Potting Up Camellias
There's always something beautiful to see in my greenhouses.
Inside one of my hoop houses where I store my tender tropical plants for the winter is a section of healthy lush camellias - those dense shrubs with brilliant evergreen foliage and compact habits. Some of them have started to flower, but there are dozens of buds just waiting to open in bright shades of white, cream, pink, and red. Not long ago, I was gifted several more camellias - varieties including "Buttons 'n Bows,' 'Nuccio's Jewel,' 'Moonlight Bay,' 'Little Pearl,' and 'Virginia Robinson.' They will make lovely additions to my collection.
Enjoy these photos.
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- I have grown potted camellias for many years. The large lush flowers appear and bloom prodigiously for several weeks. Among those already in my collection – Camellia japonica ‘Ave Maria.’
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- ‘Silver Lace’ features showy white round flowers with yellow eyes at the ends of the branches from late winter to early spring. Different varieties of camellias come in various shapes: anemone, single, semi-double, formal double, rose-form double and peony form. Their flowers can be about four-inches in diameter.
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- ‘Can Can’ has soft rose colored flowers with pale pink striations at the base, occasionally, small bright rose splashes and irregular, very pale pink to white borders.
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- ‘Nuccio’s Gem’ fully open is a pure white, perfectly formed camellia flower with three to four inch blossoms. It is one of the most popular camellia varieties.
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- Recently, a friend gifted me with several more camellias. All in excellent condition from Nuccio’s Nurseries, Inc. in Altadena, California.
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- Here’s our NYBG gardening intern, Matthew Orego, preparing the potting mix. I always instruct my crew to have everything they need before starting a project to avoid interruptions during the process.
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- The root balls are wrapped carefully in plastic and newspaper to keep in moisture during transit.
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- A healthy camellia root ball should have strong, fibrous roots that are firm and white – not brown or weak. They should also be clear of any foul odor or sign of rot.
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- My head gardener Ryan McCallister selects the proper pots and lines up the exact amount for the new plants. Any pots used should have ample drainage holes in the bottom.
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- When repotting always select the next size up from the original container. Or, select a pot that is two to three inches larger in diameter than the width of the plant’s root ball.
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- For these camellias, Ryan uses Miracle-Gro Cactus, Palm & Citrus Potting Mix which is fine for camellias because it is fast-draining and contains sand and perlite to help create the optimal growing environment. For camellias, just avoid using fine peat moss in the mix, which tends to quickly become too dry or too wet.
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- The soil mix is also rich in nutrients and fortified with iron and plant food.
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- Ryan fills about one-third of the pots with the new potting mix. Always use fresh potting soil when transplanting as old potting material tends to be soggy and depleted of nutrients.
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- The root ball should sit about an inch or two above grade, similar to what it was in its original container. When keeping potted camellias, they will require repotting every two or three years as they outgrow their vessels. Once it is at the right level, Ryan backfills the pot with more soil mix.
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- Then he tamps down lightly to ensure good contact between the roots and the potting mix.
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- Ryan and Matthew do this for all the camellias. It doesn’t take long before they are all potted up.
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- The leaves of a camellia are alternately arranged, simple, thick, serrated, and glossy.
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- A couple of my new camellias already have gorgeous blooms. Their flowers are usually large, colorful, and conspicuous.
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- Buds start to form in mid-summer and then open from fall through early spring. The beautiful camellia flowers come in mainly white and shades of pink or red, and various combinations.
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- Just look at all the buds – we’ll have dozens of camellia flowers very soon.
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- These camellias will be kept in my tropical greenhouse for the cold season, where they can be closely monitored. When selecting a spot for a potted camellia, be sure it gets partial shade and protection from hot afternoon sunlight, as container-grown camellias dry out much faster than shrubs planted in the ground. Also water the plant deeply whenever the top two to four inches of potting mix feels dry to the touch and let it drain completely. Camellias have a reputation for being somewhat difficult to grow, but if one is willing to meet their needs, they’ll provide a long bloom season just when one needs it most.
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