It is said that all plants need to be happy is water, sunshine, food and love.

Proper management of the activities surrounding the various aspects of growing camellias will ensure that the gardener will always enjoy healthy plants and beautiful blooms. The core of good camellia culture includes: Proper site selection for new plants, a fertilization program that ensures a continuous release of nutrients to the plant, providing water of sufficient quantity without drowning the plant, regular pruning to provide structure to the plant that discourages infestation of pests and encourages sunlight for good growth, a preventative approach to pest control and a plan to deal with pests should they get the upper hand. These activities form the framework for the creation of a successful camellia growing environment.

Why Plant Camellias

First, with a blooming season form September through March, camellias provide interest in the Winter Garden. During late Spring and the Summer months these dense, evergreen plants provide a wonderful backdrop to your flowering perennials and annuals. Camellias can be used as specimen plants to highlight an interesting landscape feature. Camellias provide a wide variety of shapes, leaf sizes, bloom colors and growth habits to fill any landscape need. Camellia plants can be shaped by nature or trained to a desired form. They can be incorporated into a formal garden with its attention to a strict structure or in informal landscapes in combination with other plants and shrubs according to the whims of the designer.

Proper Site Selection

Camellia plants prefer to live in a soil that is well drained and away from trees with shallow root systems that will compete for water and nutrients. Since camellias are understory plants, they like dappled sunlight to prevent leaf scald. Tests at the American Camellia Society headquarters indicate that some camellias can tolerate full sun but require heavy mulch and watering to be successful. C. Sasanqua is more sun tolerant the C. Japonica.

Soil for Planting

Camellias prefer a well-drained slightly acidic soil. A soil ph. (scale of acidity/alkalinity) of 5.5 to 6.8 is preferred, however they will tolerate a lower ph. level. The incorporation of organic materials such as: leaf mold, ground and aged pine bark, cow manure, or coarse peat moss worked into the soil to a depth of 2- 4 inches will improve both ph. and drainage. If one is in doubt of the composition of your soil, a soil test from your local Extension Service is recommended.

Planting

Camellia plants are best planted from late fall to early spring. They can be planted any time during the year, but will require more attention to make sure that they become well established. If you are planting camellias to create a screen hedge then plant on 3-foot centers; otherwise, plant at least 5 feet apart. 

There’s an old gardening saying “Don’t put a $50 plant in a 50-cent hole.”. 

According to the American Camellia Society, here are the steps to follow for planting.

1. Dig a hole at least two feet wider than the root ball.
2. Leave soil in the center of the hole undisturbed to prevent settling.
3. Place the root ball on the column of soil in the center of the hole.
4. The top of the ball should be slightly above soil level.
5. When planting a container-grown plant, wash away the soil from the root ball with a water hose and rough up the root ball, if tight, to allow better penetration into the soil.
6. Fill the hole around the root ball with a mixture of topsoil and organic matter.
7. Build a berm of soil around the plant three feet in diameter to prevent water from running off.
8. Mulch with straw or other organic matter around the plant.
9. Water well after planting and soak once a week during dry weather.

Fertilization

Camellias are slow growing plants; they happen to be heavy feeders. Many think that large well-established plants are not in need of fertilizer. However, all camellias benefit from a regular application of nutrients. Using slow-release fertilizers will distribute the nutrients over a longer period of time.

A quick lesson on what the numbers/letters on the fertilizer bag mean. The first number stands for the percentage of Nitrogen (N) in the fertilizer. Nitrogen is necessary for growth. Insufficient Nitrogen will result in stunted growth in most cases. A clue to low Nitrogen is a yellowing of leaves. Sometimes the symptom can present itself in longer plant stems with less branching. The second number stands for Phosphorus (P). This element is necessary for good root growth by enabling the energy transfer needed for growth. Insufficient Phosphorus leads to stunted plant growth. The final number stands for Potassium(K). Lack of Potassium contributes to plants having a slow growth rate with less flower bud production and fewer seed pods.

In addition to the 3 key elements, camellias require small amounts of certain other key elements for proper growth. These elements include: Boron, Calcium, Copper, Iron, Manganese, Magnesium, Molybdenum, Sulfur, and Zinc.  Some low-cost fertilizers do not contain these microelements; therefore it is important to read the label on a fertilizer bag. One source that some recommend as a source of microelements is Milorganite. It cannot be stressed enough how important reading the label of fertilizers is.

Now that you know what is in fertilizer, you need to know what kind of fertilizer to use and how much to feed them. Some of the earliest references recommended to use of a low Nitrogen fertilizer, with slightly more Phosphorus and Potassium fertilizer such as 3-5-4, 5-10-10, or 4-8-8. Now there seems to be more flexibility that for young plants a higher Nitrogen component (10-10-10 or 12-4-8) for the first few years will encourage younger plants to develop. As the plants become more established the Nitrogen level can be reduced. A caution about high Nitrogen levels. Overfeeding of Nitrogen can cause a condition called fertilizer burn. The condition exhibits itself when new growth turns black and dies back. 

When and how much fertilizer to use depends on plant age, growing environment and soil ph.. In the south a schedule of 3 times per year is recommended. The first application of a slow-release fertilizer should generally be applied before the first blush of new growth appears, usually around the beginning of March. A second application at the beginning of May and a third application the first week of July will provide sufficient nutrients for healthy plants and prolific blooms. These recommendations assume that soil ph. is within the range of 5.5-6.8 to facilitate good nutrient transfer to the plant.

It is best to remove all the mulch surrounding the plant back to the drip line, apply the fertilizer according to the package recommendations, then recover with mulch adding more mulch if necessary. Finally water the fertilizer well into the soil. This method insures you’re feeding the plants not the mulch.

Mulching and Watering

Water is a critical component in camellia culture. It provides a consistent flow of nutrients to the plant and keeps the plant cells fully expanded for new growth. Lack of consistent plant moisture will result in stunted plant growth and poor flower bud formation. A well-planned and flexible watering schedule that includes watering measurement and irrigation is essential. It is a good idea to include a rain gauge in your list of gardening tools to keep track of soil moisture.

Camellias like a moist soil environment but will suffer if the soil is soggy. This environment is enhanced with well drained soil and good mulching. For plants in the ground moisture to a depth of 14-18 inches is recommended. If your soil contains more clay or sand then steps should be taken to correct those conditions.

Camellias’ native environment is an understory, woodlands plant. This environment provides a reliable source of organic material and leaf litter to cover the shallow root system as mulch. Therefore, it is best to duplicate those conditions to keep the root system moist, cool, and weed free. This is especially important for those of us who are in the South where summer temperature can reach 100 degrees F. or more. Those of us who are avid gardeners have noticed both temperature and rain patterns are shifting.

Merriam-Webster defines Mulch as “a covering (as of straw or sawdust) spread over the ground to protect the roots of plants from heat, cold, or evaporation, prevent soil loss, control weeds, enrich the soil. Mulch comes in many forms in the garden. From leaves and pine straw that occur naturally to pine bark sold in plastic bags. Other materials include shredded tree bark and other wood byproducts. However, care should be taken to ensure the material is free from pests or toxic chemicals. There is nothing that prevents mulch from being both useful to the plants and a decorative addition to the landscape. The importance is the functional value of whatever is being used, especially that it continues to add organic material to the soil.

Pruning

To quote a camellia friend about pruning “Fear not the chainsaw”. Pruning is a necessary job for the continued health of the plant, making it an attractive part of the landscape, and encouraging quality blooms.  Unfortunately, pruning is often ignored until drastic measures are needed. Many times, camellias can grow to form a dense mass of branches with dead branches and intrusive growth if left on their own. Regular pruning helps the plant grow in ways beneficial to both the its well-being and ornamental appeal.  Removing unwanted live growth will encourage the plant to use its stored energy more productively.

One of the considerations one must consider when pruning is that different varieties have different growing habits. Some are vigorous growers while others are slow; certain varieties have an upright growth habit, while other are short and stocky. Researching these characteristics is the first step in a comprehensive pruning program. Where the variety is unknown, careful study can point you in the correct direction. Another concept to consider is the ultimate result you wish to achieve. Are you pruning to achieve a structure that fits better into your landscape, maintain the plant to prevent overgrowth and produce blooms throughout the growing season or are your blooms destined for one of the many Camellia Shows sponsored by the American Camellia Society? Each will require a different pruning plan. There are times when plants grow far beyond the confines of their landscape environment where severe pruning can be beneficial. Keep in mind that a healthy but overgrown plant has a large supply of energy stored in its root system. This energy will encourage a rash of new growth in a short period of time.

Start your pruning with clean sharp tools to minimize raggedy cuts and avoid infecting the cut with disease. Use hand tools as opposed to power trimmers that tend to leave a less clean cut. Pruning sealant or paint is not necessary.

Pest Control

Pests are a constant worry to the gardener and like other plants camellias are susceptible to infestation, especially when new growth is emerging, during this period of crawling pests such as: Aphids and spider mites are the most common. Scale is another pest that can literally suck the life out of the plants. Consult your local nursery man or Extension Service for suggestion on how to control these pests.

Camellia in Containers

Camellias are not just to planted in the landscape. For those who have limited space or environmental considerations mostly having to do with weather, then growing camellias in containers is a logical choice. Container growing can provide certain advantages since the containers can be moved around allowing for advantageous positioning as the blooming season progresses. Container growing also allows for plants to be moved to shelter during severe frosts. Most that has been written here so far applies to camellias overall, however, camellias in containers have some special needs.

First, the container for the plant must have sufficient drainage. Look for pots that have the drainage hole on the side to discourage hole “plugging” from compacted soil. It is advised that the lower 1-3 inched of the container be filled with a material that permits good drainage. Putting gravel or broken pots in the bottom of the pot is a time-honored solution. Using a material such as ground pine bark offers the advantage of both good drainage and organic material that is useful to the plant as it breaks down.

Potting soil for containers is also a consideration. Do not use garden soil; it will compact and interfere with good drainage. If purchasing a commercial product make sure it specifies for container use and is formulated for Camellia/Azaleas. Many gardeners prefer to make their own mixture. There are numerous recipes for container soil, all have the following in common: A good starting point is 1-part coarse peat, 1-part good garden soil or loam, 1-part coarse sand, 1-part composted cow manure (Growing Camellias in a Greenhouse, Mansfield Latimer, ACS Yearbook, 1959)

Fertilizing container grown camellias requires a different regimen. Container plants require more frequent feeding due to the leaching of the soil due to frequent watering. Brad King of the American Camellia Society, suggests regular feeding with a commercial Azalea/Camellia fertilizer from April through September according to package instructions. To see more information of Mr. King’s container fertilization advice on this, go to ACS website.

Lastly, camellias in container will require repotting every few years as they become root bound. During repotting the plants can be “bumped up” to a larger size container or root pruned and repotted with fresh soil mixture.

Finally, take time to enjoy your flowers. You can admire the plants as they bloom in their natural habitat in the garden or cut blooms to enjoy in the house. Also, make sure you share with your friends.