How to grow potted camellias? A detailed guide to care methods

Potting soil

Based on the growth characteristics of camellias, choose a slightly acidic (pH between 5.5 and 6), fertile, well-draining mixed soil as the potting soil. Pay special attention to good drainage and avoid calcareous soil. Alkaline or clay soil will cause poor growth and may even kill the plant.

Sunlight and temperature

Camellias prefer a semi-shaded environment. In summer, place the potted plant under a trellis to avoid scorching by the fierce sun. Spray water around the ground several times a day to increase air humidity. For residents in high-rise buildings, the plant can be moved indoors or into a corridor. In spring and autumn, place it on a balcony or at a south-facing window so it receives full sunlight. In winter, it can be placed indoors. Keeping the indoor overwintering temperature at around 3°C to 4°C allows it to overwinter safely and bloom normally; above 10°C it blooms well; above 16°C it will sprout prematurely, and in severe cases cause leaf drop and bud drop.

Fertilizer and water

Camellias do not particularly like fertilizer (they do not tolerate much fertilizer), so there is no need to fertilize excessively, and especially avoid applying too much concentrated fertilizer. In spring, from April to May, a small amount of liquid fertilizer can be applied; in autumn, from September to November, apply supplementary fertilizer appropriately, twice a month with 20%-30% decomposed soybean water or chicken and duck manure liquid; after November, the liquid fertilizer can be strengthened (the fertilizer concentration can be increased to 40%-50%) to promote plump flower buds; from February to April, generally no fertilizer is applied. When fertilizing, pay attention to the plant's growth vigor. For weak seedlings with poor growth, apply less and at a lower concentration. Stop watering before fertilizing so the potting soil is on the dry side and absorbs more easily; when fertilizing, do not splash the fertilizer liquid onto the stems and leaves, to avoid yellow spots on the leaf surface. If it has already touched the fertilizer liquid, rinse it clean with water.

Camellias like warmth and humidity. In spring and autumn, water once every 2 to 3 days. In summer, when temperatures are high and water evaporates quickly, generally water once in the early morning and once in the evening. The specifics also depend on the weather and how dry or moist the potting soil is. Watering should balance dry and moist: water when dry, and water thoroughly when watering. Being too dry will affect normal growth, while being too wet for a long time will cause leaf drop. In rainy seasons, promptly move the potted plant indoors to avoid waterlogging. The water used for irrigation has been described earlier.

How should potted camellias be cared for?

Care tips for potted camellias

    Camelliawith their brilliant colors and many varieties, are deeply loved by people. If you want camellias to bloom more, you should grasp the following three steps:

    1. Nitrogen fertilizer to promote spring shoots:Camellias generally begin to sprout new shoots at 18°C. Shoots emerge twice a year: the first around mid-March to mid-to-late April, called "spring shoots"; the second around mid-to-late July to early September, called "summer shoots." Camellia flower buds mostly form on the new shoots that emerge in spring. Therefore, growing spring shoots well is the key to whether camellias can bloom well. When spring shoots begin to sprout, apply bud-promoting fertilizer mainly based on nitrogen fertilizer, once every 10 days, until the spring shoots begin to lignify. After repeated root and foliar topdressing in this way, the spring shoots of camellias will grow very luxuriantly, and the leaves can extend to their maximum.

    2. Phosphorus and potassium to promote flower buds:After camellias have produced full spring shoots and entered lignification, there will be a relatively short dormant period. The beginning of the dormant period is also the start of the flower bud differentiation stage of camellias. At this time, be sure not to apply nitrogen fertilizer again; instead, switch to phosphorus and potassium fertilizer, about once every 10 days. At the same time, spray the leaves with a mixed dilute solution of 1000 times potassium dihydrogen phosphate, a small amount of borax and rice vinegar. This can both control excessive vegetative growth of camellias and promote flower bud differentiation and shorten the time of flower bud differentiation, which helps flower bud formation.

    3. Thin buds to protect flowers:After the flower buds swell rapidly, carry out bud thinning once in mid-to-late August. Large plants can generally keep two flower buds per branch, while small plants keep only one flower bud per branch, and make the sizes of the flower buds clear in layers and evenly distributed, so as to extend the viewing time of the flowers. After thinning buds, apply a few more times of dilute phosphorus fertilizer between September and October, and pay attention to appropriate shading, especially preventing western sun exposure. Watering should follow the rule of "do not water when not dry, water thoroughly when watering," keeping the potting soil in a state of "dry-wet alternation" to prevent flower buds from dropping or withering.

    In addition, camellias are acid-loving flowers. To adjust the pH of the potting soil, apply a dilute ferrous sulfate solution once about every 20 days during the growing season, to keep the leaves lush and emerald green, promote robust plant growth, and make the flower colors delicate and beautiful.