Camellia is a type of houseplant distinguished by its luxurious flowers and decorative appeal. This flower looks stunning in any interior, yet it's unfussy and unpretentious. However, to enjoy its gorgeous blooms indoors, camellias require proper care.
Caring for camellias at home
Camellia is an ornamental plant that produces large flowers in a variety of colors in the fall and winter. Even during its dormant period, the camellia's decorative qualities are still high, as its leaves are dense and glossy.
Camellia is often called the Chinese rose due to its similarities in both appearance and scent. With proper care, the camellia can grow up to 4 meters in height.
- Illumination
Camellias love light, but indirect light, so they're best placed on windows facing west and east. If you only have room on a south-facing window, protect it from direct sunlight. North-facing windows are completely unsuitable for the flower, as they don't get enough light. In summer, it's best to move the plant outside, but avoid placing it in direct sunlight.
To form a beautiful bush, the pot with the plant should be periodically rotated around its axis, but under no circumstances should this be done during the period when buds have formed on the plant, as the camellia may simply shed them.
You may be interested in:- Temperature conditions
The main challenge in growing camellias is maintaining the correct temperature. In spring and summer, camellias require warmth, so the temperature should not fall below 20°C. When buds begin to form, the temperature should be lowered to 18°C.
During the flowering period, this plant absolutely cannot tolerate high temperatures, a maximum of 12°C. If the temperature is higher, the flowers may lose their graceful appearance or fall off completely. Also, the room where the camellia is located needs to be regularly ventilated.
- How to water
During hot weather, camellias need regular and generous watering, but avoid allowing water to stagnate in the soil. Water when the top layer of soil has dried out. Water only with settled, soft water.
In winter, water your camellia carefully, as overwatering will cause the soil to become acidic, causing the leaves to turn brown and the buds to die. Conversely, if the soil is too dry, the plant may lose all its leaves.
- Humidity
Camellias need to be regularly watered, for example, using a spray bottle or placing the pot on a tray filled with decorative pebbles and water. Spray the plant carefully, avoiding water from getting on the flowers.
You can place a humidifier in the room with the plant, which will make it easier to maintain the desired humidity level.
- Fertilizer
During the period of active growth, camellias need to be fed with organic and mineral fertilizers. During the period of bud formation, feeding should be stopped completely. According to reviews from other gardeners, camellias respond well to a weak solution of chicken manure at home.
- Trimming
Towards the end of the flowering period, you can prune the plant by removing excess crown or by stimulating bud growth in the axils. This will result in neat and attractive bushes.
- Features of transplantation
Camellias have a fairly extensive root system, so they need to be repotted into a larger pot every 2-3 years. Soil is crucial for repotting; it should be acidic and light, as heavy soil will prevent the roots from breathing freely and they will begin to rot. Alkaline and calcareous soils are also unsuitable, as they will simply kill the plant.
You may be interested in:To repot a plant without damaging its roots, transfer it to a larger pot with the root ball, then fill the empty space with fresh soil. After repotting, it's important to mist the plant daily and monitor the soil moisture for the first few days. Adding a little hydrogel to the soil will ensure optimal humidity for the plant and prevent root rot.
Gardeners have varying opinions regarding the timing of repotting. Some believe the plant should be repotted at the end of flowering, while others believe the optimal time for repotting is during the flowering period itself. However, the latter option can damage the flowers. However, repotting camellias is strictly prohibited between April and late autumn, as this is the plant's period of active growth.
After purchase, a camellia should not be exposed to stress, meaning it shouldn't be repotted immediately. At home, its initial care should consist of providing complete rest in a cool room with minimal sunlight for two weeks. You can watch the video on how to repot a camellia correctly.
Growing from seeds
Propagating by seed will allow you to grow camellias indoors, but the seeds themselves should be purchased from specialized stores, or better yet, from a flower greenhouse. If you collect the seeds yourself, they will lose all of their original cultivar characteristics.
If the seeds are fresh, they should be stored in a cool place before sowing; otherwise, they will dry out. If you're using packets of seeds, soak them in water overnight. It's also best to break the seed coats of dry seeds to speed up germination.
The following soil mixtures are suitable for sowing seeds:
- a mixture of perlite and sphagnum moss;
- a mixture of peat and river sand;
- substrate for azaleas or camellias;
- heather compost;
- vermiculite.
You can plant the seeds directly in small 9-cm pots. Fill them with potting mix, water, place the seeds on top, press them lightly into the soil, and cover with soil. Cover the pots with plastic wrap and place them in a dark, warm place. Until the seeds germinate, it's important to maintain soil moisture, avoid standing water, and provide adequate ventilation.
Once the seedlings reach 8 cm and have formed 4 true leaves, they can be transplanted into a 1-liter pot, trimming the root tip to encourage branching. The next transplant can be made once the shoots are well established.
Propagation by cuttings
Propagation by cuttings is a more accessible way to grow camellias indoors. To do this, take apical shoots from a mature plant, but only in January or July. The cuttings should be 6 to 8 cm long and have 3-5 leaves.
First, soak the cuttings in a heteroauxin solution and then plant them in a moistened mixture of peat and sand. Keep the pot containing the seedling at a temperature of 20 to 23°C.
It will take at least two months for the cuttings to root, but if propagation occurred in winter, the root development period may be slightly longer. After the first transplant, the seedling should be watered and sprayed regularly.
Propagation by grafting
Propagating camellias by grafting is suitable for more experienced gardeners. There are two grafting methods: cleft grafting and butt grafting. The latter is used if the plant doesn't root well from cuttings.
Grafting is done only in January, using already developed buds from the shoot tips. If the grafted plant is kept indoors at a temperature of 20°C, the grafts will germinate within two months. Young plants at home require proper care, including watering, misting, humidity control, and pruning. Avoiding sunburn is also important, as its leaves will simply fall off, as in the photo.
In the second year, the plant can be transplanted into a pot with a diameter of 9-10 cm, in the third - into a pot with a diameter of 11-14 cm and use a mixture of peat, turf, heather, leaf soil and sand.
https://youtu.be/bYxZyE-FK3s
You may be interested in:Diseases and pests
Camellias are capricious flowers, and if they aren't properly cared for indoors, they can become ill and suffer from pests. So, let's look at photos of the consequences of improper care, identify the cause, and try to eliminate it.
If buds are falling off, leaves are covered in brown spots, and the plant itself is wilting, the cause is root rot. Root rot occurs due to overwatering, when the soil becomes very waterlogged and the moisture simply turns sour. Therefore, the camellia needs to be repotted as soon as possible in new soil that will allow moisture to pass through and allow air to reach the root system.
When repotting, be sure to remove all damaged roots. After repotting, the plant doesn't need to be watered; misting is sufficient. Many gardeners advise not repotting rotting plants, but simply reducing watering. However, this doesn't always save the plant, unless the roots are only slightly damaged.
If brown spots appear on the leaves, but the plant itself is healthy, it's likely sunburned. In this case, it should be protected from direct sunlight. Sunburn can also occur if the plant is watered during midday hours.
The appearance of brown spots may also indicate that the plant has contracted a disease called phyllosticta leaf spot. This can be caused by high humidity in the room. In this case, the damaged areas of the plant should be removed, the leaves treated with copper sulfate, and the room in which the plant is located should be maintained with a normal microclimate.
Grayish spots may sometimes appear on the plant's leaves. This may be caused by powdery mildew, a disease that can only be treated with sulfur or fungicides.
Camellias are also susceptible to certain fungal diseases. Symptoms include the appearance of black-gray spots on the leaves and brown spots on the petals. Fungicides can help cure the flower, but only if the fungus infestation is less severe. If the infestation is severe, it's best to discard the plant, as the fungus can spread to other plants.
Camellia diseases can also be caused by pests, which any gardener can detect even with the naked eye:
- Mealybugs are easy to eliminate when a white coating appears on petals and leaves. In this case, the affected areas should be treated with a soapy solution, and if the infestation is severe, use malathion.
- Aphids are the most common pest, causing camellia leaves to develop yellow spots and curl. In this case, special sprays applied directly to the bush can help. However, it's important to note that the treatment must be repeated every three days, as it's impossible to kill adult insects in one go.
- Spider mites are pests that can infest plants in dry microclimates. They are easy to spot by the white webbing that forms on shoots and leaves. The mites themselves are quite noticeable due to their bright red color. Chemical sprays or oil emulsions can help rid the plant of these infestations.
You may be interested in:Possible problems
When caring for camellias, even the most experienced gardener may encounter problems such as:
- buds and flowers fall off – due to excessive soil moisture;
- the appearance of brown spots on the leaves - with strong exposure to sunlight;
- leaf fall - due to lack of moisture;
- camellia does not bloom due to insufficient light;
- the plant sheds buds when the room is dry;
- plant death – due to failure to follow care rules (untimely watering, insufficient light, unsuitable soil, low humidity).
The main types of indoor camellias
Today, there are several varieties of camellia, and not all are suitable for indoor growing. The following species are generally considered indoor plants:
- The Japanese camellia can grow up to 12 meters tall, though this is only true in its natural habitat. It thrives indoors, provided it receives proper care. As you can see in the photo, Japanese camellia flowers can be double or semi-double, with shades of white and red, but some specimens have more variegated blooms.
- Chinese camellia is a plant with oval leaves, white flowers and a delicate fragrance, growing up to 15 meters.
- Mountain camellia is a shrub-like plant up to 3 meters tall with thin oval leaves, large flowers and a delicate aroma.
The camellia is a beautiful yet capricious flower, requiring the right conditions to grow and thrive. However, if you learn all the proper care instructions, you can have this magnificent flower in your home for a long time. Furthermore, there are superstitions that the camellia is the best flower for women, helping them to reveal their full beauty, attractiveness, sexuality, and strength.
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