GROWING CAMELLIAS FROM SEED By Brad King Camellias are easy to grow from seed but take five to seven years to bloom. In Southern California seed ripen in late summer to fall depending on the Camellia species. The seed pods develop during the summer growing season. When the round or spherical pods split open they have from one to nine seeds. A mature seed is dark brown or black. A light colored or white seed indicates the pod was harvested prematurely. How do you collect the seeds? I like to attach a nylon stocking or onion bag over the seed pod in July or August. The bag can be attached to the stem of the plant with a plastic tie or clothes pin. This will hold the bag in place so that when the pod opens up the seeds drop in the bag and are not lost on the ground. Alternatively one can carefully monitor pods and pick them when the pod begins to crack but before the seeds fall to the ground. A third alternative is to pick the pod, place it in a shallow dish or container which is put in a shaded (e.g. AM sun) warm place where it is safe from squirrels or sudden high winds. I use plastic butter cups (uncovered) or shallow dishes so the pods don’t blow away or get lost. A final method is to pick the pod and carefully cut the fruit in order to liberate the seeds. When the seed are out of the pod they may be placed directly in a one gallon pot filled with camellia/azalea soil mix. I prefer a germinating jar or zip lock bag filled one third with moist peat moss. Generally I soak the peat for an hour or more, squeeze out by hand the excess water and place the seed on top of the peat. Place a plastic label with the name of the seed parent first, an X and then the pollen parent if known. (e.g. 'Frank Houser' x 'Harold Page'.) If the pollen parent is unknown use the '?' symbol. When the seeds germinate 3 to 12 months later and have 3 to 4 leaves they should be planted in a pot. One seed to a four inch pot or 3 to 5 seeds in a one gallon pot will work. I prefer one or two seeds of the same controlled cross to a one gallon pot. If you know the parents, label the pot and be sure to put seed from the same parents in the same pot. When I go to great lengths to do a controlled cross, it takes, the pod doesn’t abort or get eaten, and the seeds germinate I absolutely want to know the parentage. I use the white plastic plant labels as described above. Seeds should be planted in a loose well drained slightly acid mix. A commercial Camellia/Azalea potting soil will work. I amend it with sand and small pine bark to make it loose in order to make it drain better - drainage is especially important because I use an automatic water system that is capable of providing too much water. Camellias need to be moist not wet. I use liquid starter fertilizer during the growing season and half as much when they are dormant during the winter months. Repotting or potting up every two years is best and required every three years for healthy thriving plants. Seedlings need the same growing conditions as other Camellias. In addition the pots may need protection from skunks, children, pets and wind. I fence them in and pack them together under 55% shade cloth. It is frustrating when one hundred labeled pots are all turned over by a skunk looking for grubs. Camellia species have different kinds of fruit or seed pods. There is also variety in the characteristics of seed pods within a species. A general description of the seed seed pods of the three most common species may be found below: JAPONICA The seed pods are egg shaped to spherical in shape. The pods are larger than the Sasanqua and smaller than Reticulata. They are 2.0 to 4.0 cm long with a diameter of 2.0 to 3.5 cm. Each pod has three to five sections. The wall of the pod is 2 to 6 mm thick. There are generally 3 to 7 seeds in a pod. The pods are green to brown with some a lovely bronze. They tend to have smooth skin. SASANQUA This includes Vernalis and Hiemalis. Sasanqua have seed pods that are spherical to pear shaped. They are small (2 cm long) and generally have three sections. The wall of the pod is 2 to 6 mm thick. There may be only one seed but generally there are 3 to 5 seeds in each pod. The pods are smaller and darker in color than a Japonica pod. RETICULATA The seed pods are generally spherical in shape but flattened at the ends. They are 2.3 to 3.6 cm long and generally the diameter is greater than the length. The pods surface is rough and scaly with three to five sections. The wall of the pod is thick when compared to either Sasanqua or Japonica pods. The wall of the pod can be a half inch or more in thickness. The texture is like a an unripe cantaloupe or very hard apple In conclusion: While growing Camellia by seed is easy, it takes patience and persistence to get a Camellia to a level of maturity to bloom. While the new plant is genetically different from its parents, there is a low statistical likelihood of producing a unique or different enough bloom to register as a new variety. On the other hand they make good root stock. It is fun to do and if you like to be surprised you can have unlimited possibilities.