How to care for and manage a newly bought camellia with flower buds
Many friends like growing camellias, and some of them even go to flower markets to buy camellias with flower buds to take home and grow. But a newly bought camellia with flower buds must be given proper care and management, otherwise it is very easy to cause many undesirable problems such as bud drop and leaf drop. So, how should a newly bought camellia with flower buds be cared for and managed?
By comparison, spring and autumn are more suitable for buying camellias to take home and grow, but if the camellia has flower buds, it is still not easy to keep alive, or at least not easy to keep well. Today, the editor will share with you how to avoid bud drop and leaf drop in newly bought camellias.
1. Do not rush to repot
After we bring home a potted camellia with flower buds, we must not rush to repot it, because the plant needs a process of adapting when moved from one environment to another. Repotting at this time not only easily causes many undesirable growth problems such as massive bud drop and leaf drop, but also makes it hard for the plant to settle into the pot and survive.
If repotting is needed, it usually requires growing it for a period of time, and can only be done after the plant has recovered from repotting stress. It is generally recommended to wait until after the flowers fade the following year before repotting it, which is safer.
2. Cover exposed roots with soil
If, after buying the camellia and bringing it home, we find that some roots are exposed on the surface of the pot, then we should promptly cover them with a layer of soil until all the exposed roots are covered beneath the soil layer. In this way, the plant can better absorb nutrients and water from the soil.
When covering with soil, be sure to choose a loose and breathable medium. The original editor recommends using pine needle soil, because pine needle soil is not only highly loose and strongly breathable, but also has good fertility, and can supply the plant with quite a few nutrients.
3. Remove leaves blocking the flowers
After we get the potted camellia, we generally find that many flower buds are blocked by leaves, which easily blocks light, and this is unfavorable for flowering. To promote the development and growth of the flower buds, we need to promptly remove the leaves blocking the flower buds, so that the buds are exposed outside as much as possible.
Moreover, if the potted camellia has relatively many flower buds, we should also properly remove some of them. Generally, a few more buds can be kept at the top of the plant, while there should not be too many buds at the bottom of the plant; usually keeping 2-3 is enough. But the leaves blocking the buds still need to be removed. This can save a lot of nutrients and make the nutrients more concentrated, so that the retained buds bloom better.
We generally buy camellias in spring and autumn, because after a period of scientific care following purchase, problems such as bud drop and leaf drop are unlikely to occur, and the plant grows better, blooms beautifully later, and the potted plant has higher ornamental value.