|
CAMELLIA CULTURE
SOIL: Basically, all Camellias
require the same culture. They prefer a
well-drained soil that is high in humus
content and slightly acid. In preparing the
soil for planting in the ground, mix equal
portions of sandy loam and peat moss, by
volume. If leaf mold is available, it may be
used in place of peat moss.
PLANTING: Dig the planting hole twice
as large as the root ball and one and
one-half times as deep. Fill the bottom of
the hole with the prepared soil and tamp
down firmly so that the top of the root
ball, when placed in the hole is 1" ABOVE
the soil surface, as there will be some
settling. The only way Camellias are
temperamental is in the depth of the
planting. The air requirement of the root is
high, and when planted too deep, the roots
will smother. The root crown should mever be
more than 2" below the surface of the soil.
Fill in around the sides of the rood ball
with this same mixture, tamping it down
firmly with the feet as you fill, then mound
soil 3" high in the form of a saucer on the
outside rim of the planting hole. Fill this
saucer with water.
WATERING: Camellias should be moist
at all times, but caution should be taken
against their being WET at all times. Water
well and deeply, but only as often as your
own local weather conditions demand. Too
much water, too often, will cut off the air
the roots must have. During the flowering
period, watering should be watched, as the
mature flower is 90% water and a drying out
of the plant can cause undersize blooms, as
well as bud drop. Camellias will use large
quantities of water during the summer
growing periods. For container-grown
Camellias, you will generally need to fill
your containers once a week in the summer,
and in the winter, you should be able to
stretch the period to approximately ten
days. On very dry days, or when the
temperature rises above 85 degrees, sprinkle
the foliage and the mulch in the late
afternoon.
FERTILIZING: Fertilizing, or feeding,
should start with the first signs of growth,
even though the plant is still blooming.
Caution should be taken never to overfeed.
Camellias that have been injured with
over-fertilizing take several seasons of
special care to recuperate. Cottonseed meal,
or commercial food specifically for
Camellias, should be used. Your local
nurseryman or garden shop will carry the
prepared mixture best suited to your own
local conditions. Follow the directions as
printed on the package. If the plant is dry,
water well the day before feeding - never
feed a dry plant. Feed every 6 or 8 weeks
from April through September.
PESTS AND
DISEASE: Other than feeding and
watering, Camellias require very little
care. Some insect and pest control is
necessary to insure a healthy plant. Scale
and mites are the most serious threat, as
they extract the plant juices and interfere
with the normal development of foliage and
stem growth. Generally speaking, Camellias
rarely need spraying, so consult your local
nurseryman and make certain that spraying is
necessary.
PROTECTION:
C. Japonica, C. Reticulata and the
hybrids need protection from hot mid-day
sun. For the flower's sake, the whites and
pale pinks will need more shade than the
deeper colors. "Shade" is a very relative
term; in climates where humidity is high,
Camellias can stand more then in climates
that are hot and dry. C Sasanqua is able to
stand full sun even in hot dry climates, but
does equally well in light shade. As to
protection below zero with no injury. The
Japonicas will stand temperatures to 5
degrees above zero, but the complete double
flower types will have buds frozen and
destroyed at this temperature C. Reticulata
is recommended for very mild areas, or glass
house culture only. The hybrids, because
they are hybrids, will vary from variety to
variety as to the cold each will stand. Some
of them have gone through temperatures of
zero with little ill effects.
|
|
ALL
OF OUR CAMELLIAS are container grown in
California. Our Camellias will be shipped
either in their containers or will be balled
and wrapped in waterproof material. Outside
of California, in order to facilitate
packing and eliminate excess weight, thereby
cutting transportation costs, Camellias will
either be balled or bare-rooted (unless
requested otherwise).