How to grow camellia at home?

What could be more beautiful than a blooming camellia? This plant has rightfully earned the love of flower growers all over the world, because its unusual buds, blooming, amaze with their tenderness and grace. Camellia is not the easiest plant to care for, but if you want to grow this beauty at home, it will not be difficult. The main thing is to know and observe all the subtleties of caring for her.

Camellia care and cultivation at home

Rod Camellia - a flower for the garden and for the apartment

An evergreen shrub of the Tea family, camellia is an elegant plant that is successfully grown by fans of decorative flora. Her homeland is the land of the rising sun, Japan, as well as China. Due to its unusual flowers, which in the shape of the buds resemble a rose, camellia is also rightfully called the Japanese rose.

It is noteworthy that in an apartment this plant usually blooms in the cold season for 1-3 months, the life of one bud lasts about a month. The first stage of flowering begins around February, when the plant "wakes up" and lets out the first young shoots and fresh leaves. The flowers are large and bright, can be painted in different colors depending on the variety of camellia: pink, white, red, yellow. The diameter of a blossoming bud is from 5 to 15 cm, depending on the species and variety. Some camellias emit a pleasant aroma during flowering, creating a cozy and pleasant atmosphere in the house.

Camellia usually blooms in an apartment during the cold season.

The leaves of the plant are dense, shiny, green in color, reaching a length of 10 cm.

Camellia can be grown in the garden, both in the open field, and in a pot or tub. Garden specimens in warm regions sometimes reach a height of 10 meters.

Blooming camellia in the garden

Camellia varieties

If you look through a book on botany or floriculture, it turns out that there are about 200 species of plants of the "Camellia" genus, on the basis of which breeders have created many unusual varieties that differ in leaf shape, size, care requirements and bud color.

Golden-flowered		As you might guess from the name, the flowers of this type of camellia have a bright yellow saturated color. With good care, an adult plant can please the gardener with a huge number of buds - up to 200 pieces per bush. This camellia has a second name - the golden rose of China, is endangered in the wild and is listed in the Red Book. At home, it grows in humid forests at an altitude of about 500 m. Feels great in an apartment
Mesh		An evergreen deciduous tree, reaching a height of 15 meters, blooms with large bright red lush flowers with a diameter of up to 20 cm in an adult plant. Since the 10th century, the plant has traditionally been grown near Buddhist monasteries. It got to Europe at the beginning of the 19th century and has since been widely cultivated by gardeners. The original mesh camellia is the largest of the camellias.In the gardens, camellias-chimeras are grown - varieties obtained on the basis of reticulated camellia. Their flowers are so unusual in color that it seems as if they shimmer in the light.
Chinese or teahouse		In Russia, this type of camellia is rarely grown as a houseplant. It grows slowly, eventually turning into a small tree or shrub. Flowers are small, about 3.5 cm in diameter, yellowish-pink in color. Tea camellia flowers give off a pleasant aroma. By the way, young leaves are covered with a light fluff called "bai-hao". Guess what long tea is made of
Saulenskaya		The progenitor of many popular varieties and hybrids of garden camellia, for example, Williams' camellia - one of the first frost-resistant hybrids
Japanese		An evergreen shrub that is perfect for a cool greenhouse and will brighten any gardener's collection. Finicky to the conditions of detention. The apartment is rarely taller than 1 meter. Flowers of yellow, pink, red and other colors up to 15 cm in diameter

Now growers around the world are bred many varieties of camellias, based on the main four types of plant: Japanese, net, mountain, Saulen. A plant, depending on the species or variety, can exist both in the apartment and in the garden, but in our climate it is rather difficult to grow it in the open field. But in the house, the bush feels great.

How to grow camellia

Growing a camellia on your own is not easy - you need to know the basic aspects of caring for this plant. This shrub reproduces in several ways:

• cuttings;
• graft;
• layering;
• seeds.

Reproduction of camellia by cuttings

The most common and easiest way to propagate is by cuttings.

It is held in the spring-summer period: from May to July. If you want to plant a camellia in your home, then the easiest way is to ask for a shoot from the person who already has such a flower. How to propagate camellia by cuttings?

1. Choose young, semi-lignified shoots on an adult plant, which already have from 1 to 4 developed buds.
2. Make an oblique cut under the axillary bud, which is at the main trunk, and the cutting is in your hands!
3. Remove the remaining leaf near the bud.
4. Prepare a pot or box in which the camellia will grow: to do this, put drainage material on the bottom of the container, and on top of it - soil made from peat (1 part), sand (0.5 part), coniferous earth (1 part).
5. Sprinkle the soil on top with clean sand (layer thickness - about 4 cm).
6. The resulting cutting is planted in the sand to a depth of about 2 cm.
7. Create optimal conditions for a young plant: air humidity - about 80%, air temperature - about 22 degrees.
8. The plant will take root within 2-3 months.

Camellia will take root within 2-3 months

The second popular, but more difficult way to propagate camellia is to buy seeds at the store. Get ready for the fact that camellia grows very slowly, and you will receive flowers no earlier than the plant reaches the age of 6-8 years (for comparison: a camellia grown from a cuttings will bloom in 2-3 years). To grow camellias from seeds, it is important to choose the freshest of them - the sooner they are planted after harvesting, the more likely successful germination will be. By the way, before sowing, the seed can be tested for "vitality": dip it into the water. If the seed drowned within 24 hours, then it is viable.

Camellia seeds

There are varieties of camellias that will do great outdoors in your garden. To decorate your backyard with a plant, buy seedlings. They should be purchased right before planting, that is, in May-June. When choosing seedlings, check with the seller for the age of the plants: you should not buy a camellia under 4 years old. It is important to clarify the variety of camellia, as well as the requirements for caring for it (frost resistance, frequency of watering, etc.). The shoots of the plant must be strong and lignified.The acquired seedlings are planted in tubs or open ground. By the way, in a container with a plant there will be less fuss: it will be easier to remove it from the street for the winter.

Camellia seed shoots

Camellia at home: care

Camellia is a rather capricious plant, but organizing proper care for it, if desired, is not so difficult.

1. Light - one of the main conditions for the proper growth and development of camellia. This is a light-loving plant and it prefers to be located on those windowsills where it will have enough bright, but at the same time, diffused light. In the summer, it is better to shade the camellia a little, since it does not tolerate direct sunlight. For the correct formation of the crown and uniform growth, the pot with the plant is periodically turned, but only when the bush is at rest. If the plant has already started forming buds, leave it alone, otherwise you will not get flowers.
2. Watering camellias should be regular, but not excessive. Make sure that the soil is not waterlogged: for this, before watering, check it for dryness, and drain the excess water from the sump. Camellia "respects" soft water - rain or settled for several days. During the stage of bud formation, it is recommended to reduce the frequency of watering, but you need to spray the leaves from a spray bottle a couple of times a day. In winter, the flower is watered less often than in summer, in order to prevent decay of the root system.

   Watering the camellia should be regular, but not excessive.

3. Temperature - the main "parameter" for camellia. Remember: this flower does not like heat, although it is far from cold in its historical homeland. In summer, the air temperature in the room where the camellia stands should not be higher than 25 degrees, during the formation of buds it is reduced to +15, and in winter it is best to put the camellia where the air temperature is only + 8-10 degrees.
4. Priming for camellia, it should be loose and consist of high peat, coniferous soil, sand. The plant loves acidic soils (pH around 5.5).
5. Fertilize camellia only during the period of active growth (in spring) with mineral and organic fertilizers. She loves low-concentration fertilizers made from chicken manure.
6. Transfer plants are carried out in the event that it "grew" out of its capacity. When transplanting, it is not required to deepen the camellia much - the root system is located at the same level with the soil.

Camellia is transplanted only if it has "grown" from its container

Video - Caring for room camellia

Camellia in the garden: care

In countries with a subtropical climate, camellia is widespread in gardens: it will perfectly decorate the courtyard, park, gazebo, and in the cool season does not need to be moved indoors. In central Russia, you will have to tinker with a camellia living on the street: it is important to transfer it to the house for the winter so that it does not die, so it is better to plant it not in open ground, but in a large tub.

1. The “habitat” of camellia on the site should be where the plant receives enough light, but does not “burn” from direct sunlight. Plant it near a large tree or shrub, thanks to the crown of which it will turn out to create a slight partial shade. Camellia will feel good near the wall of the house or by the fence. But do not overdo it with shade: with a lack of light, the plant will not bloom, and instead of beautiful Japanese roses, you will observe a lush green bush in your area.
2. Water the camellia in the garden abundantly once a week, the soil should not dry out or become waterlogged. Otherwise, the camellia will refuse to bloom or get sick.
3. It is advisable to mulch the plant's trunk circle with bark or leaves - this procedure will protect the soil around the camellia trunk from drying out, and in cool weather will protect it from freezing. In the middle of autumn, the camellia is pruned so that it branches and forms into a lush bush.

Camellia is planted on the sunny side

Growing problems

The main problems that a flower lover may face when growing camellias are as follows:

1. Camellia leaves are covered with brown spots. This means that the plant has received a sunburn. Shade it, and the camellia will turn green again.
2. The leaves turned brown and the buds fell off. It means that you flooded the flower, and the soil became acidic. Dry the soil well before watering again.
3. Leaf shedding is a signal that the camellia either lacks moisture, or you water it in excess.

The rose is considered by many to be the most beautiful flower in the world. She is really beautiful, and everyone admits it. But there are other representatives in floriculture who can easily compete with her in beauty.

One of these is the camellia, a tea tree with luxurious double flower buds. It is no worse than a rose, because it has the same beautiful flowers, and sometimes even more delightful. In it you will find nobility, grace, tenderness and other positive characteristics. Camellia is good because it can be grown not only in the garden, but also in the apartment as a houseplant. We will talk about the principles of such cultivation in this article.

Description of camellia

Camellia, according to botanical taxonomy, belongs to the representatives of the Tea family. It grows in the subtropics and tropics of Asia. Representatives actively meet in Japan, China, Korea, Indochina, on the island of Java, the Philippine Islands. The name of the flower is dedicated to the famous clergyman G.I. Camelius. He was engaged not only in spiritual matters, but also studied nature. It was he who brought the camellia to the territory of Europe, where they began to actively cultivate it.

Camellia flower care and reproduction at home

The exotic plant has an evergreen crown, so it is ideal for indoor growing. Both tree and shrub forms of camellia are cultivated, which can be bred to obtain beautiful flowers or decorative leafy forms. The leaves of a plant with a leathery glossy surface are elliptical in shape with blunt or pointed ends. As a rule, they grow singly, but can be combined in 2-3.

The flowers are distinguished by a large number of stamens, which are surrounded by scarlet, white or pink petals fused at the base. They bloom for a very long time - for a month or more each flower. In total, camellia pleases with its flowering for about 3 months, with which many ornamental plants cannot compete.

Camellia compares favorably with other plants also in that it has two growth periods, therefore it develops faster. First, in the middle of winter, the indoor flower begins to actively grow foliage and young shoots. In the summer, the second phase of growth comes into force, when vegetative buds begin to form in most of them. Does camellia smell? - you think right away when you see a beautiful flower. Alas, it will not surprise you with its marvelous aroma: there is practically no smell.

In the genus Camellia, scientists have identified over 80 species. But in decorative conditions, only one variety is best known. And this is Camellia Bohea. In nature, this exotic plant can be found high in the mountains, where the tree grows over 10 meters in height. This cameo has dark green ovoid leathery leaves with a serrated edge. It blooms with pure white flowers. The plant is actively cultivated, since classic tea is obtained from its leaves. But nothing prevents you from growing it at home.

Growing camellia at home

Lighting

Successful camellia cultivation is determined by the right lighting. Organize bright diffused light from the window, placing the flower on the west or east side.

In order for the crown to develop correctly and evenly on all sides, the beauty must be gradually rotated in a circle so that all sides of the plant receive an even amount of sun. In summer, when the sun burns the foliage, the plant is slightly shaded: you can put the pot deep into the room - on a table or on a decorative stand.

Temperature regime

Camellia doesn't like heat. This means that in spring and summer, it should be grown under conditions of + 20 + 25 ° С, not higher. When flowering, they achieve a decrease in temperature, ideally up to + 8 + 12 ° C. A room with a growing camellia needs regular ventilation and a natural microclimate.

Air humidity

Camellia grows naturally in tropical and subtropical conditions. The exotic miracle is in dire need of constant replenishment of water and a high level of humidity. To achieve this goal, they regularly defend soft water and spray the bush with it, and also water it. Make sure that the liquid does not fall on the petals.

How to transplant a camellia into a pot after purchase, we look at the video:

How to plant a camellia

• It is very important for the plant to use a good drainage layer.
• Choose a pot, on the bottom of which you can pour a lot of expanded clay, and where there are drainage holes.

How to plant a camellia

• Then a soil mixture is poured, consisting of sod and leafy soil, sand and peat in a ratio of 1: 2: 1: 2. The pot is filled 2/3 and the camellia is placed, the soil is poured from the sides and top.
• Make sure that the root collar of the plant remains at the same level.
• When buying ready-made soil, substrates with an acidic environment are chosen.
• After planting, the camellia is watered, the excess moisture is drained from the pallet.

How to care for a room camellia video

• Camellias grown at home need very frequent regular watering in warm weather and rare in winter.
• During budding and flowering, watering is reduced, otherwise the plant may lose color. When the camellia blooms, it is better to water it through a tray of pebbles to avoid waterlogging.
• It is necessary to ensure that the soil is not flooded with water, especially in winter - this is fatal for camellia.
• Moisten the substrate during the drying of the upper part of the soil, but do not wait until it dries completely, so as not to cause wilting.
• Camellias are fed all the time, even in winter. A complete complex mineral fertilizer for flowering is applied monthly when watering.

From June to September, camellias can be kept on the balcony or in a shady spot in the garden. Water in moderation, not forgetting about dressing.

From October to February, the camellia is kept in a cool room, it can be a corridor without heating, but so that there is a positive temperature of 7-13 ° C.

Camellia blooms from March to May. If you want to see large flowers, cut off half of the buds. So the plant will show itself in all its glory.

Pruning

The second half of autumn is the time to trim excess camellia shoots. It is important that the plant actively grow axillary buds and produce greenery. Branches can be cut at will, shortening them by one third and cutting out branches that give an unaesthetic look. The crown is formed to your taste. And the cut off top shoots can be used for cuttings and new plants.

Transfer

Camellia transplant is carried out annually, while the plant is young. Older specimens that bloom regularly need replanting every two years, in the spring. During this procedure, it is imperative to pinch the top of the shoots. Camellia is planted in the same soil.

Transferring camellia into a larger pot video:

How to propagate camellia

Consider breeding methods for camellia. Florists use two methods in practice - seed propagation and cuttings.

How to grow camellia from seeds

The substrate is suitable for an acidic environment, such as peat soil. Camellia seeds are very large and have a strong nut-like shell. To accelerate germination and facilitate germination of sprouts, the seeds are doused with boiling water and try to gently break the shell with a sharp knife, making a crack. Seeds are planted in wide cups with a diameter of 7-10 cm.

How to plant camellia seeds photo

To do this, fill the glass two-thirds, lightly water the soil mixture and spread the seeds, cover it with a substrate half a centimeter on top. The final layer is 1 cm of perlite, while the tops of the seeds are still slightly visible on the surface. Important! The seeds have a recess that resembles a peephole, it must be placed below: from there the camellia roots will grow.

Camellia from seeds at home

When the sprouts break through, you need to wait for the appearance of two or three real leaves, and you can cut the plants into separate containers. If you have enough space on the windowsill, you can immediately plant the seeds one at a time to avoid picking.

How to grow camellia seeds

10-14 days after transplanting, the seedlings can be fed with complex fertilizer for additional growth stimulation. Planting in a permanent pot is performed when the roots of the plant completely fill the temporary pot.

How to propagate camellia by cuttings

Reproduction of camellia by cuttings photo

• Cuttings are used when it is necessary to preserve the varietal characteristics of the plant.
• To do this, take more green shoots at the tops and cut them off, harvesting seedlings 6-8 cm long with 2-5 leaves.
• Leaves can be cut in half to reduce moisture evaporation.
• The planting material is kept in a solution with a root, placed in pots with a substrate consisting of peat and sand in equal proportions.
• The soil is taken warm - about 24 degrees.

Cuttings camellia photo cuttings with root

A month is given for rooting the cuttings in the substrate, after which the young plants are planted in full-fledged pots.

Possible problems of growing camellia

Camellia is an unnecessarily delicate plant, which suggests that the flower is vulnerable to all kinds of parasites, pests, and diseases. Camellia is affected by spider mites, aphids, scale insects, thrips. The plant is treated with universal or narrower insecticides to defeat pests. Diseases of camellia practically do not strike.

Compliance with a strict watering regime is an extremely important condition for caring for a tea plant. The growing requirements mentioned that waterlogging and overdrying are equally destructive. The first problem leads to coloring of leaves and shoots in brown color and debutonization, and the second - to a complete loss of foliage.

Camellia home photo Growing and care Diseases and pests of camellia

Being under the scorching rays of the sun, camellia can become covered with brown burn spots - you need to react immediately and shade the plant.

High air temperature, lack of optimal humidity, poor lighting, alkaline or neutral soil are the worst enemies of camellia.

Camellia is a shrub or tree, a representative of the tea family. Some varieties grow up to 15 meters. The original leaves and large flowers of this plant were the reason for its adaptation to indoor cultivation. There are several varieties of shrubs - Chinese, mountain, Japanese camellia. Home care and cultivation have their own subtleties. You will learn about them from this article.

Varieties of indoor camellias

The decorative views are really very nice. These are tall plants, in the autumn-winter period, covered with many large flowers of different colors. It is often called the Chinese rose for the similarity of flowers in appearance and smell. The camellia leaf is dense, with a glossy surface, so the decorative qualities of the plant are high not only during flowering.

In an apartment with good, attentive care, it grows up to 4 meters in height. There are many varieties, but not all of them are suitable for an apartment. The following types are considered the best varieties for growing at home:

Williams' hybrids, bred by crossing two species - reticulated and Japanese, deserve special attention. Their distinctive feature is resistance to negative factors.

Advice! If you don't want to pay too much attention to the plant, choose the mountain camellia. It is distinguished by restrained growth and ease of formation.

Features and rules of cultivation

The houseplant camellia, despite its beauty, is not very common. This is due to the difficulties of growing it at home. Inexperienced growers often face the death of a flowering and apparently healthy plant some time after purchase. For the plant to grow properly, you need to create the appropriate conditions for it:

1. Lighting and location. This is a light-loving plant, but it must be protected from direct sun. Grows well on window sills facing west, east or on the floor next to them. The tub or pot of camellia is periodically turned to form the crown evenly.
2. Temperature. The main difficulties in growing arise from the need to maintain an optimal temperature. Without this, she will simply disappear. For each season, flower growers recommend adhering to a certain temperature regime. In summer, the optimum temperature is from +20 to + 25 ° C, in spring from +13 to + 17 ° C, in winter from +5 to + 8 ° C, in autumn from +15 to + 16 ° C. Such conditions can be created only if there is a glazed balcony in the apartment.
3. The soil. It is better to choose sour soil for camellia with pH values ​​of 4.5-5. The recommended composition is one part of humus and peat and half the amount of fine sand. You can use ready-made soils for rhododendrons or camellias directly, consisting of peat, perlite, crushed bark and fine sand.
4. Watering. Regular but moderate watering is recommended. An excess of moisture is unacceptable. It is better to take soft water - snow, rain or settled for 1-3 days. In summer, during the budding period, the frequency and intensity of watering are limited.
5. Humidity. The flower responds gratefully to air humidification. It is recommended to systematically spray it from a spray bottle using soft water. There is another way - the pot is placed on a pallet filled with expanded clay, decorative pebbles and a little water. Flowering plants are sprayed carefully, avoiding water getting on the flowers. Purchasing a humidifier will simplify the task of maintaining high humidity.
6. Top dressing. The plant is fed during the period of active growth, using mineral and organic fertilizers. Camellia responds well to watering with a solution of chicken manure of a very weak concentration. Top dressing is completely stopped during the period of bud formation.
7. Pruning and shaping the crown. Formation allows you to get more beautiful and neat bushes by thinning the crown or stimulating the growth of buds in the sinuses. Pruning is recommended towards the end of the flowering period.

Important! Proper care of camellia is to create favorable temperature conditions. In winter, the plant needs cold, it will quickly die in the apartment. Therefore, in winter, the camellia should be kept on a glazed balcony at a temperature no higher than + 10 ... + 15 ° C.

Camellia transplant

Due to the developed root system, the camellia must be transplanted into a larger container once every 2-3 years. The soil for planting should be light and acidic. The use of heavy soil will lead to difficulty in breathing the root system, its rotting as a result of high humidity. Calcareous and alkaline soils are unsuitable for growing camellias - the plant in them quickly dies.

In order not to damage the roots, the plant is transferred into a larger pot along with a lump of earth, adding fresh soil mixture to the free space. The first days after transplanting, camellia should be sprayed daily and monitor soil moisture. Adding a small amount of hydrogel to the soil will help maintain optimal moisture, avoiding root rot.

As for the timing of the transplant, the opinions of florists differ.Some people think that the optimal period is the end of flowering. Others choose to replant the camellia during flowering. The second option has a drawback - the flowers will inevitably suffer. It is forbidden to transplant camellia during the period of active growth, which begins in April and ends in autumn.

Advice! Camellias are best grown in oak tubs and unglazed ceramic pots. Be sure to choose a large container for the harmonious development of the root system.

Reproduction methods

Reproduction of camellia is usually carried out by cuttings. This is the easiest, but most effective way to get a plant with the same characteristics of the variety. In addition to grafting, planting by seeds and grafting are sometimes used.

1. Reproduction by seeds. Camellias can only be grown from seeds sold in specialized stores. When the camellia propagates by seeds independently collected from the plant, it will lose the original characteristics of the variety. Sowing seeds is carried out in boxes, laying them out on the surface of a light moist soil. Sprinkle the seeds lightly on top with potting soil. To accelerate germination, the boxes are covered with polyethylene or glass and placed in a warm place. Seedlings dive into separate pots when true leaves appear.
2. Cuttings. The apical woody cuttings are taken from adult plants in July or January. The optimal length of the cutting is 6-8 cm with 3-5 leaves. The cuttings are briefly soaked in a solution of heteroauxin, after which they are planted in a moist mixture of sand and peat. For fast rooting, a temperature of about 20-23 ° C is required. After about 2 months, they are planted in separate pots.

Diseases and pests

Camellia is a capricious plant, with inappropriate care it gets sick and suffers from pests.

• The appearance of brownish spots on flowers and black-gray spots on the leaves indicates a fungal disease. Fungicides are used to combat it.
• Worms and aphids can completely destroy the young shoots of the plant. To get rid of them, they are treated with insecticides.
• The appearance of brown spots on the leaves in summer indicates a sunburn.
• Falling leaves indicate a lack or excess of moisture in the soil.

Camellia requires constant care, but the time spent is fully paid off by the very beautiful and long flowering of the plant.

In nature, the birthplace of camellia is the eastern countries of Japan, Vietnam, China. This evergreen shrub of the tea family is especially delightful during flowering. Flowers resembling roses look mesmerizing against the background of dark green shiny foliage. In areas with mild climates, it feels great in open spaces. But also, with proper care, it perfectly takes root and blooms in an ordinary apartment. Indoor camellia, or decorative camellia, needs some cultivation features, which are worth dwelling on in more detail.

The specificity of the microclimate for the successful growth of decorative camellia

There are many varieties and varieties of this amazing and beautiful plant. The main competitor in terms of splendor and appearance of flowers can be considered, perhaps, only a rose. The variety of species will impress the most fastidious flower growers, they can be double and ordinary, classic white (for example, white camellia), pink, red, pale blue flowers. The variety of colors is truly endless. At home, three varieties are mainly grown: netted, Japanese and mountain camellias. Many hybrids have already been bred from them, to the delight of flower growers, more adapted to the home conditions of detention... But the successful cultivation of this flower depends on the fulfillment of some criteria:

• Maintain a moderate temperature in summer and freshness in winter.
• It is useful to provide increased humidity in microclimate conditions.
• Plant the plant in a highly nutritious substrate containing peat.

Provide protection against direct exposure to ultraviolet rays and drafts

Simply put, regarding the decorative type of camellia, care and cultivation at home boils down to creating a microclimate close to the natural growing environment of this, of course, a beautiful plant. If all the recommendations were carried out correctly, the flower will be comfortable, and it will certainly delight you with colorful flowering for several months.

If you take a quick look at the features of a flower camellia: frost resistance to minus 5 degrees, flowering at +10 degrees, amazingly decorative, almost constant, it may be believed that the plant is unpretentious and does not require special care. But this is far from the case. The problem lies in the difficult task of creating the necessary conditions in an ordinary room. It is important to remember that the opening of the buds occurs in winter, the growth of leaves in the spring, and this requires a well-lit room. A reasonable question arises: how to care for a camellia at home?

Proper care of a camellia plant

Camellia needs light for at least twelve hours a day, but it negatively perceives direct exposure to the sun. Therefore, it is necessary to provide lightly shaded lighting on windows facing south in summer. Being on the north side will be completely unfavorable, and will manifest itself in strongly elongated branches, faded and small foliage. Westernas well as east window openings for light. During seasons when daylight hours are reduced, additional specialized lighting is required.

Camellia is also demanding on the temperature regime, in spring and summer room temperature is suitable, in autumn and winter it is better to move it to a loggia or balcony with insulation on a thermometer, it should be +12 - +15 ° C. Surprising but true - then camellia will begin to bloom in winter, despite even small negative thermometer readings up to minus 10 degrees.

Proper watering and application of the necessary fertilizers

As mentioned earlier, the successful cultivation of a camellia flower, home care should be reduced to reproducing close to natural conditions in its habitat. It grows in a humid climatic zone and, of course, is picky about watering.

In the warmer months, multiple generous watering will be required, which is vital for a dynamically developing plant. Also, in warm weather, evaporation increases, creating the necessary microclimate. But it is necessary to water wisely, without fanaticism, avoiding excessive moisture, leading to the appearance of root rot, pests and harmful bacteria.

In the cold season, despite the flowering, the frequency and volume of watering should be reduced. The earth only needs to be slightly moistened as it dries..

Water for irrigation should be settled, boiled or thawed. Sometimes you can dissolve acetic or citric acid in water. This shrub loves acidified soil and does not tolerate a high content of alkalis and calcium salts.

Do not forget about the need to create high air humidity in the area where the flower lives. This is achieved in the following way:

• Use a humidifier whenever possible.
• Spray the foliage of the indoor miracle from a spray bottle with warm water, preventing moisture from entering the soil.

Now let's figure out how to feed the plant correctly and at what time. The flower should be fertilized in the spring, this is due to the onset of active growth of the shrub. As a rule, this procedure is carried out two to three times a month until the end of July. It should be noted that top dressing is carried out with both organic and mineral fertilizers. Finish the feeding procedure shrub in the second half of August, it is at this time that camellia begins to form flower buds, then buds.

The influence of transplanting on the successful cultivation of camellia

Garden camellias, rather large plants, growing them indoors is a rather difficult and problematic task. In order for the plant to delight you with its flowers, they should be repotted regularly as they grow. This requires moving the shrub to a larger pot and adding fresh soil. Young camellias can be transplanted every year, larger flowers no more than once every three years. It is worth noting that they are not afraid of moving to new conditions in autumn and even winter. During the period of abundant flowering, the plant can be safely subjected to the transplant procedure.

A flowering plant is quite capricious not only to the air temperature, but also to its humidity. To make it easier to care for the flower, the most suitable light soil is selected, which will allow the plant to obtain a sufficient amount of nutrients from the soil. It should be borne in mind that the acidity of the substrate should not exceed pH 5.5. The required soil can be made both independently and you can purchase ready-made land for azaleas. To the bottom of the pot drainage is laid, then a small amount of substrate is poured on which a shrub with straightened roots is placed, it is undesirable for the soil to fall asleep on the root collar.

Colored and trimmed

Coloration is essential for good growth and abundant flowering for indoor camellias. To do this, it is necessary to remove not only time-damaged, diseased branches, but also, possibly, simultaneously form a crown. After such care, the bush becomes more compact and fits well into the room interior. They form the crown of the bush, while the plant is already blooming, and there are no new buds. Bush pruning is donedrawing on a plant variety. Sometimes it is required to remove shoots up to half their height. Fans of these plants, thanks to pruning and shaping the crown, get beautiful trees from these shrubs.

The elimination of unnecessary shoots and pinching contribute to tillering, hence it follows: after the above-described leaving, the camellia will bloom brighter and more abundantly than it will delight the eye. But you need to evaluate the strength of the plant at the stage of bud conception, and change the number of future flowers on the shoots. The shrub is unable to hold a large number of already opened corollas.

Timely and correct complex of measures for the care of a gorgeous plant, a guarantee of rapid flowering. Hat in red, blue, white and other bright colors will delight the eye in the colder months of the year. - Looks exotic and sophisticated.

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