By Farmerkay
Hampshire, United Kingdom
I have an unhappy camellia, I planted about 2 years ago, into our slightly acid clay soil. I have been feeding every three months as instructed on the packet of Camilla food. It had not flowered and doesn't look healthy, not growing very much, should I move it to a container or do I just need to be patient?
- 5 Apr, 2015
Answers
I'd cut off that dead stick part of the topgrowth and move it to a suitably sized container with ericaceous potting compost. It does not look as if the area where it was planted has been cultivated or had humus rich materials added, so if you just dug a hole and popped it in, that's why its suffering. It may recover once its growing in something decent in a pot.
5 Apr, 2015
Get it out of the clay straight away! Although they need plenty of water (especially in summer when they're setting next year's flower buds) camellias need free draining soil.
I'd put it in a good heavy clay pot, about the same height and diameter as the plant as it is (prune off that tall stem), this will give you a couple of years' growing space while you nurse it back to health. Put a good deep layer of gravel at the bottom and use ericaceous compost. You could add a thick mulch to reduce it drying out & keep the weeds down. And stand it on pot feet (or a couple of bricks)
Use a slow release camellia/rhododendron/azalea fertiliser once (June/July) this year, then not again until next April, OR use a specialist liquid feed for camellias (such as Trehane's Camellia Focus) exactly as it says on bottle.
Put the pot somewhere sheltered and out of the morning sun (morning sun shouldn't be a problem now but could be when the frosts come again at the end of the year, but it's worth getting the plant settled now).
Good luck!
5 Apr, 2015
Thankyou all, I am off to try and find a container and compost for it today.
6 Apr, 2015
Hi, it looks very unhealthy, have you planted this in full sun?, what would I do ?, I would plant in a light shade situation away from the glare of the full sun and wind and like any plant would give it a good start by digging a good deep hole and incorporate some decent compost mixed with ericacious compost and mulch generously with rotted pine needles and keep watered and fed through the growing season, or you could nurture it back to good health by putting into a decent compost with the same ingredients as mentioned and keep out of full sun, or you may want to get rid and start again with a new plant rather than trying to resuscitate this poor thing.
5 Apr, 2015