Camellia Care Calendar

September and October:
In September and October, you see C. sasanquas in all their glory. A few C. japonicas, such as 'Yohei-Haku' (also known as 'September Morn'), 'Daikagura', 'Debutante', 'Mary Agnes Patin' and maybe a 'Marie Bracey', produce large and early blooms.

Buy Camellia Plants. Be sure the foliage looks healthy. Inspect for disease. The most prevalent disease is camellia die back. If you see a canker on a stem, it is probably die back. Select another plant if you don’t think it can be pruned out.

C. japonicas have large blooms that last a long time and bloom throughout the fall, winter and early spring. C. sasanquas bloom en mass, mostly in the fall. “Winter hardy’ C. hybrids bloom mostly like C. sasanquas, but the blooms are usually larger and some continue to bloom through the winter.

Prune lightly. Inspect your new plants. Some wholesale nurseries prune the plants haphazardly to make them look "bushy" and easier to ship. This can leave stems and twigs which should be removed to the next lower node. Always prune away any dead wood. Be careful not to prune out any buds.

In the spring, after the plant is finished blooming, prune to open your plants so air can get into them and breezes can blow through. This helps prevent vermin, mold, mildew, or fungus that may be looking for a protected place to hide.

Disease. If you find dieback, prune it out to clean wood. Dieback shows itself as cankers on the trunks or limbs.

Fertilizer. September is the time for that last feeding of the season. I suggest an application of cotton seed meal or fish oil. Add a little super phosphate (0-20-0) to help make strong blooms and roots. Camellias need nitrogen to help them bloom. Blood meal is a good slow release nitrogen applied in early September.

Planting. Plant camellias in areas of filtered sun, avoiding full sun and cold winds. Keep camellias out of direct afternoon sun. Camellias need air and serious drainage. Leave a few roots on the surface and don’t use peat moss in your soil mix. Plant in a 80%-20% mixture of pine bark mulch and sharp sand. Add one tablespoon of dolomitic limestone per cubic foot to this mix.

Bugs. Aphids will attack and ruin flower buds and latent new growth. They can be very damaging at this time of year. Ants will lead you to aphids. Spritz ants with rubbing alcohol.

Blooms. September and October are months for early blooming camellias, particularly the C. sasanquas and some ‘winter hardy’ C. hybrids.

November and December:
In November and December, the mid-season C. japonica begins to bloom. They more than justify the time and effort you spent caring for these plants through the summer. Camellias can furnish the last color of fall and the first color of spring.

Weather and Protection. Prepare for winter care of your camellias.

Mulch. The first winter protection to think about is mulch. Be sure your camellia plants are well mulched with materials that will allow air to reach the surface roots. Pine needles and pine bark are almost ideal. Don't use leaves. Leaves mat, get soggy and prevent air from reaching the top of the root area.

Warmth. Keep the roots warm with mulch. Sustained root temperature of 25F can kill most camellias. Pine bark mulch or sawdust around camellias in containers will keep the roots warm. For further insulation, throw pine needles over the tops of any plants which may remain unprotected in cold weather, before a "blue norther." Many owners of camellias in containers wheel them into a garage or other cover, before the onset of very cold weather.

Camellias should be protected from severe cold wind if possible. This can be done best via a natural wind break on the north and west side. Some sort of artificial wind break may be necessary. A wire and burlap barrier may suffice. If you use a polyethylene cover, use black. Black absorbs heat better than white or clear which will reflect heat. Do not let polyethylene touch the leaves; it will freeze-burn them. The worst cold damage occurs on bright, windy days when the ground is frozen. If these aren't available, any old sheet like cloths will be better than nothing. This will hold in heat and will help prevent freezing. A sudden temperature drop, such as the old fashioned late winter cold front or ‘nor easter, does the greatest cold damage.

Fertilizer. Camellia plants become dormant after three or four days of temperatures below 40F. Don’t feed them during this time. While dormant, the roots grow and the buds develop into blooms.

Water. If your plants are grown under cover where they cannot be watered naturally, be sure they are kept properly watered. Once a week should be more than sufficient for most varieties and could be too much for C. japonicas. Be sure that your plants are watered completely through, but do not over water!! Water when the plant is dry when your finger does not touch moisture when you insert it in the soil to your second knuckle.

If the weather is dry, you will have to similarly water your outside plants. If you can, water at least two days before a cold "snap" to allow the plants to become evenly watered when the cold weather hits. The sudden onset of cold will not damage evenly watered plants as much as it will dry plants or plants which are unevenly watered.

Conclusion
Protect your camellias from inclement weather. There is almost no reason to lose good plants in very cold weather, particularly ‘winter hardies’ if you are prepared and take measures to protect them from the elements.