Caring for Camellia Plants

Caring for Camellia Plants

In March, I moved to a property with a hedge of several young camellia trees showing signs of neglect. How do I return them to health and encourage flowering? Should I do anything special for them in winter?

You can easily rejuvenate your camellias trees with a few easy steps. It is best to commence these from spring onwards. Firstly, give them a boost by applying generous amounts of organic matter like compost around the base of the camellia trees to a distance of 400mm away from the trunk (within the drip line).

Feed your trees with a good quality acid fertiliser every six weeks from late September/early October. Do not fertilise over the hot summer months and start applications again from early April till the end of May. 

Camellias need regular deep watering, especially over the hot summer months. If this doesn’t happen, they can quickly stop growing and won’t recommence their growth until April when rainfall begins again. It is imperative to deeply water your trees twice weekly over summer and early autumn, which not only sustains the plant but also helps wash nutrients into the root zone. It’s also worth adding a good layer of mulch on top to help maintain soil moisture and temperature.

Products to try: Daltons Premium Acid Fertiliser, Daltons Compost, Daltons Mulch & Grow.

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