How to care for camellias

The camellia plants They are a whole genus called camellia and these are its main features:

• This genus includes about 250 species and are native to tropical and subtropical areas spread between Japan, China and more regions of Southeast Asia.
• It is a genus that includes small trees and shrubs with flowers that are evergreen and can reach up to 10 m in height.
• Its leaves are leathery, dark green, pointed and with entire or somewhat serrated edges.
• The flowers of these plants are highly valued in gardening and for decoration. These are large flowers with an average of 5 petals and various colors, such as white, pink and red.
• Sometimes, the same plant can have some flowers of different colors or these can be of the colors mentioned but mixed or variegated.

Some camellia species best known are:

• camellia japonica (variety Adolphe Audusson is the most used to have in interior spaces).
• Camellia reticulata.
• camellia sinensis (It is the well-known plant from which tea is obtained).
• Camellia sasanqua.

Take note of the following tips on how to care for camellias:

• Climate: they need to develop in a climate that is humid and mild during the summer and cold during the winter, so they adapt perfectly to the cold climate of the north as well as to the heat of the south. However, it is necessary to avoid exposing them to extreme climates in which excessive sun can burn them or strong frosts can freeze them.
• Land: Camellias need a somewhat acidic planting soil, so when purchasing make sure it’s one with the right pH.
• Pass: they need a fertilizer that is rich in phosphorus, iron, potassium and magnesium, mainly in the growing season. In this other article we talk about how to make organic fertilizer for plants.
• Irrigation: try not to water them with hard water that has excess lime, because it makes them feel quite bad. If you lose the buds before they open, it is quite likely that it is due to an excess of water in the irrigation, so make sure that you water it correctly. We recommend this other EcologíaVerde post in which we explain when to water plants.
• type of water: it is best to water them with mineral or rain water, but never with tap water. If there is no other remedy, mix it with a little vinegar to mitigate the effect of the lime.
• flowering months: during the three months of flowering they should receive little water so that their peduncles can become strong and support the weight of the bud without breaking.

If you take care of them correctly, they will become a beautiful bush that, in addition to being beautiful, will be very striking. Their care is not very complicated and when you see them flourish in all their splendor you will see that it will have been worth the dedication. As a recommendation, it would be ideal if you could plant several, since that way you would have a precious space that would give a lot of life to your garden or terrace.

To complete your knowledge about the camellia carewe offer you some advice on some of the posible problems that this plant can suffer:

• The camellia loses its buds: If a camellia plant loses its flowers before opening, it means that we are watering it too much, that it does not have good drainage, or that the temperature of its environment has changed abruptly. To remedy this, make sure that it has good drainage, that it does not have waterlogged soil and if so, change part of it and place it in an area with a more suitable climate.
• Yellow leaves on camellias: this is a symptom that the substrate is not the most suitable and is not acid enough for this plant. It can also happen that you are giving it too much strong and direct sun, although in this case the leaves will end up being brown, dry and fall. Make sure that the location is suitable and that you put a more acid soil.
• Leaves with white spots: If silver or white spots appear, it is most likely that some type of fungus has appeared on this plant due to high humidity in its environment or even in the soil itself due to excess watering. In such a case, you can remove the most damaged leaves and use homemade fungicides like the ones we show you here. Also, you can use them from time to time as prevention.

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