Camellia planting and care in the open field in the suburbs

Of the large number of ornamental plants that modern gardeners grow, garden camellia stands out for its delicate flowers and evergreen waxy leaves.

The plant cannot be called unpretentious.

To achieve a good result, the correct planting and care of the garden camellia must be organized.

Preparing for planting garden camellia

The preparatory work prior to planting a plant in the garden includes the correct choice of a place for its further growth, an appropriately prepared soil and healthy seedlings. Winter-hardy varieties are suitable for growing outdoors in the Moscow region.

Choosing a place on the site

The right location of the camellia will guarantee its growth and lush flowering. Bright sunlight is unpleasant for this plant. It should penetrate to the flower through the lace of the branches, illuminate well, but not burn.

The eastern or western part of the garden will be convenient. When located on the south side, the camellia is planted among trees and bushes, in their light shade.

The danger is posed by strong wind and draft acting on the camellia bushes. It is necessary to provide protection against such influences. It is unacceptable to plant a flower in places with close occurrence and stagnation of water.

This causes root decay and the plant dies. Camellia is planted on small elevations so that the roots do not get wet.

It is convenient to plant a plant along the fence of the site or at the eastern or western wall of the house. It is appropriate to plant a climbing curly camellia here. She will gracefully decorate even an unsightly fence, decorate a gazebo or a terrace.

Soil preparation

Camellias need acidic soil. When preparing a site for its landing, this must be taken into account. For planting flowers in containers, use soil purchased in specialized stores.

Suitable for azaleas and rhododendrons.

The best would be a composition of equal parts:

• high-moor peat;
• humus;
• coniferous land;
• sand;
• vermiculite or perlite.

When planting in the ground, you need to provide the same soil. For drainage, expanded clay and fine gravel are added to the garden bed. They monitor the acidity of the soil. For acidification, the bush is mulched with a pine or spruce needle or crushed bark of these trees.

Selection and preparation of planting material

When buying planting material, the following conditions should be observed:

1. Purchase seedlings in specialized nurseries and garden centers. The cultivation of the plant should be carried out by specialists.
2. The selected material should be 4 years old and have lignified shoots.
3. Choose varieties that are suitable for growing in your climate. For the middle lane, winter-hardy varieties are chosen, if you do not plan to transplant the flower into pots for the winter and move it indoors.
4. Carry out an external examination of the seedling. There should be no signs of disease on it, the leaves are clean and green.When buying a potted plant, make sure that the root system surrounds its entire volume.

Technology of planting garden camellia in open ground

The flower is planted in open ground from April to mid-June. By the onset of cold weather, the plant will gain strength and take root well.

Dig planting holes in the prepared bed. Their volume should be twice the volume of an earthen coma with plant roots. At the bottom we lay a drainage layer of expanded clay or fine gravel 20 cm thick.

Next, we fill in a pile of earth of the required composition. We place a seedling on it, carefully straighten the roots and sprinkle it with a layer of earth. The root collar of the seedling should not be covered with soil.

We compact the soil near the trunk and water it with water. We mulch with peat.

Garden camellia care

Planting and caring for a garden camellia must be carried out in compliance with certain rules. Let's consider them in more detail.

Watering rules

The plant needs regular watering. This is especially important in summer, in dry and hot weather. You don't need to keep the soil constantly moist. In extreme heat, camellia is sprayed.

This must be done with care so that no water droplets fall on the flowers.

Water for irrigation is not used hard, well-settled. It is useful to combine watering with top dressing. To do this, use a weak fertilizer solution.

If the plant is transplanted into a container for wintering and stored in a cool room, care must be taken that the soil does not dry out. Watering is not needed often, but it is still necessary.

Loosening and mulching

Loosening is carried out after watering, this helps to avoid the formation of a soil crust. So that the earth does not dry out in summer, it is useful to mulch it with cut grass, humus, bark or sawdust.

These materials increase the acidity of the soil, which is very beneficial for the plant. In any case, the root collar must be open so that it does not rot.

Selection and timing of fertilization

Camellia has a good root system that effectively absorbs nutrients from the soil. This crop requires a minimum amount of fertilizer.

Overfeeding will do the flower more harm than good. Before feeding, be sure to water the soil with water.

It is necessary to fertilize in April, when the plant begins to grow rapidly and new shoots are formed. For this, a complex composition of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, sulfur is used.

Moreover, the solution should be prepared twice as weak as indicated in the instructions for the composition. A good feeding would be an infusion of chicken manure. Formulations designed for rhododendrons and azaleas are suitable.

Fertilize the plant twice a month until the end of summer. In the fall, top dressing is unacceptable. Enhanced nutrition will cause vigorous growth of shoots. They will not have time to woody before the onset of cold weather and will die off. A young plant may freeze.

Pruning

Cut camellias for crown formation, better branching and a beautiful shape. This is done in the spring, pinching the tops of the shoots.

To stimulate the growth of axillary buds, autumn pruning of shoots is performed. This allows you to get a beautiful ornamental shrub.

Along with bush varieties, tree-like camellias are also used. The beautiful tree reaches a height of 15 m. Pruning for these varieties is done in a similar way.

Pruning of branches can be done after the end of the flowering period. Do not prune the plant too hard. This will weaken him and it will take more care.

"Particular attention should be paid to trimming the curly camellia."

Another important point when caring for camellia is its transplant. An indoor flower needs to move from pot to pot every two years. When growing in a garden, this condition is optional.

The plant should be transplanted if it shows weak growth and flowering, perhaps you have chosen the wrong place for it. The transplant is carried out during the resting period of the plant. The best time will be late autumn before the onset of frost.

Preparing for winter

In the southern regions, camellia can easily winter in the ground without shelter. Even blooming in winter is possible. The middle lane and Siberia will require more careful plant care.

Some gardeners transplant the flower into containers and transfer it to winter indoors or in a warm greenhouse.

An insulated balcony or terrace is suitable for the winter existence of a camellia. Daytime temperature should not exceed + 120C, and at night it should vary from 0 to 50C.

Under such conditions, camellia can please with flowering, which looks very beautiful in a snowy and frosty winter.

If you leave the plant for the winter in the ground, you should take care of the shelter. If it is not possible to observe the camellia constantly, mulch the soil around the bush with peat, bark or leaves.

In winter, covered with snow, it will be well preserved and will decorate the garden with a green oasis. In case of a winter with little snow, it is necessary to provide additional cover with lutrasil or dry grass.

Diseases and pests

Disease is easier to prevent than to cure, so pay close attention to your exotic flower. At the first manifestations of the disease or harmful insects, treatment should be carried out and the damaged parts of the plant should be removed.

Among pests, camellia is besieged:

Aphid. Small insects stick around shoots and leaves, which dry out from this. With a large number of aphids, the plant may die completely. There are various ways to remove the pest.

The easiest one is to wash it off with soapy water. It should be fed to the plant under pressure. You can use a biological solution of fitoverm.

Spider mite. Covers the plant with cobwebs containing small larvae. They damage the leaves, causing them to dry out. The tick multiplies quickly, and if you do not get rid of it in time, the plant will die.

It is preferable to use biological preparations phytoverm, bicol, bitoxybacil, created on the basis of bacteria and microorganisms that are not dangerous to humans, to combat ticks.

It is possible to use acarin. It is a fast-acting, low-toxicity chemical.

An unpleasant phenomenon when growing in a garden for camellia can be the appearance of various fungi on the leaves and shoots. It is difficult to deal with them. To prevent diseases, it is necessary not to overmoisten the soil and provide ventilation of the bushes.

With the onset of winter, it is good to treat the camellia with copper sulfate, Bordeaux mixture, and Saporol.

Reproduction of camellia garden

Camellia breeding methods are no different from those for other horticultural crops. Flower cultivation is possible:

• seeds;
• cuttings;
• layering;
• vaccinations.

Let's consider the most commonly used ones.

By cuttings

In early August, half-lignified shoots are cut from the bush. The stalk should be no more than 8 cm long and have five leaves. In the future, the shoot needs to be rooted.

For this, a substrate is prepared, consisting of a mixture of peat and sand in equal proportions. Rooting is best done in separate pots.

The soil is well moisturized. It is useful to dip the tip of the cutting into phytohormone. The required soil temperature is 25 ° C. Cover the planting with a transparent container to create a greenhouse effect and facilitate the formation of roots.

After two months, the shelter is carefully removed and they continue to care for the camellia already as a house plant.

Seed

Camellia seeds ripen in mid-October. They immediately begin to plant them.

You should know! "That camellia seeds contain a lot of essential oils, which is why they take a long time to germinate."

For sowing seeds, use wooden boxes filled with a mixture of peat and sand. Peat creates the necessary acidic environment, and sand provides soil looseness and drainage.

For active germination of seeds and their further growth, it is necessary to maintain a room temperature of 20 ° C. This process lasts for a year. Only after the appearance of two leaves, the seedlings are transplanted into separate pots, 7 cm in diameter.

Camellia seedlings obtained from seeds are much more resistant and adapt well to further growth. They bloom in the fifth year, but there have been cases of earlier flowering - after three years.

Frost-resistant varieties of camellia

A very beautiful exotic flower could not fail to attract the attention of breeders. Varieties have been created that can withstand winter frosts down to -20 ° C when growing flowers in the open field.

Consider the best frost-resistant camellia varieties. They begin to bloom in early spring and retain their green leaves in winter frosts.

Donation is an ornamental shrub with fragile delicate pink purple flowers. The rounded shape of the petals is reminiscent of orchids.

The bush grows slowly, but allows slight flaws when growing. Even an inexperienced gardener can take care of him. The bush has a lush dark green crown, covered with large bright flowers.

Debbie camellia bears deep purple-pink flowers. The shrub grows rapidly and blooms profusely. It has double, rounded petals similar to Donation flowers.

The plant of this variety is resistant to the surrounding climate, not afraid of precipitation and frost in late spring. Suitable for people who first encountered such a plant.

Japanese breeders' variety Hagoromo blooms with pearl pink buds. These flowers are chameleons. As they bloom more and more, they turn white. A beautiful and delicate flower.

FreedomBell bears flowers of a coral red shade with an overflow, decorated with bright stamens. It has large decorative glossy leaves. This variety tolerates pruning well, shoots can be greatly shortened when freezing.

Any type of garden camellia, whether it is a bush, tree variety or climbing liana, will become a decoration of the home garden. This gorgeous plant is a winning accent in any landscape design.

Camellia is called "the empress of garden flowers" for a reason. You can create a secluded gazebo entwined with a climbing camellia. The bushes planted along the fence form a natural hedge.

A bush or gorgeous tree will create a striking accent in the lawn. In winter, on the white snow, the bright greenery of the evergreen shrub will look fabulous and unique.

Evergreen shrubs have always been popular with gardeners. Camellia in this regard, the plant is doubly amazing, since it combines both year-round greenery and the presence of a long period of abundant flowering.

Description and photo

Camellia flowers are very beautiful, like roses or peonies. But, unlike them, they are odorless. Another feature is dense, as if waxy, petals. The color of the flowers is from scarlet to pale pink and cream.

Camellias with a cream-white color of flowers are often confused with gardenias. But the shape of the flower is somewhat different.

Leaves are leathery and shiny, oval in shape. Camellia Japanese, mountain and oilseed are grown in the culture. Plants appear as shrubs or small trees. Great for forming hedges. Shaped by shearing. There are curly shapes that can be used to decorate gazebos or verandas.

The flowering period in natural conditions falls on a short daylight hours, that is, in winter. In this regard, breeders for the conditions of central Russia have bred varieties in which buds are laid in the spring, and flowering continues in the summer.

Origin

The plant belongs to the Tea family. Camellias come from mountainous Asian regions, so they tolerate low temperatures well. In the wild, they are widely distributed on the islands of Japan and Taiwan. Currently, there are varieties that can withstand temperatures below zero even -20, but all the same, these tests are not for the southern "settlers".

If there is no confidence in the frost resistance of the variety, it is better to grow plants in tubs, and bring them to the veranda or balcony for the winter.At the same time, if heating devices are directly located in these rooms, then camellias cannot be placed next to them, but rather at the maximum distance from them.

The culture prefers humid air, therefore, in the conditions of the heating season, it needs air humidification in apartments.

Variety selection

For planting, you need to choose varieties of camellias that are resistant to cold and frost. It is better to take plants with already lignified trunks, that is, the third or fourth year of life. Flowering is not an obstacle to planting and transplanting, as it occurs during the dormant period.

Popular varieties:

• Hagoromo is a camellia variety with white flowers.
• General Colletti has scarlet, variegated flowers with white inclusions.
• Freedom Bell - densely branched, well suited for the formation of artificial hedges.
• Donation - Plants with large flowers, abundant flowering and slow growth.
• Debbie is distinguished by the same abundant flowering as the previous variety, slightly smaller flowers, but resistance to the vagaries of the weather.

Landing

For planting, you need to prepare the soil. Suitable for camellias is a mixture of equal parts of humus, sand, high peat and coniferous soil. For more acidification (acidic soil pH 4.5 is optimal for plants), spruce or pine bark is added. You can buy camellia nutritional formula from garden stores.

Landing in open ground is carried out in late autumn or early spring. The place for planting should be chosen so that it is not subject to drafts and so that the plant is in partial shade. The direct rays of the sun burn the camellia leaves. You can plant them next to large trees that provide shade or near building walls or fences.

The planting pit, where the earthen lump with the roots of the seedling is placed, should be twice as large and equipped with a drainage layer. The roots are covered with the prepared soil, leaving the neck of the trunk above ground level. Water abundantly. Camellias love well-moistened soil, but do not tolerate stagnant water. After watering, the ground under the planted plant is mulched with needles or sawdust for better moisture retention.

Care

The plant requires regular watering and feeding. Watering is desirable with soft water with a low salt content. Tap water is often very hard. Therefore, it must be prepared in advance - boil and cool.

During watering, if it is made from a hose, it is necessary to ensure that the jet does not fall on the buds - this can cause them to fall off.

Top dressing is carried out with complex fertilizers with microelements (iron, manganese, molybdenum, boron), they should not contain magnesium and calcium. The feeding dosage is halved compared to that recommended by fertilizer manufacturers. You should not feed the plants in the fall, because then it will give young shoots that do not have a sufficient reserve of endurance to withstand the coming cold weather, and will die with the first frost.

To form the shrub, pruning is done in late autumn or early spring, depending on the flowering season. If varieties of garden camellia are grown in the open field or in a tub method with a summer flowering period, then to prevent cutting and damage to flower buds, the operation is performed in the fall.

Pests and diseases

Garden aphids and spider mites are the main pest enemies for the crop. The spider mite spreads especially quickly and dangerously during wintering in heated rooms. Camellia leaves in this case are treated (smeared with soapy water for several hours, which is then washed off with running water). In most cases (since the pest spreads quickly and in large quantities), it is necessary to use pesticides - insecticides.

A viral infection of the leaves, in which they become spotty (white-green), is not dangerous. Fungal diseases can also affect these plants.It manifests itself in brown or brown spots on the foliage.

Preparing for winter

Frost-resistant varieties can be left outside for the winter, making sure that the soil is well covered with a layer of dry grass, needles or sawdust. Camellia varieties that are not winter-hardy will have to be brought into the house, where they should remain in large tubs until spring, far from the central heating batteries.

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The first camellias appeared in European gardens, where they were brought from the Philippines at the beginning of the 18th century. This amazing plant was discovered to Europeans by the Czech monk and botanist Georg Josef Kamelius, after whom it was later named. It is believed that some of the oldest specimens of this amazing flower can still be seen in the best parks and greenhouses in Spain, Germany and the UK.

Since ancient times, in the countries of East and Southeast Asia, camellia has been used not only as a decorative element in the landscape, but also for the preparation of aromatic broths and drinks with a delicate taste.

Garden camellia: origin and description

It was generally believed that she is a symbol of cold women who break the hearts of men who fall in love with them.

The evergreen, noble camellia of the Tea family fell in love with many for its bright and delicate flowers, often compared to roses. Most varieties are odorless... They can be of different sizes and a wide variety of colors: from white, yellow, pink and red to variegated combinations in hybrids. No less magnificent are leathery, glossy oval-shaped leaves with a pointed tip.

Depending on the height of the plant, its conditionally subdivided into:

• bush camellia up to 2 meters high;
• tree camellia with a height of 2 to 10 meters.

Tree camellia can be found in its natural habitat: Japan, China and the countries of Southeast Asia. Grows in Russian gardens and houses camellia bush, striking with its grace and sophistication.

Garden camellia blooms in the cold season at a temperature of no higher than 12 ° C and is able to delight with the colors of its blossoming inflorescences until the onset of the first spring days. Despite this, the shrub traditionally feels comfortable mainly in the southern regions, where winters are short and warm enough. However, scientists have developed camellia varieties that can withstand temperatures reaching -25 ° C, which allows them to be grown even in the northern regions of Russia. After the end of the flowering period, the shrub begins to ripen small five-section fruits, resembling seed-filled capsules.

A colossal work was done by breeders, the result of which was the emergence of many varieties and hybrids of this rather capricious plant, characterized by higher resistance to frost and a longer flowering period, as well as a variety of shapes and sizes. Today the genus Camellia has more than 200 varieties, united by external features, flowering period and flower color in 8 types.

Garden camellia: variety of species and their characteristics

On the territory of the Russian Federation, the most common varieties of garden camellia with most high frost resistance, we can say with confidence:

• Japanese;
• mountain;
• oilseed.

Japanese camellia (Camellia japonica)

It belongs to bush camellias and is considered the most common species, which has become the basis for breeders to breed new original hybrids of a wide variety of shapes, colors and sizes

It is a low shrub, the height of which does not exceed 1 meter, with large flowers that bloom, like other varietal species, in winter.

The most comfortable Japanese Camellia feels in a greenhouse or winter garden with a daylight hours of 12-14 hours.In order for the plant to bloom, it is also necessary to provide it with increased air humidity. For these purposes, you can use improvised tools and household appliances or irrigate its crown with water using a spray bottle.

At the stage of bud formation, the plant may need enhanced feeding. To do this, you need to feed it with complex fertilizers every 2 weeks.

During the flowering period, no less careful care will be required. Watering should be done with caution, in order to avoid stagnation of cold water in the soil, since sometimes it is not so easy to determine the degree of moisture content of the roots. Otherwise, it will be practically difficult to avoid damage from rot and other fungal infections.

If Camellia japonica is grown indoors, you will need periodic soil oxidation to a level of 3-5 pH. For this purpose, you can use all the same, diluted with vinegar or lemon juice, water, or even at the stage of planting the plant, use a special soil for azaleas. To add brightness to blossoming flowers, it is recommended to add a little natural vinegar or lemon juice to the water for irrigation.

Mountain camellia ("sazanka")

One of the earliest varietieswhich blooms from November to March. Growing on the mountain slopes of the islands of Okinawa and Kushu, "carp" was nicknamed by the Japanese "Flower of the Winter Sun".

Unlike the Japanese relative, the mountain camellia is rather large and can reach a height of 3-4 m. The oblong leaves with small denticles along the edges have a dark green color. For flowers of this species, a slightly perceptible aroma is characteristic, and their color practically does not differ from the colors traditional for camellia. Currently, there are about 100 varieties of Camellia mountain, which bloom in gardens and cool indoor rooms.

Camellia oleifera (Camellia oleifera)

It is an evergreen tree growing throughout Asia with a height of up to 10 m with glossy, leathery, ovoid leaves and white flowers, the fragrant aroma of which can be enjoyed from September until spring.

On the territory of Russia, the height of the plant does not exceed 1 m and it feels most comfortable in places illuminated by bright sunlight with loose and acidified soil.

Of particular value are the fruits located in a large box plant seeds, rich in fatty viscous oil, widely used in Vietnam, China and Japan and called oriental olive oil. The leaf extract has found application in cosmetology as an antiseptic.

Garden camellia: planting and care in the Moscow region Choosing a place, planting in the open field and reproduction

In order to preserve the characteristics of the plant, it it is recommended to propagate by cuttings... To do this, in the first half of summer, small cuttings 5-7 cm long with beveled cuts and removed lower leaves are cut from woody shoots.

Before you start planting a plant, you need to carefully choose a place for these purposes.

Places in partial shade should be preferredprotected from strong winds and sufficiently well lit, but not exposed to direct sunlight. It is believed that Garden Camellia prefers the afternoon sun and therefore it feels most comfortable in the western parts of the garden plots. Scorching morning sunlight can have a negative effect on the flowers of the plant, which acquire a brownish tint and begin to wilt quickly.

Though garden camellia is afraid of the windc, you need to take care of providing it with fresh air and not surround it with larger plants or buildings on all sides.

In order for the flower buds to begin to form, the following conditions must be met:

• daylight hours, lasting at least 13 hours;
• air temperature within 17-21 ° C;
• acidic, drained and well-watered soil;
• avoid places in the lowlands where rainwater accumulates, the stagnation of which causes rotting.

Since the peak of active growth of Camellia garden falls in April-August, late autumn is considered the most optimal time for transplanting it.

Preference should be given to a mature plant that has reached four years of age, with a stiff stem. For transplant of the specimen you like, you need to prepare the soil and the pit.

To do this, take 0.5 parts of sand and 1 part of peat, leaf and coniferous land. The planting hole should be 2 times wider and deeper than the root system of the seedling, and its bottom should be covered with a small layer of sand or fine gravel.

Then the plant is carefully removed from the pot, trying not to damage the fragile roots. A root lump is placed in the prepared hole and sprinkled with a substrate to the level of the neck, which, in order to avoid the death of the flower, cannot be buried in the ground.

The area around the trunk should be covered with sawdust, peat, pine needles or dry grass to help retain moisture and maintain the desired level of soil acidity. In preparation for the winter period, it is recommended to double the coating layer, which is designed to protect the plant's root system.

Watering and feeding

When watering a garden camellia moderation must be observed... On the one hand, it needs regular moisture, and on the other hand, increased and rare watering can cause unique harm to its root system. If the soil is allowed to dry out or waterlogged, leaves and flowers may crumble. It is recommended to water the plant only when the ambient temperature is above zero with tap water, settled for several days.

Feeding camellia in the spring-summer period, every 2 weeks, after moistening the soil. Complex fertilizers are used based on phosphorus and nitrogen components containing boron, iron, potassium, manganese, copper, sulfur and zinc. Calcium and magnesium, present in the required amount in tap water, should be avoided, an excess of which contributes to alkalization of the soil.

At the end of summer, the soil is fertilized with granular chicken droppings. In the fall, fertilizing the garden camellia is not worth it, as this can delay the onset of the hibernation period and lead to subsequent death. Pruning and disease prevention

Pruning plant shoots is one of the prerequisites for proper care. This process should be started after the end of the flowering period, but before the growth of new shoots begins. With the help of pruning, old specimens are updated or young ones are given shape.

Camellia is used as a hedge or to create figures of various shapes and heights to decorate gardens and interiors.

She is not prone to disease, but with improper care, it can suffer from aphids or spider mites, which are disposed of with soapy water and an oil-based emulsion, respectively.

Viral lesions, characterized by the appearance of white spots on leaves, branches and flowers, are considered safe for the plant. And some gardeners intend to carry out its infection to give it an unusual look.

In conclusion, it should be noted that, with proper care, camellia can delight gardeners with its luxury and tenderness of flowers for many years, serve as a pleasant reminder of summer.

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Camellia flower will not leave anyone indifferent. Its romantic beauty and antiquity of origin have given rise to many myths and legends. Camellia was considered in Japan as a symbol of the sun god Amaterasu, and in Ancient Greece - the emblem of beautiful but heartless women. French courtesans wore the flower as a distinctive sign. Delicate chiseled camellia petals look like wax, as if carved by the hands of a skilled jeweler. The lack of odor enhances the likeness to a work of art.An evergreen plant is planted near a house or gazebo. It can act as a hedge that hides the site from prying eyes.

Camellia flower will not leave anyone indifferent. Its romantic beauty and antiquity of origin have given rise to many myths and legends. Camellia was considered in Japan as a symbol of the sun god Amaterasu, and in Ancient Greece - the emblem of beautiful but heartless women. French courtesans wore the flower as a distinctive sign. Delicate chiseled camellia petals look like wax, as if carved by the hands of a skilled jeweler. The lack of odor enhances the likeness to a work of art. An evergreen plant is planted near a house or gazebo. It can act as a hedge that hides the site from prying eyes.

general description

Camellia belongs to the tea family. The leaves of the well-known species Camellia sinensis are the raw material for making tea. The first mention of the plant was found in Japanese sources. It dates back to the 1st century AD. Camellias grow wild on the islands of Kyushu, Shikoku and in some provinces of Japan. They can also be found in southwestern China, South Korea and Taiwan.

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A large shrub or tree prefers high-mountain valleys located at an altitude of 300-1100 meters above sea level. The plant grows up to 3-6 meters. Some specimens reach a height of 11-20 meters.

Simple leaves are colored dark green. They have an oval or oblong-ovoid shape with a blunt or pointed end. The surface of the leathery leaves is smooth and shiny. The length of their petioles reaches 3-17 cm. Young shoots of the shrub stand out with a characteristic purple-brown color.

The flowering period of the plant begins in autumn and lasts all winter until spring. It is covered with a lot of flowers. As beautiful as a rose, camellia can have a scarlet, white, pearl pink or pink-purple hue. Some varieties of shrubs are distinguished by variegated color of flowers. Their petals are covered with colored stains, spots, stripes or specks. In garden varieties of camellia, flowers are almost always double. Their diameter ranges from 1-20 cm.

Each flower stays fresh for about 3 weeks. If the room is not very hot, the cut plant will not wither for 2 weeks, and all the buds will bloom. The seeds ripen in a dry box with 5 compartments.

Unlike other plants, camellia is dormant during flowering. Therefore, it can be safely cut, transplanted and transported to a new place without fear of causing harm. The shrub will easily survive all the manipulations and will not stop blooming.

In gardening, only 3 types of plants are used - mountain camellia, Japanese and olive. Japanese camellia is distinguished by its large flowers of various colors and shapes. It grows up to 2-3 meters in height. Mountain camellia can reach 5 meters. The tallest garden tree belongs to the oil-bearing species. It can grow up to 10 meters.

Temperature regime

In the wild, the shrub grows in high altitude conditions, so it feels comfortable at low temperatures. In the mountains of Japan, flowering bushes are covered with snow in winter. As it melts, a plant sprinkled with bright red flowers opens up.

In winter, the air temperature of 10-12 degrees is ideal for camellia. At this temperature, it will bloom profusely and for a long time. Severe frosts are detrimental to the flowers of the plant. If it gets warmer after frost, the buds will open, but they will look disfigured.

Although camellia flowers are vulnerable to frost, the plant itself can withstand temperatures as low as -10 degrees. Neither the roots nor the shoots of the shrub freeze. Recently, breeders have managed to develop new hybrids that can survive twenty-degree frosts.

In the conditions of the middle zone and Siberia, it is better to plant flowers in containers and bring them indoors in winter. It is advisable to put the camellia on a ventilated glazed balcony, where in winter the air temperature ranges from 0 to +15 degrees. You cannot leave her in living rooms. At high air temperatures, the flowers will crumble, but the buds will not open.

If there are heating devices on the balcony or in the room for the winter garden, the camellia should be placed as far away from them as possible.

How to find a suitable place for a shrub?

Growing camellias will not be difficult if you choose the right place for it. Plants prefer a place protected from direct sunlight and strong winds. In summer, under the scorching sunlight, burns appear on the leaves of the bush in the form of brown spots.

Camellias feel comfortable in diffused shade. Therefore, it is better to choose a place for it near the wall of the house or fence. Large trees that provide light shade can protect against the piercing wind. It is good if the light falls on the shrub after lunch. For delicate flowers, frosts are not as dangerous as the burning morning sun. Abrupt thawing causes discoloration of the petals. They turn brown. Therefore, plots located in the south and east of the backyard are not suitable for the plant. In the north, the flower may not have enough light to set flower buds.

Although the plant does not like drafts and strong winds, it needs fresh air. It is not worth planting it in remote places, closed on all sides by buildings or large trees.

In order for camellia to lay flower buds, it needs an air temperature of 17-20 degrees and daylight hours over 13 hours. Being in deep shade in summer and early autumn, the shrub will not form flower buds. Camellia blooms when daylight hours are reduced.

The shrub loves moist, well-drained soil. He will be uncomfortable in a lowland where rain or melt water collects. In such conditions, the roots of the plant can rot.

Camellia prefer acidic soils (pH 4.5-5). Japanese camellia is especially demanding in this respect. Flowers tolerate soil acidification below pH 4 and below.

Plant selection and planting

It will not be difficult for an experienced gardener and even a beginner to care for a garden camellia flower, planting and caring for it does not require much effort. The peak of active flower growth occurs in April and July-August. During this period, it is better not to touch it. Most often, the transplant is carried out in late autumn, immediately after the appearance of the first flowers. You can also do this in May and early June.

For planting, it is better to choose a bush that is at least 4 years old. Its stems should be woody. You need to make sure that the specimen you like will withstand the climatic conditions on the personal plot. If in doubt, it is best to plant the plant in a tub first. This will allow you to move the flower indoors if necessary.

It is advisable to prepare the soil mixture for the camellia yourself. Garden land rarely meets the requirements of the plant. The composition of the substrate can be prepared from peat (1 part), sand (0.5 part), leaf (1 part) and coniferous soil (1 part). The shrub is planted in ready-made soils for camellias. They contain high moor peat, vermiculite, sand and crushed bark.

The planting hole should be twice as wide and deeper than an earthen root ball. A drainage layer of sand and broken red brick or crushed stone is laid on its bottom.

When transplanting, you need to try not to damage the roots of the bush. They are very fragile and easily damaged. It is important to position them correctly in the hole. The root collar of the plant should be at ground level. If it is buried and covered with soil, the flower will die.

After planting, the near-stem area is mulched with dry grass, sawdust, peat, crushed bark or coniferous needles.A layer of mulch helps retain moisture and maintains the acidity of the soil. In the fall, before the first frosts, the mulch layer is doubled. It will protect the root system from frost if there is little snowfall. When mulching, it is important to leave the root collar of the shrub open.

You can pinch the plant during transplanting to make it more branchy. Camellia should be transplanted no more than 1 time in several years.

Bush watering

Camellia roots must be constantly moisturized, so the plant must be watered regularly. Rare and abundant watering will not allow him to feel comfortable. But it is not necessary to moisten the soil too often. Severe drying out of the soil and its waterlogging will lead to the fact that the camellia flowers will fall off. With prolonged drought, the plant can shed its leaves.

Moistening is carried out immediately after the earthen lump dries up. When watering, avoid getting water on the flowers. In winter, the frequency and abundance of watering are reduced. It is allowed only at positive temperatures.

The shrub does not tolerate a high concentration of calcium in the irrigation water. Therefore, you should use tap water that has stood for several days.

Top dressing camellia

Garden camellia needs feeding in spring, when new shoots are formed. It is carried out all summer every 2 weeks. Before applying fertilizers, it is imperative to moisten the soil.

For feeding, you can use combined fertilizers containing phosphorus and nitrogen components in combination with trace elements (sulfur, potassium, boron, molybdenum, manganese, copper, zinc, iron). The mixture should not contain calcium and magnesium. They are found in tap water. With an excess of these microelements, the soil becomes alkalized. It is necessary to apply to the soil a 2 times smaller portion of fertilizers than indicated on their label.

At the end of summer, it is advisable to add granulated chicken droppings to the soil. You should not fertilize the plants later. Top dressing in the fall can delay hibernation and cause further shoot growth. As a result, young specimens that are not prepared for winter may die during frosts.

Pruning, diseases and pests

Shrub pruning is done to give it the desired shape. You can shape it into a tree, hedge, or shape. Old plants are renewed by pruning. Withered flowers can be removed to maintain the decorative appearance of the shrub. It will not be possible to do such pruning on large, luxuriantly flowering specimens.

Plants are pruned after the end of the flowering period, but before the growth of new shoots. As a rule, branches are cut in mid-March. If a heavy pruning is done, the plant needs to be well moisturized for a month afterwards. It is advisable not only to regularly water the soil, but also to spray the foliage.

With proper care, camellia is rarely affected by diseases and pests. It can suffer from aphids and spider mites infestation. Aphids are washed off the leaves with soapy water, and spider mites are washed off with an oil-based emulsion.

With viral lesions, white spots appear on the leaves, branches and flowers. The infection is not dangerous for camellia. Sometimes a plant is deliberately infested to give it an unusual mottled appearance.

Reproduction technique

The simplest and most convenient way of propagation is cuttings. It allows you to preserve all the characteristics of the varietal plant. Cuttings about 7 cm long are cut from half-stiff shoots of the current year from late spring to mid-summer. The cut is made oblique, and the bottom sheet is removed.

Cut shoots are treated with a root formation stimulator (Kornevin) and planted in a substrate from turf, sand and peat, taken in equal proportions. The recommended air temperature for rooting is 20 degrees. The process takes about 50 days. Rooted plants are protected from direct sunlight and are often sprayed. They are transplanted into large containers for the second and third years.Camellia tree, grown from seeds, will bloom in 3-4 years.

The seeds are planted in a mixture of peat and sand and kept at a temperature of 20-22 degrees until sprouts appear. The soil needs to be moistened regularly. The development of young plants can take a year. They are very vulnerable. Bushes will bloom for 5-8 years.

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