Camellia Growing, Propagating and Enjoying

HollyAnn, There are a few varieties that are hardy in zone 6. check out CamForest nursery. I think they have several cold hardy varieties.

Here is a link: http://www.camforest.com/

ps. I am not enabling. Just helping. LOL ( yeah right)

Linda---

What is a "Forcythe pot"?

I do not have a Greenhouse--so no go with that.

I would know what scale and mealy bugs look like....I had nothing like what you show in your picture.
The most likely thought to me was some kind of a fungus. I am not too familiar with viruses.

IF there was a virus--WHY, over the 3 years I had this issue, did it selectively affect only the previous years growth?
The new growth, every one of those years, was OK. Then--in mid-winter--these leaves started showing the blotchiness
and by bloom time they would all slowly start falling off, which lasts for about 2 months.

I have not sprayed my camellia much with anything. I did apply a fungicide around the soil--with no results.
Using anm oil spray will not help--as there are no insects to smother. Won't harm anything either--I would think.

I have uses Epsom salts, lots of coffee grinds, and mulched with pine needles.

Will see if anything happens this winter--as the bush is quite full already. NO flower buds this year. They usually form already the year
before and live through the winter. Then start slowly swelling in late spring...and open to bloom in May.

Thanks--Gita

That is a beautiful plant Gita, so full and it really looks great. Mine are not that full. They look sick compared to that but they are also in pots and I do think it makes a big difference in the growth. Here is a picture of the April Tryst taken in February of 2010.
Really looks sick compared to your beauty. It is a year older now and has more foliage, but still not like yours.

Jb, it doesn't look sick, put it on a trellis and train it as an espalier. That would be awesome!

Gita, you ask tough questions. I will have to look through my camellia books and see what i can find out for you.

The forsythe pot is easy. To make 1 use a large plastic pot, 10-15 inches in diameter and fill it with potting mix. Then use a small 4" unglazed terra cotta pot in the center of the larger pot. Put a cork in the bottom of the terra cotta pot and then stick your cuttings between the two pots. Keep the terra cotta pot full of water. As your potting mix dries out, the water seeps from the terra cotta pot into the surrounding mix and keeps the cuttings evenly moist. Put it in a protected place ( if not outside, then where it will be out of the way and make sure to keep the inner pot full of water. If you need to add humidity, you can put a plastic bag or bottles around it. I usually don't add humidity here.

If you don't mind me using your pictures, I will show them to a horticulturalist buddy and see what he thinks of your questions. I don't know all the answers, but I will try to find out.

JB, April tryst should be hardy in your area. Plant that baby outside ( after it blooms) .

JB--

I agree that plants do much better in the ground than in pots...

That said--your Camellia gas it's own beauty--Made me think of the minimalistic Japanese
flower arrangements. The bloom is beautiful!

Linda! WOW!!!! I have never seen so many varieties of Camellia! Just magnificent!

Gita

Gita, I wasn't joking when I said I worked for plants. LOL

Linda, Not according to our local nurserymen. I would love to put it out beside the house. But there is no protection on the South side at all, the North side if so cold. The only place I could put it is by the big barn facing West, but I am afraid the soil there is crappy. How can I be sure it is hardy here?

Thanks Linda, I will check it out.

JB, I don't know what to tell ya then. You know your winter's much better than I. Keep it in a pot and treat it like an espalier. It would look great spread out like a curtain in front of a window.

I started some cuttings of 4 varieties on Wednesday. I think I will start some of the others this afternoon.
Hope everyone has a great day.

Linda---

Somehow I missed your explanation of the Forsythe Pot....

I will c/p out the how to make it. Sounds easy enough...
Will the water seeping through the clay pot be enough to provide moisture?

Are you sure a high, hard, clear plastic dome would not help?
It has small air holes all around the bottom part for air circulation.

What temperature would be best? In the house, it would be around 65*
Would you recommend that I leave it outside for the winter????? Seems NOT the right thing to do.

Thank you for offering to show my pictures to your Horticulturist friend. Gita

Gita, et al

Here is a tutorial on making and using a Forsythe pot for propagation of all sorts of cuttings

http://www.plantswap.net/forum/f25/propagating-cuttings-using-forsythe-pots-1264/

Gita, the hard plastic cover would work just as well. The purpose is just to maintain humidity. Where you are, I would keep them in the house until they rooted. ( just over the winter). 65-70 is ideal, Most growth occurs between 68-70 anyway. I have never had a problem with the forsythe pot drying out too much, unless the puppy managed to steal the corks out of the bottom of the pot. LOL

Thank you Judy for putting up the tutorial.

Gotta run, Linda

Gita I will let you know as soon as I hear back from my friend.

Linda---

I have another question...YEAH! Another one!!!....:o(
That is how I learn and how I know all that I know--I ask questions--persistently.
Then those nuggets of information remain in my brain--to be pulled up if anyone asks ME a question.
Just like a computer----or Google. You enter the word (or question) and up pops the answer.
I pride myself of having all kinds of unusual knowledge about gardening that is NOT in any books...

OK! Now the question:
Vermiculite has not been sold in any HD's or Lowes for a good 6-7 years--as it was deemed unsafe b/c it contained asbestos.
All those shiny little slivers......

I would have to drive around to some independent garden centers to see if i can find any. Lots of time here....
Obviously, I cannot use Perlite as it does not absorb water.

What else could one use??????
I just bought a bale of Pro Mix---would that work? It is peat moss and Perlite--I think.

How about coarse Sphagnum Moss? Will have to look around for that as well.

I want to, definitely, try rooting my (now woody) Camellia cuttings. No harm done--I was going to cut all those
long growth branches back anyway next summer. Procrastinated away and never got to it this summer.
See my picture up there--somewhere--- where i showed everyone how well it has re-grown.
It is the Post on Oct. 26. Holy Molly! That was only two days ago!!!! GEEZ!

Gita

Gita,
Ask all you want, that is how we all absorb different things.

Yes, I haven't had vermiculite in years. Walmart sometimes sells it in little bags. I have used everything from fafard 3b pro mix to just plain sand from my yard. The key is good drainage. The coarse mediums seem to work best because there is more air in the soil as well as keeping them moist. You just don't want it to have to sit in wet conditions. The thing about the soil is that you want the cuttings to go looking for food and water to sustain the tops. In order to do that it has to put out roots.

One of the best tips I have ever learned is to add about a tsp of peroxide to the water. It adds more oxygen.

disclaimer: I am far from having all the answers, but I will try to help you find them. LOL

Nasty--nasty weather today! Frigid cold--about 39*---Icy rain all over---snow predicted later today...

I bet that will cut into a lot of Trick-or Treating. We don't get many kids here anyway...
Ours has become an "oldies" neighborhood.

Have to now think...think...think....what to use for the rooting medium...Hmmmmm
How about Orchid Mix (sold at HD) with some of the Pro Mix mixed in?
Orchid Mix is all chunks of bark and round pebbles of something--Maybe those things they use in Aquaculture?
NO soil in it at all, that's why I might add a bit of the Pro Mix to hold some water in the mix...

My mind is just meandering......Gita

I fell in love with Camilla's the first time I saw one. I finally bought one this fall. They had 2 types at HD, I picked up one and brought it home. I was getting ready to plant it and I read that it grew to 10ft tall to 10ft wide. OOPS. that wont fit where I want it when it grow, so I take it back and see that the pink one only grows 6ft to 6ft. I buy that one and plant it on the north side of the house. This area, I think is well protected, because I have inpatients come back from seed and other annuals. But I am wondering if I should have planted it behind the hydrangea instead of in front. But the HG is bigger than the Camilla right now. What is the growth rate per year for them?

But I am reading that you all trim yours back. Is it ok to do that to keep them in check with size?

Mine has buds now, so far one has opened. I am guessing it has not been cold enough for the rest to open.


This message was edited Nov 17, 2011 10:27 AM

marie---

My camellia is also on the N. side of my house--by the front door. It is right next to my concrete steps.
Beside it is an old Yew (E. side) and on the other side of the steps is an old Canadian Hemlock.
Both of these really shelter the Camellia from high winds.

You can trim back a Camellia after it blooms--if you like.
If you want to take cuttings to root--you will need to wait until August when the new growth starts
to harden off. Soft green growth is not as good.....

This is from 2006, but it shows the location of my Camellia. It usually is in full bloom by May.
Not this year--as it is re-growing from being completely cut back due to the leaf problems I had.

You can find those pictured further up in this Thread.

Here is a pic of my little Camilla. Can you see the 2 or 3 long branches sticking up. I know I should cut them back, but they do have buds on them.

Pardon the look of the brick, I am still waiting for Hubby to prime and paint the bricks.

Hi Marie, I would let them bloom and then trim them up to suit the shape. Most are kind of slow growers, but yes, I have some that are 12-15'tall and then some the same age ( roughly) that are 4' tall.
I have 2 blooming today that I haven't photographed yet. If the blooms don't get too cold tonight, I will post pics tomorrow.

Oh, Marie, your little baby bush is so cute! Hope it likes its new home.

Me too, I hope it does well there.

Linda, how long do camelias bloom down your way? Or are yours in a greenhouse?

I've heard that camellias are very sensitive to being planted "deep" and that root ball should be at least one to two inches above planting hole.Is this correct? What about mulch and winter water requirements? Me thinks I have a lot to learn about camellias...So many around here did well while the winters were mild and then lost them when they turned harsher. Those who still have them cherish them and I have been priviledged to be given several tours to their beautiful bushes.

Ok I tried to look this up on the internet, but i dont think a restaurant is what it means.
What is the difference in Japonica, and Sasanqua?

Marie, no answer from me , but did you know there is a Camellia Society of the Potomac Valley?

Here's a link: http://cspv.org/

Coleup, Here the camellias start blooming in October and then some varieties bloom in the spring. With the varieties I have, mine usually bloom in October and don't finish up until mid April. When I plant them, I usually dig a really wide hole and put the top of the root ball right at the soil level. As for mulch, I have a lot of live oaks in my yard so I tend to use leaves as mulch. ( even tho the nurseries around here tell you the oak leaves aren't real good for that.) In the cooler zones, there are a lot of cultivar's that struggle. These plants are hardy here in zone 8, but I have seen some varieties that are hardy to zone 6b. Those are few and far between though.

Marie, the difference in Japonica and Sasanqua is that the japonica has much larger leaves and tends to enjoy a more shaded area. These are normally spring bloomers. The growth buds are on the tips of the stems and the flowers are also larger as a general rule. The Sasanqua has smaller leaves and flowers ( normally) and bloom in the fall. The growth buds are lateral and because of this they tend to grow a little faster and they generally tolerate more sun. My sasanquas usually start with Sparkling Burgundy around mid- October and finish up with Yuletide blooming in December. I do have a Japonica that is blooming now, but I don't know the variety name. It is a light pink peony form and it is just gorgeous.

Later today, I will take pictures to show the difference in the look and growth habit of both Japonica and Sasanqua.

I feel the need to say again, I am not an expert by any means. I have been growing them for about 20 years and once managed a nursery that specialized in blooming landscape shrubs. I will share anything I know about these awesome plants and if I don't know, I will try to find out.
have a great day,
Linda
I will take pictures later today, of the ones in bloom now.

I forgot to keep the tag. to tell me what kind it was. I know it has pink blooms and wanted more shade than sun.
In fact the tag said morning sun only.

This message was edited Nov 18, 2011 8:26 AM

I bought my beautiful, red Camellia in 1999 or 2000 at my HD. I knew nothing about Camellias--
but we got them in and I was willing to try. They were in 2 gal. pots.

There was a regular customer there named Bernie. He was quite the horticulturist.
He was right there when I was looking--and he pointed to the one I bough and said--
"Buy this one. It will be perennial"...The one I bought (the "Bob Hope") had dark green,
shiny leaves. The others there had smaller leaves and not shiny.
Some of you may remember me writing about Bernie re him giving me the Wintersweet Shrub.
My Bernie Bush.....

On mine, the flower buds form in Fall and live through the winter, slowly getting plumper.
Before blooming, they are the size of a large grape--and then they start opening and the red shows.
I am sure now (thanks Linda) that mine is a Japonica. It grows in bright shade and blooms in early summer.

Here is a nice close-up of its buds and bloom from 2006. It was, then, still a fairly young shrub.
Gita

If they had this one in the fall with buds, can I assume that it is a fall-winter bloomer?

As I said--mine blooms in late Spring/early summer here--late April and early May.

The flower buds form the previous year. You can see them on the shrub.
They survive the winters here--no matter how cold, and swell in the spring
and then bloom.
In my picture above--you can still see some buds opening....

I am unable to find a picture showing the early bud formation in the fall. Sorry.

God bless all the "bernies" in our lives!

Marie, Sometimes the buds will stay on the plants for a long time before they swell.
I will post pics in a little while.

i just got back from the vet with my 3 mutts and it is going to take me a little while to recover! 1 ran and hid the minute I picked up her harness and the other 2 couldn't wait to go until we drove up and they saw where they were. LOL it is funny how they always know.

I promised pictures of my camellias in bloom yesterday, but I had taken them with my phone and it took some doing to get them onto the computer. Technology isn't my strong suit some times. Anyway, these are blooming now.

This one is a japonica, but I do not remember the name.

Camellia Sasanqua: Yuletide

Camellia Sasanqua: Apple Blossom

This one was given to me and I have no idea what the name is. I love the form of the flowers.
it is camellia japonica though.

This message was edited Nov 21, 2011 10:46 AM

Oh I love those blooms. If this one does well here I will try to plant more.
Thanks for the pictures.

Lovely blooms Linda! are any or all of them fragrant? How long do the blossoms last? You must have a really delightful yard! What sort of night time day time temps are you having there now? Do you get much of a winter?

Coleup, If these gorgeous flowers were fragrant, it would impossible to resist them. There are supposedly a few varieties that are supposed to be fragrant, but I have never come across any. Right now our temps, are in the 70's during the day and 40-50's at night. Perfect! Today was so pretty, I had to get out and plant something, so I potted some cuttings of epi cactus that had been callousing over. Our winters are usually mild. We get some cold, but not extreme temps and last year, we had snow 3 times. I don't remember seeing snow that often ever!. It probably wasn't more than 2 inches total, but for this area it was amazing.
I am pretty happy with my yard, although I could kind of re-design it on a whim. When I managed the nursery, I collected camellia and azalea varieties. I didn't have my son then, and had just bought the lot. ( ie. why I worked for "free or for plants". My grandmother always had something in bloom, somewhere in her yard ( even in December & January) and I have tried to do the same. I have friends that go 3 months or more without flowers and I just know I would be a lunatic.

Marie, glad you like the pictures. I hope the camellia you have grows beautifully for you.