bloom around the Spring Festival. For ordinary herbaceous flowers such as Dianthus, after blooming in June, cut off the aboveground part and they can bloom again in autumn.

72.How should balcony potted flowers get through the summer？

From June to August the temperature gradually rises, and there is a lot of rain, which favors the growth of potted flowers, but some flowering plants cannot tolerate high temperatures and their growth stalls. In particular, home balconies are small in area, poorly ventilated and easily become very hot, and in the rainy season the humidity is high and the air is stuffy, which easily causes potted flowers to grow poorly or even to sicken and die. Therefore, management should be strengthened in terms of shading, ventilation, water and fertilizer.
In mid to late May, place bamboo blinds for shade on sunny windowsills, and put shade-loving plants such as rhododendron, camellia, orchid, Daphne, hosta and Chloranthus under the bamboo blinds on flower stands for care, and frequently spray the leaves and sprinkle water around the window to increase air humidity. Sun-loving succulents and jasmine, Aglaia, crape myrtle, pomegranate and the like are still placed on the balcony flower stands for cultivation. Chinese rose, gardenia, wax begonia, geranium and others also need shading during the hot hours of 12:00-14:00. Meanwhile, clivia, asparagus fern, water bamboo and spider plant are placed in ventilated indoor spots, and direct sunlight must be prevented.
During the moldy rainy season in June, do not let potted flowers be rained on, or they will lose fertilizer. If water accumulates in the pot because of rain, lay the flowerpot on its side to help drainage; otherwise, too much water will suffocate the root system, and the roots will rot and the plant will die. When humidity is high and the temperature is high, pay attention to observation and strengthen the prevention and control of pests and diseases.
Except for jasmine, Aglaia, crape myrtle, wax begonia and others that can still bloom in the hot season and may continue to be fertilized, all other potted flowers should stop being fertilized. For fuchsia, Lycoris, cyclamen, geranium, poinsettia, calla lily and Epiphyllum, which are dormant or semi-dormant in summer, fertilization is even more out of the question.
Watering should follow the principle that in the rainy season evaporation is low and the potting soil should tend toward dryness; as the temperature rises, the amount of watering should also increase, and at high temperatures water thoroughly both morning and evening. Loosen the soil frequently so that water can seep through easily, and the potting soil will also have better air permeability, which favors plant growth. While watering, also do a good job of sprinkling water around the surrounding environment to lower the temperature.
In addition to strengthening environmental ventilation, for potted flowers with dense branches and leaves, thin out some overly dense small branches and leaves to allow ventilation and light penetration for better growth, which is also beneficial for the prevention and control of pests and diseases.

The Practical Complete Guide to Home Flower Growing (Part Two)

73.How do foliage plants overwinter？

The most valuable thing about foliage plants is that they can remain evergreen all year round, so they have ornamental value in all four seasons, but their best viewing period is the bleak midwinter season. At this time, outside the window, the cold wind is biting and everything looks desolate; inside the window, every leaf is emerald green and full of vitality. Therefore, in winter the decorative role of foliage plants is even more important.
If you want foliage plants to overwinter successfully, first you must understand and master the ecological habits of the foliage plants you keep. Foliage plants mostly originate from tropical and subtropical regions; if the room can maintain 20-25°C, the plants can grow normally. But if they are exposed to low temperatures, the plants will suffer cold injury in mild cases and die in severe cases. The temperature difference between day and night in the room should be as small as possible. During the day the room temperature should be at least no lower than 18°C, and at night at least no lower than 8°C. If the indoor temperature stays within this range, most foliage plants can overwinter safely, for example ivy, Cordyline, spider plant and Dracaena.
In addition, light and the air humidity around the plants are also important factors. In winter, sunlight slants in and the light intensity is half that of summer, so some sun-loving foliage plants should be placed near a sunny south-facing window. Under sufficient light, foliage plants can also keep their branches and leaves green in winter. If light is insufficient, the leaves will become thinner and turn yellow. If indoor air humidity in winter is below 50%, it will not only affect plant growth and the appearance of the leaves, but red spider mites and other pests and diseases may also occur.
It is best not to place the plants on the windowsill, where the temperature is low and they will also be struck by cold wind.
In the interiors of modern buildings, both temperature and light can allow foliage plants to overwinter safely. What needs attention is maintaining indoor humidity.

74.How to make the herbaceous flowers in a flowerbed bloom uniformly？

The basic requirement of a flowerbed is continuous blooming in all four seasons, especially for large flowerbed displays of flower clusters. Therefore, for the design of a flower cluster bed, there should be a careful schedule of flowering periods.
To ensure the ornamental effect of a flower cluster bed, it is not permissible to sow and raise seedlings directly in the flowerbed until they bloom. Doing so makes it impossible for the seedlings to grow uniformly or for the planting distances to be equal, and it also leaves the flowerbed occupied by seedling raising for a long time with nothing to view. Therefore, the seedlings used to arrange a flower cluster bed should be specially grown in a separate nursery, that is, through the processes of sowing and transplanting; if conditions permit, they can also be potted for care, which is even more reliable. When the flowering period approaches and the buds are about to open, select seedlings that are growing well and are uniform in height, transport them together with their pots to the flowerbed, and plant them all in one go with soil according to the specified spacing. If planting in the ground, the seedlings should be transported to the flowerbed with their soil balls for planting. In this way, you can better ensure uniform plant height and uniform blooming.
The planting spacing for a flower cluster bed is based on the standard that the branches and leaves of the seedlings touch one another and do not expose the soil surface; generally, triangular planting is preferable.

75.What are soilless cultivation and soilless seedling raising？

At present in our country, the vast majority of potted flowering plants are grown in soil. That is to say, nutrients in the soil are absorbed by the roots and then promote the growth, flowering and fruiting of the plants. Abroad, some countries have already adopted hemp fiber, vermiculite and the like, with liquid fertilizer added, as a medium for flower cultivation. Now some regions in our country have also begun to use this soilless cultivation method.

Soilless seedling raising means not using soil as the medium for cuttings and other seedling propagation, but instead using river sand, rice-hull ash, vermiculite, water and the like as the seedling medium; this is called soilless seedling raising. This method is now widely used in various parts of our country.

The Practical Complete Guide to Home Flower Growing (Part Two)

76.How to carry out soilless cultivation？

Using no soil, but instead replacing soil with other substances as a culture medium for potted flower planting, is called soilless cultivation. Although no soil is used, it can likewise produce a dazzling array of flowering plants. It has the advantages of retaining water and fertilizer and being easy to handle, and it lacks the drawbacks of mud stains and soil being too heavy, so it is currently favored by people. There are many soilless cultivation methods, but most formulas are rather cumbersome and the raw materials are hard to gather completely, so they are not suitable for home flower growing. Below are two simple and easy soilless cultivation materials.
Sawdust medium: Mix 70% sawdust with 30% poultry manure, or crushed cake fertilizer, evenly, pile it up, add some human excrement and urine, and after full fermentation it can be used to grow flowering plants. If some coal-ball ash is added as well, the air permeability and water seepage will be even better.
Vermiculite medium: Vermiculite is a light-textured mineral material, used industrially as insulation material. Mix vermiculite with fermented horse manure in a ratio of 4:1 and stir evenly, and it can be used as a medium for cultivating flowering plants. Horse manure is acidic, so it is suitable for growing southern flowering plants that like acidic soil.
Both of these media are very loose, both air-permeable and water-seeping, will not become compacted, and have strong water- and fertilizer-retaining capacity, which favors root growth and development of flowering plants. When transplanting and repotting, they are easy to handle and will not damage the roots. Because they are light in weight and the raw materials are not hard to obtain, they are very suitable for home potting.

77.What substrates are commonly used in soilless cultivation？

The cultivation substrate mainly serves to anchor the plant, retain moisture, store nutrients and increase air content. After the substrate is selected, attention should be paid to disinfecting it. At home you can use methods such as pouring hot water, steaming in a pot, or stir-frying in a pan, or spray it several times with a 0.2% potassium permanganate solution.

78.Are there flowers that can be grown indoors without soil？

Dieffenbachia can be grown indoors without soil. It is a perennial evergreen herb with jointed, unbranched stems, so it is also called bamboo-joint Dieffenbachia. The leaves are ovate or elliptic-ovate, 10-20 cm long and 4-8 cm wide, emerald green and clustered. There is also a variety with irregular golden-yellow spots scattered on the leaves; both are good indoor foliage varieties.
The stems of Dieffenbachia root very easily. Placed in a bottle of clear water, they not only allow long-term viewing of the leaves, but will also grow tender roots and become new plants. Its stem and leaf sap is toxic, so when cutting and dividing the plant, never let the sap splash into the mouth or eyes. For potted plants, use fertile, loose, slightly acidic soil; simply avoid direct sunlight and keep the potting soil moist, with no special management needed.

79.Can foliage plants grow in water？

Some foliage plants can also grow completely submerged in water like aquatic plants. For example, Dieffenbachia, Syngonium, Spathiphyllum, Peperomia species and Dracaena fragrans can all grow well in water. Planted in transparent glass containers, they have an unexpected ornamental effect.
Many foliage plants originate from high-temperature, high-humidity tropical rainforests and love hot, humid environments, and they do not adapt to the dry conditions of family rooms. Therefore, some botanists also call this kind of plant amphibious plants that grow on land during the dry season. Growing them in water is thus very natural and very much in line with the needs of this kind of plant.

The Practical Complete Guide to Home Flower Growing (Part Two)

80.How to correctly use nutrient solution？

The container holding the nutrient solution should be made of ceramic, plastic or glass; iron products must not be used, otherwise the nutrient solution will lose its effectiveness. It is best to mix it just before use.
Spring and summer are periods of vigorous plant growth, when fertilizer requirements are relatively high. Generally, fertilize once every half month. By autumn, the amount of fertilizer should gradually be reduced, and applying it once every 1-2 months is sufficient. In winter, because of low temperatures, the plant enters dormancy and stops growing, so there is no need to fertilize.
But if the plant has already taken shape, even in the peak growing season you only need to occasionally apply a small amount of nutrient solution, once every 3-6 months. If fertilized too frequently, the plant will keep growing and thus ruin its original shape.
Because the substrate of soilless cultivation itself contains no nutrients, it can only rely on applying nutrient solution to supply plant growth. Nutrient solution is both scientific and hygienic, and cannot be replaced by other fertilizers.

81.How to collect and store flower seeds？

When collecting seeds of herbaceous flowers, you must first grasp the ripening period and degree of maturity of the seeds. When the seeds are ripe, the petals dry up and the seeds are firm and glossy. At the same time, collection must be timely so as to avoid rotting from rain or scattering. On the same plant, choose seeds from the earliest flowers and the earliest-ripening seeds to keep for seed; if variations in flower shape, color and so on are found, they should be collected and planted separately. The method of collecting flower seeds varies with the kind of herbaceous flower. For some, the whole flower can be picked, air-dried and then the seeds taken, such as cockscomb and scarlet sage; for others, the fruit can be rubbed and washed to remove the flesh, then sun-dried and the seeds cleaned out, such as Solanum integrifolium and winter cherry. There are also seeds whose fruit skins easily split open and scatter after ripening; these should be collected in time when the fruit changes from green to yellow and the seeds can be felt to be loose when touched by hand, such as Impatiens and pansy.
Common methods for storing flower seeds include dry storage, sand storage and water storage.
Dry storage: Most flowers' seeds can be dried in the shade, cleaned of debris, and put into bottles or thick paper bags, such as scarlet sage and cyclamen. Place them in a ventilated room, and the room temperature should not change much (5-10°C).
Sand storage: Bury the collected seeds in moist sandy soil, keeping the soil temperature at 0-5°C. This kind of seed has a period of dormancy under natural conditions; take them out one month before sowing, such as peony and Chinese peony.
Water storage: After collection, some seeds should be soaked in water, such as water lily; the water temperature should be kept at 5°C.

No kind of seed should be exposed to the sun; they should be stored in a dark place, with attention to preventing moisture and rodent damage.

The Practical Complete Guide to Home Flower Growing (Part Two)

82.What methods are commonly used for sowing herbaceous flowers？

The methods commonly used for sowing herbaceous flowers are broadcast sowing, row sowing and dibbling.
Broadcast sowing: Commonly used for smaller seeds, such as China aster, Aster novi-belgii and snapdragon. Before sowing, first break the soil up fine and level it; after watering thoroughly, wait 1-2 hours, then evenly scatter the seeds over the bed or flowerpot, and cover with fine soil just to the point where the seeds can no longer be seen. For bed sowing, it is best to cover with plastic film and reed blinds in spring, and only reed blinds in autumn; before sowing, water thoroughly, and generally no watering is needed before emergence, though if necessary you can spray water with a fine-nozzle watering can. For pot sowing, cover with glass and newspaper to retain moisture and heat; if necessary, soak the pot to let water seep in, but do not water directly, or the seeds will be washed out or silted to one side, affecting the germination rate. After the young shoots emerge, gradually remove the covering. For especially tiny seeds such as gloxinia, Calceolaria and wax begonia, the seeds should be mixed with 3-4 times their amount of fine sand and broadcast in the flowerpot, with no further soil covering needed.
Row sowing: Open shallow furrows in the bed or potting soil, sow the seeds into the furrows and press level; other management is the same as for broadcast sowing. Row sowing is mostly used for taproot flowers that are not suitable for transplanting, such as corn poppy and morning glory.
Dibbling: Large seeds can be sown one by one, such as four-o'clock and nasturtium; the covering soil thickness should be about 3 times the diameter of the seed.
After the seeds germinate, water should be appropriately restrained to harden the seedlings; overly dense seedlings should be thinned in time to maintain ventilation and light penetration. When 2-3 true leaves have grown, transplant; those tolerant of transplanting can be moved 1-2 more times, such as China aster and Impatiens, and then set in flowerpots, flowerbeds and other places. Some herbaceous flowers are not suitable for transplanting, such as corn poppy and cypress vine; it is best not to transplant them.

It is very important to correctly grasp the sowing period for each kind of flower. Calceolaria and cineraria grow well when sown in autumn; zinnia has a relatively long growing period and is suitable for spring sowing.

The Practical Complete Guide to Home Flower Growing (Part Two)

83.How to sow seeds when growing flowers at home？
Asparagus fern, clivia and annual or biennial herbaceous flowers are propagated by sowing. Choose vigorous, fresh seeds from superior mother plants. Some seeds need treatment to make germination easier because their seed coats are rather hard. For example, lotus seeds have hard shells, so the top must be rubbed until the seed coat appears before sowing; for seeds such as cyclamen, wintersweet and wisteria, soak them for 1-2 days before sowing to promote germination. To prevent the spread of pests and diseases, the seeds should be disinfected by soaking for 5 minutes in 0.1% mercuric chloride, 0.3% copper sulfate or 1% formalin solution, then rinsed clean with clear water before sowing. As for sowing time, spring sowing should not be earlier than the last frost; in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, mid-March is suitable, and autumn sowing can be done in September. Home flower growing uses only a small amount of seed, so you can sow in a sowing pot. If using an ordinary clay pot, the diameter must not be less than 12 cm; if too small, the potting soil dries out easily. The growing medium used for sowing should have good water seepage and must be sterilized with steam beforehand. For the drainage hole at the bottom of the pot, cross two arched shards over it, then fill with 2-3 cm of gravel or sand, then put in 5 cm of growing medium, and finally spread 1 cm of washed river sand as the sowing layer on top. After sowing, cover with fine sand, 2-3 times the diameter of the seed. Do not water directly; use the soaking method to water, so as not to wash away the seeds. Cover the pot with a piece of glass, and cover the glass with newspaper for shading, to maintain the temperature and humidity inside the pot. Turn the glass over once a day to allow ventilation and remove water droplets from the glass. The sowing pot should be placed in direct sunlight and kept at a room temperature of 15-25°C to favor germination. If the temperature is too high, the seedlings tend to grow leggy; if the temperature is too low, the seeds easily rot. After emergence, remove the glass and newspaper, and gradually move the pot to a place with ample sunlight; water according to the dryness or moisture of the potting soil. When the seedlings have grown 2-4 true leaves, transplant them.

84.What propagation work can be done for flowering plants in spring？

Between March and April, before the new buds of flowering plants sprout and while the sap is not yet flowing, this is exactly the suitable season for propagation, and the survival rate of propagation is high. For example: asparagus fern, bamboo palm, nandina, jasmine and orchid can be divided and propagated when repotting in spring. Spider plant, lotus, bamboos and the like can be propagated by cutting off the new shoots on their runners. Canna, dahlia, iris and the like can be propagated by dividing tubers and stem tubers that bear buds. Lily, gladiolus, narcissus and the like can be propagated by taking the small bulbs produced by their bulbs and corms. Osmanthus, Chinese rose, lilac and the like can be propagated by grafting their branches. Pomegranate, crape myrtle, honeysuckle and Chinese rose can have their branches cut, while chrysanthemum, wax begonia and Saxifraga can have their leaves cut, for cutting propagation. But cuttings root easily only when the soil temperature is higher at the end of April. Annual herbaceous flowers such as ornamental pepper, scarlet sage, purslane and China aster can be propagated by sowing.

85.Why do some flowers need asexual propagation？

Asexual propagation is the use of branches, buds, leaves, root suckers, stem tubers, bulbs and so on from the mother plant to propagate and cultivate new plants through methods such as cutting, grafting, layering and division.
Many flowers cannot set seed because their ovaries have degenerated, such as poinsettia and Chinese hibiscus. Some flowers native to tropical and subtropical regions also find it very hard to flower and fruit in the north, such as Monstera deliciosa, Aglaia and jasmine. These flowers need asexual propagation.
Many flowers are superior varieties selected through crossbreeding, and the superior traits of these varieties can usually be preserved only by adopting asexual propagation methods.
Using asexual propagation methods can enhance stress resistance and increase ornamental value. For example, many varieties of cactus have relatively weak root systems of their own; when grafted onto the more vigorous Hylocereus undatus, they grow and reproduce relatively quickly.

86.What are the benefits of using vermiculite and perlite for cutting propagation of flowering plants？

Vermiculite and perlite were originally lightweight insulating building materials; they have the properties of drainage, heat retention, moisture retention, numerous pores and good ventilation, which are exactly the conditions needed for rooting in cut seedlings. Practice has proved that using these materials for cutting propagation of flowering plants results in fast rooting, little root damage when potting, and a high survival rate.
When using vermiculite and perlite for cutting propagation of flowers, moisture must be properly controlled, avoiding both excessive dryness and excessive wetness. When cutting in summer, shading is needed, and in the north plastic film should be used as a cover.
Using these materials for cutting propagation of flowering plants, although rooting is fast, vermiculite and perlite contain no nutrients, so after the cuttings survive they should be potted promptly; otherwise the new roots will quickly "rust" (that is, turn from white to yellow) and gradually die.

The Practical Complete Guide to Home Flower Growing (Part Two)

87.Is there a convenient and easy simple method for small-scale cutting propagation when growing flowers at home？

To ensure the survival of cuttings, the cutting medium and the air must be kept moist, requiring frequent watering and misting. For small-scale cutting propagation at home, pot cutting can be used, but watering and misting add quite a bit of trouble. Here is a convenient and easy cutting method that does not require frequent watering and misting.
Use a large clay pot with a diameter of more than 20 cm, first place 8 cm of small stones in it, then add a layer of coarse sand as a drainage layer, and place a small clay pot with a diameter of about 9 cm in the center of the large pot. Plug the drainage hole at the bottom of the small clay pot beforehand with a cork. Outside the small clay pot and inside the large clay pot, fill in fine sand, vermiculite or rice-hull ash and other cutting media, and insert the cuttings into the medium. Then fill the small clay pot with water, and put a plastic film bag over the large clay pot; cut a few small holes in the two upper corners of the bag for ventilation. Because the water in the small clay pot continuously seeps through the pot wall into the surrounding medium, it can keep the cutting medium moist for a long time. And because the mouth of the large clay pot is covered with a plastic film bag, sufficient air humidity is also maintained for a long time. This saves the troublesome work of uncovering the bag, watering and re-covering the bag to keep moisture every day, while still creating environmental conditions that make rooting easy for the cuttings.

88.Which foliage plants can be propagated by leaf cuttings？

Leaf cutting is a unique propagation method, and not every kind of plant can be propagated by leaf. Foliage plants that can be propagated by leaf cuttings include: umbrella plant, Saxifraga, Saxifraga stolonifera 'Tricolor', Sinningia speciosa, Peperomia species (watermelon peperomia, Peperomia, Peperomia 'Tricolor', Peperomia 'Glabella', etc.), foliage begonias (Begonia masoniana, Begonia rex, etc.), African violet, aloe, succulents and Sansevieria trifasciata 'Laurentii'.

89.What is layering propagation？

Bending the lower branches of the mother plant down and burying them in the soil to encourage the adventitious buds at their nodes or internodes to sprout and grow new roots, then cutting them away from the mother plant and planting them separately, thus forming a new plant - this propagation method is called layering propagation.
Layering is mostly used for flowering shrubs with strong clumping habits or vines with soft stems. For some tree and shrub species that are difficult to root, the air layering method can also be used to let branches on the canopy develop roots before detaching from the parent plant, providing more propagation opportunities for flowering plants.
The advantages of layering are that it easily succeeds, produces seedlings quickly, and is simple to perform; live branches that are layered can be layered again the following year, so propagation material is not wasted. The disadvantages are that the plant's organism cannot be completely renewed, growth is not vigorous, and the number of seedlings produced is relatively small, so it is not suitable for use in large-scale seedling production.

90.What is the air layering method？

For some woody foliage plants, rooting is difficult when stem cuttings are used, and in this case air layering can be used for propagation. First make a ring cut around the branch, then wrap it with moist sphagnum moss or cotton, and secure it with plastic film or string. If the branch is soft, a bamboo stick can be used to support the layered branch to prevent lodging and breakage. About one month after layering, when roots grow at the ring cut, it can be cut off and planted separately. Air layering is best carried out from April to August each year. However, do not choose old branches for the part taken by air layering; one-year-old young shoots are best.

The Complete Practical Guide to Home Flower Growing (Part 2)

91.How are flower diseases caused？

Causes of flower diseases: First, poor cultivation environmental conditions, such as excessive or insufficient water, too strong or too weak light, too high or too low temperature, insufficient or imbalanced nutrients, and diseases caused by smoke, dust, and harmful gas pollution; this is also called physiological disease. This type of disease affects the growth and development of flowers, but it is not contagious. Second, infection by pathogens, such as fungi, bacteria, and viruses attacking the plant body, among which fungal infections are the most common. Under suitable environmental conditions, this type of disease can spread and become contagious rapidly.
For diseases caused by poor environmental conditions, as long as cultivation management is improved in a timely manner to meet the requirements of flower growth and development, the plants will generally recover naturally. Diseases caused by pathogen infection, however, must be prevented and controlled promptly. But these two types of diseases are closely linked and are cause and effect for each other. When flowers grow weakly, they are often susceptible to disease; sometimes when flowers suffer insect damage, it can also lead to the occurrence of disease.
92.What symptoms do physiological diseases of flowers have？
During the process of growth and development, diseases caused by unsuitable environmental conditions are called physiological diseases. Diseases caused by insufficient nutrients mainly include stunting and chlorosis. If the plant lacks nitrogen, its height growth cannot be ensured; because the soil is too alkaline (in the north) or too acidic (in the south), the plant becomes weak and the leaves scorch. Lack of phosphorus, lack of potassium, and other trace elements can also cause flowers to become chlorotic and withered. Lack of water during the growth and development of flowers can cause withering and stunting; with too much water, root respiration is hindered and the roots rot, and the plant also turns yellow and withered. Therefore, when leaves turn yellow and wilt, a careful diagnosis should be made before taking measures.

Recommended reading:The Complete Practical Guide to Home Flower Growing (Part 1)

The Complete Practical Guide to Home Flower Growing (Part 2)

Why Is My Camellia Dropping Leaves? Improper Watering, High Temperatures, and Disease Are the Key Causes

I. Why Camellias Drop Leaves: Improper Care

II. Causes of Camellia Leaf Drop and Solutions

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A practical compendium of home flower growing (Part Two)

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