Camellia Care and Culture Notes

What's different about growing camellias in Queensland? 

Soil

Camellias are happiest in well drained, slightly acidic soil. The enthusiast will aim for a soil pH level of less that 6.0. If your garden has flourishing Azaleas and Gardenias, then Camellias will flourish also, for their soil needs are very similar. Soil should be kept moist but not wet. To maintain moisture, apply a good layer of mulch to 10cm (4 inches). Wood chip and pine bark work well as does cane mulch. Avoid mushroom compost and fresh chook manure. These are inclined to be too alkaline.
Well rotted horse and cow manure mixed in well helps also. Avoid using lime. If you are in doubt, take a soil sample to your Garden Centre for a test – even better, purchase a simple soil testing kit and do it yourself – it’s easy.
To ensure your camellia has a well drained area in which to grow, add a barrow load of gravel to the mix – this not only raises the root ball level from the surrounding ground, it will make the soil drain well, reducing the risk of root rot.​

Watering

While some Camellia varieties may develop extensive root systems close to the surface, they will naturally send down roots deep into the soil if they can. Encourage this by watering deeply and by your choice of location, where water will not sit in the subsoil and drown the roots. Test this by partially filling the planting hole with water. It should drain away within a reasonable time.
Water newly planted plants well and keep them moist until their roots develop and move into the surrounding soil. A deep watering weekly should suffice. Sometimes, particularly in Spring and early Summer, new growth will wilt in the heat of the day. As the day cools the growth picks up again.
Camellias have proved themselves to be very resilient in periods of extended dry weather. Naturally, a consistent watering regime will produce better plants and a better flower display.

Fertilising

The Camellia you buy at your Garden Centre will have a quantity of fertiliser active in the pot. Fertilise a month or two after planting with a recommended Camellia/Azalea food. There are a number of commercial preparations available and all will work comparably well. DO NOT OVERFEED. We kill more Camellias by drowning from inappropriate watering, and by fertiliser burn resulting from over fertilizing than we do from neglect. Follow directions as per the instructions on the pack. When established, fertilise immediately after flowering, around early spring, and again in December/January. This coincides with the plants’ natural growth spurts.
If you use a 12-14 month slow release (or controlled release) fertiliser like Osmacote Azalea Special (which we use), use in spring as the new growth buds are thinking about forming so they will get the benefit of the nutrient in the plant food before they start to bud. If there are still flowers and flower buds, it’s probably too late in the season for the flowers to fully open anyway, so you are better off sacrificing a few blooms. It’s better to get the new growth at the time the plant is ready to put it on naturally. The one dose will last the season. For your in ground plants, remember to gently mix the fertiliser in with the mulch. This is a good time to top up the mulch also. Always water in well.
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Types of Camellia Species

Within the Camellia ‘family’ there are many species. 
​Some species have many varieties.

japonica – ‘Emperor of Russia Variegated’

Camellia Japonica

​These prefer some shade to protect the winter borne flowers and to prevent leaves from scorching. Flowers range from around 2 to 5 inches (5 – 15 cm) and come in pure white, cream, palest pink to dark pink, orange reds to purple reds, striped, blotched, edged. The flower form can vary from single, semi double, peony form, anemone form, formal double and rose form double. They flower mid season, starting for us around May through to July, although some early varieties, like Arejishi and Alba Plena, start flowering in April.
Late flowering varieties do not suit warmer weather as the late flowers will burn in the heat, and not open satisfactorily.
Japonicas suit garden plantings as mass plantings, as a single specimen, or in a mixed garden planting. Depending on variety they will grow from 1 to 4 metres. They respond to pruning exceptionally well. Branches of japonica are used extensively in the cut flower industry as a ‘filler’ for flower decorations.

sasanqua – ‘Bert Jones’

Camellia Sasanqua

These start flowering for us from February, for the early varieties, to June and July. They grow happily and flower best in full sun, flower prolifically over a long period. They have a generally smaller leaf than Japonicas – 3 to 5 cms – and dense foliage. Flowers are smaller – ranging from 5 to 9cm – and have a similar colour and form range as japonicas. Sasanqua flowers tend to shatter and fall after a day or two leaving a magnificent carpet of petals. Used extensively as a hedging plant they can also be used as a background or foreground planting (there are varieties that suit both applications), standards and topiaries, espalier or as a single garden plant. Depending on variety, they will grow from 1 to 4/5 metres. They respond exceptionally well to pruning.

reticulata – ‘Lasca Beauty’

Camellia Reticulata

Described by some as the ‘glamour girls’ of Camellias, reticulatas are named for the distinctive veining seen on the leaves and often produce very large and spectacularly coloured flamboyant flowers. They are hardier than most give them credit for and some varieties will perform very well for us. They tolerate a fair amount of sun, and display a rather open and gangly look as young plants. This is more than made up for by their spectacular flowering in winter. Many reticulatas are indeed hybrids – a cross between a reticulata and another species – normally sasanqua or japonica. It is important to choose varieties that suit your particular climatic conditions.

species – ‘Rosiflora’

Other Camellia Species

​There are over 180 other species of camellia – and include the tea Camellia – C. sinensis (all the world’s tea – black and green – comes from plantations of Camellia sinensis). Generally, species have smaller leaves and miniature flowers, often scented as in Lutchuensis and Transnokoensis, but sometimes with 4-5 inch leaves and 4 inch flowers and seed pods as big as oranges – like Camellia species Crapnelliana.

hybrid – ‘Alpen Glo’

Hybrids

These start flowering for us from February, for the early varieties, to June and July. They grow happily and flower best in full sun, flower prolifically over a long period. They have a generally smaller leaf than Japonicas – 3 to 5 cms – and dense foliage. Flowers are smaller – ranging from 5 to 9cm – and have a similar colour and form range as japonicas. Sasanqua flowers tend to shatter and fall after a day or two leaving a magnificent carpet of petals. Used extensively as a hedging plant they can also be used as a background or foreground planting (there are varieties that suit both applications), standards and topiaries, espalier or as a single garden plant. Depending on variety, they will grow from 1 to 4/5 metres. They respond exceptionally well to pruning.

japonica – ‘Black Tie’

Flower Forms (shapes)

There are six accepted and more or less easily recognised flower forms. They are:

• Single
• Semi-Double
• Irregular Semi-Double
• Elegans form
• Informal double (formerly peony form)
• Formal Double

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