Leaf Blistering, What to do?

Hi, I have camellias showing signs of leaf blistering. A couple were improperly planted in full afternoon sun, however one is in dappled shade and it's doing it too. Is there anything I can do? I have very little shade in my garden, so moving them isn't an option. They were fine last summer, but this summer seems to be different. All the fresh glossy new leaves get blistered, it's almost as if the moistness of the new leaves is causing the sun to burn them. Any words of advice? Thank you, Christina :-(

Have they been fertilized? Or has any lawn grass close to them been fertilized? It sort of looks like burn or scorch from something.
Hopefully some other gardeners will pop in and give you some advice.

Lin

Hi, When I took these photos they hadn't been fertilized in eons, but I have since fertilized everything in the garden. Here's another closeup if it helps for anyone. Thanks

Well the second pic makes me think some kind of insect has been on them and stung them. You might try a mild mixture of dishsoap and water and see if that helps. The only other alternative I know of is an insecticide. Do you see any insects (bugs) on the underside of the leaves?

Lin

No, I haven't seen any bugs. It was what I thought it might be too, so I tried some neem oil on it. I sent a photo to the county extension office and they said sunburn. I also asked the nursery, and they said blistering. I'm pretty new at gardening, so I figured they were right. I'm just stuck with the dilemna of what to do about it. I have a neighbor that said I could plant them in her shade, but it seems a shame since they look so pretty and I've been nurtering them for a year and a half. Even with the blistering, they are putting out new leaves left and right so it seems happy until the sun hits it.

If you think of moving them I wouldn't until fall when it's much cooler. I'm glad to hear they are putting on new growth. Just keep them watered well. Does your camellia bloom in the fall? Mine blooms early fall here. Sounds like your only alternative right now is to try and shade them with something. ? I don't know how tall your plant is. Some people use shade cloth that can be purchased at Lowe's or Home Depot. I've never used it so don't know much about it. With my shorter plants I have used 'old umbrellas' to shade them. It works well for me. ;) I just take a brick or large rock and anchor the umbrella so the wind won't blow it away. You may want to later think about planting something tall that can help shade the camellia for next season and seasons thereafter.

Lin

I looked at the picks again and it appears that your camellia isn't real tall yet. So maybe you can help shade it with something during the hottest part of the day. The older it gets it may be more resistant to the heat. Mine is planted on the east side of my house and only gets morning sun.


Lin

Here's another little wrinkle on this mystery. I just got back from a party where friends have a camelia in full shade with the same spots. Isn't that odd? I wonder if it's our heat and not the actual sun at all? We've been hitting the nineties and a few days over 100, plus they're next to a hot wall and surrounded by concrete and brick. I'm starting to think that there's nothing that can be done.