tips for camelia's

Hi Rosygarden,

I was given a camellia for my birthday last year, I only have a balcony but I got a big pot, about 10" for the first couple of years, filled it with lime free compost (acid compost sold for Rhododendrons & other acid soil loving plants) & watered it with lime free water.

You can get lime free water from two sources from the ice that forms in your freezer, just melt it & keep it for a day or two so that it reaches ambient temperature & then water your plant with it.

The other source for lime free water is from a tumble dryer, the condenser type that collects water in a bottle which you later empty. That is lime free water because it comes from evaporation. Don't use it immediately as it will be too warm for the plants roots, just give it a few hours to reach ambient temperature. My plant is still living after giving it this water for almost a whole year.

Don't plant it facing east - if there's a frost, the flowers thaw out and go brown. Remember that they are woodland shrubs and need dappled shade and some shelter in acid soil.