Camellia is an evergreen shrub belonging to the Tea family. Tea is made from the leaves of the Chinese variety of this plant. You can meet camellia in Vietnam, Japan and, of course, China. There are many garden and indoor varieties this decorative flower.

More about the flower

The popularity of camellia is due to the high attractiveness of both shrubs and inflorescences. The plant decorates a room both in hot summers and cool winters. In the warm season, it pleases with its greenery, and in the cold season, with beautiful and lush flowering.

Flower care

Lighting

Ornamental-flowering culture must be provided with daylight hours lasting up to 12-14 hours. You can not place camellia on the south side without shading, since the direct rays of the sun will leave burns on the plant.
The ideal option would be windows with a west and east orientation, where there is no midday hell at noon. The northern placement does not allow providing the required amount of light, and the flower begins to grow smaller and stretch.

Temperature

In spring and summer, camellia feels great with normal room temperature but should not be warm in autumn. It is best to take the flower pot out to the terrace, glazed loggia, any other place where it can be kept at temperatures ranging from 12 to 15 degrees.
The plant blooms even in frost. The optimal conditions are considered temperature regime from +8 to +12 degrees. The room in which the camellia is located must be periodically ventilated to ensure a natural flow of fresh air.

Humidity

An exotic plant does not tolerate dry air. Indoor camellia must be provided with high humidity. Especially in winter period when the flower is kept in a heated room. To create a comfortable microclimate, they resort to regular spraying, use humidifiers, use a tray with moistened moss or expanded clay, on which the pot is placed.

Watering

In summer, the soil in which the indoor camellia grows is abundantly moistened, due to the rapid evaporation of moisture from the soil. In winter, watering is sharply reduced, even taking into account the fact that the plant is blooming. Excessive stagnation of moisture in the soil leads to the appearance of pests and bacteria. To prevent this, the plant is watered when the earthen lump is dried.
Use boiled, settled, or melt water... To maintain the optimum acidity of the soil, sometimes acetic or citric acid... The high concentration of various impurities and calcium salts negatively affects the state of the flower, which must be taken into account.

Priming

Camellia prefers acidic soil with a pH of 4.5 to 5. The flower can grow even in very acidic soils. Ready-to-use food mixtures available in stores are suitable substrates for azaleas and rhododendrons. You can cook the earth yourself from leaf, coniferous, peat land, taken in equal parts, with the addition of 0.5 parts of sand. The soil must be acidic, air and permeable.

Circumcision

When the camellia completes its flowering, it is necessary to remove the weak shoots. Pruning not only stimulates the plant to grow new branches, but also allows you to give the flower a compact size, form a tree or bush. Shoots can be removed by half. If ligneous branches are removed, the cuts are treated with a garden varnish.

Top dressing

An ornamental flowering culture during the period of growth of young shoots, which occurs in the spring months, needs fertilization. Feed camellia one every 14-30 days using azalea complexes. The concentration indicated in the instructions for the drug is halved. You can not take complexes with magnesium and calcium. An overabundance of the latter leads to the fall of the buds. From July to spring, the flower is not fertilized.

Transfer

Young indoor camellia is transplanted annually at the end of winter or autumn. Large shrubs are transferred to a new container every two to three years when the root system fills the old pot. Carefully make sure that the neck is above the level of the earthen coma, that is, it is open. If such a need arises, they add fresh soil, mulch with sawdust to increase the acidity of the soil.

Reproduction

Camellias are often grown from seeds that differ large size, covered with a durable shell. To make them germinate faster, they are doused with boiling water, and then slightly pierced with a sharp knife. Seeds are planted in cups with a diameter of 7-10 cm, 2/3 filled with peat soil, 0.5 cm of soil and 1 cm of perlite are sprinkled on top. It is necessary to ensure that the part with the peephole is at the bottom.
The pick is carried out after the formation of at least a couple of leaves. When space permits, the sprouts can be immediately planted in separate pots. After 2 weeks, planting is fed with fertilizer that stimulates growth. The dived plants are transplanted into permanent containers when the cups are filled with the root system.
To preserve varietal characteristics, it is recommended to propagate camellia by cuttings. Saplings 6-8 cm long and 2-5 leaves are cut from the upper green shoots. The leaf plates are cut in half, planting material placed in Kornevin, and then in pots with a substrate of peat and sand, taken in equal proportions. After a month, when the cuttings take root, they are transplanted into permanent pots.

Diseases and pests of camellia

Camellia rarely gives trouble to the grower, but if the microclimate is disturbed, the plant weakens.

Diseases

The flower is extremely rare and is generally vulnerable to:

When the plant is damaged by fungi, the petals turn brown, the leaves become stained, the inflorescences fall off. If the treatment with fungicides does not lead to an improvement in the condition, the flower can no longer be saved.

Pests

The main enemies of room camellia are:

• Mealy worm. The pest is removed with a cloth soaked in soapy water. If only a few sheets are damaged, it is permissible to simply cut them off. Treatment with Karbofos (20 drops per 1 liter of water) is carried out in extreme cases.
• Aphid. Leads to yellowing and wrinkling of leaves. Adult aphids are removed mechanically at intervals of several days. Special aerosols make this process easier.
• Spider mite. Most forgiving and safe way to get rid of the pest is by spraying with oil emulsions, which are sold in flower shops.
• Skosar. She loves not the above-ground, but the underground part of the camellia. If insecticide treatment is not carried out in a timely manner, the plant will die.
• Shield. Leads to blackening and brown tubercles on the leaves. Pests are removed manually, but only insecticides can completely get rid of the scabbard.

Camellia varieties for home cultivation

For indoor keeping, the following varieties of room camellia are most often chosen:

From any indoor camellias, you can form a compact bush or tree.

Questions and answers

1. Why do the leaves and shoots of camellia turn brown?
   If, together with a change in the color of the green mass, the plant sheds its buds, the soil is excessively waterlogged. To remedy the situation, it is necessary to reduce watering.
2. Are the leaves covered in brown spots?
   A similar situation is typical for sunburns. If you shade the flower, the camellia will regain a good and healthy green mass.
3. Camellia threw off the foliage?
   Falling leaves are the main sign of insufficient watering. Along with the revision of the soil moisture schedule, you need to pay attention to air humidity. If it is too low, moisture will evaporate quickly.

A beautiful but soulless flower, the camellia has earned a reputation for being touchy with a cold heart for a reason. During flowering, it is perfect, but has no scent, and its petals seem to be made of wax. Like a real sleeping beauty, she dissolves the buds, only falling into a state of rest, often demonstrates character and not everyone allows herself to be tamed.

But, as in life, an unapproachable appearance can be deceiving. Having understood the physiological characteristics of the plant, creating the right conditions, Camellia is not difficult to grow. And we will prove it by revealing the secrets of a flower, capricious at first glance.

A flower sung in poetry as the ideal of exquisite and languid beauty

A subtropical plant that doesn't like the tropics

Warm ocean currents and humid monsoons define Japan's climate. On most islands, it is warm and humid, turning southward into the subtropics and tropics. In winter, the temperature rarely drops below zero, snow is a curiosity here.

The flora of Japan is represented by a wide variety of evergreen trees and shrubs. The vast forests are made up of cypresses and magnolias, tree ferns and jagged oaks, and under their canopy there are thickets of rhododendrons and beautiful camellias, which the Japanese adore and grow in special natural gardens, as can be seen in the photo below.

In addition to Japan, the plant is widespread in the subtropical zone of China, Korea, and Vietnam. There are mountain types of shrubs that are more enduring and feel great in the open sun.

Camellia came to Europe about 200 years ago. It was brought by the Czech botanist Georg Kamel, who is engaged in missionary and medical activities in the Philippines. The "Japanese rose" was named in his honor. Unfortunately, he did not find out about this, since the indicated event took place 30 years after his death.

What does it look like?

Camellia is a member of the Tea family. Yes, yes, one of the species of this plant is called the tea bush, and its leaves are used as raw materials for the preparation of one of the most popular drinks.

In nature, it is an evergreen shrub or a small tree 10–15 m high. Leaves on short petioles, alternate, elliptical, serrate along the edge, like a rose. They are quite dense and so glossy that they reflect the sun's rays, letting in "bunnies". Due to the leathery dark green foliage, the bush looks very elegant even without flowers.

Flowers are single, large, 12-15 cm in diameter. In nature, they are simple or semi-double, mostly red or white... The cultivated assortment is represented by a wide variety of terry shapes and shades. Among them there are surprisingly graceful specimens, for example, the Middlebury pink camellia, the petals of which resemble neatly laid tiles.

In the photo - pink Middlebury camellia

Under natural conditions, camellia blooms from January to March, but in some modern hybrids this period extends to six months - from November to May.

Another unusual feature of the Japanese rose is the gradual wilting of the flower, which falls off entirely, while maintaining a bright color. The bush always looks neat - no withered, dried flowers with crumbling petals.

Loves, dislikes - natural preferences of camellia

Camellia is a plant in its natural environment intended for open ground, in indoor conditions it is grown because of our cold climate. And since the plant is subtropical, then they try to create greenhouse conditions for it. This is precisely the main mistake. To better understand the preferences of a flower, consider what environment it is used to, and how this affected its physiology.

1. The plant loves warm weather, but not hot, humid, without sharp seasonal fluctuations. In its natural environment, an evergreen shrub hibernates in the temperature range of 7–10⁰ plus, if there is a cold snap, it is short-lived and not strong.
   

   In our latitudes, camellia painlessly tolerates summer, but with winter - problems. It is unacceptable on the street (the minimum temperature that it can withstand is 10⁰ frost), in a room at + 20-25⁰C it is too hot.

2. In nature, the shrub grows under the forest canopy, in the lacy shade of taller neighbors. Prefers diffused light, long daylight hours. In the room, the window sills of the eastern and northern windows are suitable for the flower.
3. The monsoon climate of the plant's homeland provides high humidity. Like orchids, garden camellia loves spraying, and also so that there are sources of moisture evaporation nearby.
4. Growing in the undergrowth with large quantity conifers determine the composition of the soil. It is light, airy, with an acidic reaction (pH 4.5–5.5). A pillow made of coniferous deciduous litter gets wet well, but does not retain water.

To summarize, the main preferences of a houseplant are a lot of scattered light, low positive temperatures during flowering, acidic loose soil and good humidity air.

Accordingly, the open sun, the content in a warm room in winter, an unsuitable planting substrate, and a lack of moisture oppress the culture.

Features of the annual development cycle

We love flowers after hours. We "deceive" the bulbous plants by forcing them to bloom in winter, but there is a whole group of plants for which this is a natural stage of the annual cycle. Our heroine also belongs to them.

• The growing period of garden camellia begins with a general awakening of nature - in April-May. At this time, it builds up the vegetative mass, strengthens the root system. Shoot growth continues until mid-summer.
• From about August, the laying of flower buds begins.
• In the middle of autumn, buds appear, which will open only with the onset of a suitable temperature regime.
• At the beginning of winter, the plant blooms, but at the same time all other organs (shoots, leaves, roots) stop growing.

In fact, camellia is a flower that blooms during sleep, which complicates caring for it at home.

In Abkhazia, Sochi, on the South Coast, a garden camellia can become bright decoration winter garden

Camellia family

In European countries with mild winters flowering shrubs and trees can be found right on the street. Moreover, American breeders have bred many frost-resistant crop varieties that can withstand a significant decrease in temperature to minus. In gardens and greenhouses, the following types are most common.

Japanese camellia

It is a vigorous, spreading shrub with strong branches and shiny dark green leaves. In Japan, it is often grown in the form of a tree, and bonsai trees are formed in indoor culture. In nature, buds, laid in autumn, dissolve in January-February. The flowers are large (ø 5–13 cm), with dense, like wax petals, odorless.

It was this type of camellia that served as the genetic basis for many varieties and hybrids of the plant:

• varieties with simple red flowers - Ashya, Christmas;
• red terry camellias - Adolph Aduson, Cliford Parks, Royal Corduroy, Fred Sander, Cochetti;
• hybrids with white double flowers - Nobilissima, Duchess de Bari, Alba Simplex;
• pink varieties - Dr. Tinsley, Pink Perfection, Otoma Tsubaki.

The latest "squeak of fashion" in the selection of camellias is the breeding of varieties with variegated petals.

In the photo - the variety Alba Simplex
Japanese camellia with variegated flowers

Here this species is better known as the tea bush. Evergreen shrub with a dense spreading crown, it grows up to 10 m in height. The leaves are slightly elongated, leathery, dark green on the front side, slightly lighter on the back side. In the middle of autumn, the bush is covered with simple white flowers with a yellow core, consisting of many anthers. Unlike the odorless Japanese camellia shown in the photo above, this is a species with a slight tea aroma.

In the photo - a flowering tea bush

Sasankwa (mountain view)

Sasanqua, growing on the mountainous wooded slopes of the Japanese Islands, is a woody shrub with thin hanging branches, rarely exceeding 2.5–3 m in height. Its leaves are much smaller in comparison with other species, but the shape and density of the leaf blade are the same - glossy and leathery. The flowers are large, simple, on a short petiole - it seems that they are literally stuck to the shoot.

Sasankva is distinguished by its endurance to subzero temperatures and photophilousness, therefore, it was with her participation that varieties of camellia frost-resistant bush were bred (pictured below). Popular hybrids are Empress, Cleopatra, Chansonnier. Although bush camellia is intended for outdoor use, it does well in indoor culture.

Shrub white and red camellia in the garden

Camellia reticulata (mesh)

This type of camellia is often called tree-like, due to the fact that it grows as a tree and is capable of rising up to 20 m. In addition, it has the largest flowers - up to 20 cm in diameter. Breeders are very fond of reticulum, creating unique large-flowered hybrids with its participation. Thus, when crossing K. japanese and reticulated, excellent new varieties were obtained, isolated in a separate group of Williams' hybrids.
Tree Camellia in Shin-Edogawa Garden (Tokyo)

Williams hybrid group

Williams' varieties and hybrids are superior in many respects to the original material taken for crossing. Their flowering period lasts longer than that of K. japonica, they are more hardy, do not shed their petals, the flower withers entirely on the bush. The assortment includes semi-double and double hybrids, red, pink, white, variegated camellias. Tall plants, in our climate it is best to grow them in tubs or indoor greenhouses, winter gardens.

Williams' hybrids - a spectacular and resilient group of camellias

The subtleties of growing and care in indoor conditions

Garden camellia in temperate latitudes is cultivated in closed ground, therefore, we will consider the features of planting and caring for a plant in a city apartment or a private house.

Way back home

Autumn-beginning of winter is the peak of camellias on sale. If you were presented with a flower, the first step is to carefully examine it.

• Have healthy plant foliage is clean, dark green, buds do not dry out, flowers with dense elastic petals.
• The root collar is flush with the soil.
• The substrate should be moist, but at the same time crumble in your hands.

Even if something is wrong with the plant, do not rush to transplant, let it adapt to a new place, get used to the microclimate of the room.

But the right conditions need to be created from the first day.

For Japanese camellia, namely, its hybrids are sold more often than others, diffused light is needed. In the cold season, a window sill, a glazed balcony on the north or east side is suitable. With the onset of spring, it will be uncomfortable for the plant to be close to the glass, sunburn is possible, so it is better to keep it at some distance from the window.

A common option for summer keeping a flower is in the garden. Pots with a plant are dropped in the lacy partial shade of trees, where there is a lot of diffused light. TO open air they are taught gradually, at first they are carried out for several hours. They return to the room with the onset of low, but positive! temperatures.

The second vital condition is temperature. The main enemy of blooming camellia is city heating; so that she does not get sick, in winter she needs a temperature in the range of 10-12⁰ C. Therefore, feel free to purchase delightful flower if you have a glazed loggia, a cool veranda or a winter garden.

In summer, the plant feels comfortable at a temperature of 20-25⁰C, with a good supply of fresh air it will withstand hotter days. The temperature should be gradually reduced from about mid-autumn - this has a beneficial effect on the laying of flower buds.

The third condition is high air humidity. The ideal mode (90%) can be created in the greenhouse, in the room this figure is slightly lower. Reach it with a special humidifier. If there is none, spraying is carried out, a vessel with water is placed next to the pot so that evaporation occurs.

The balcony is one of the most suitable places for a winter flowering indoor culture

Watering

Camellia is picky about watering - this is the element of care, the intricacies of which you need to know both in indoor conditions and when growing crops in the garden. Here are the basic rules.

1. For irrigation, it is recommended to use warm and soft water (rain, thawed, purified).
2. Always watered in moderation, avoiding excessive drying out and waterlogging of the coma. Marker - the wet substrate crumbles.
3. The plant requires more frequent watering during the growing season (spring-summer), less watering during the dormant (flowering) period - late autumn, winter.
4. After watering, excess water is removed from the pan.

Top dressing

Flowering depletes the plant. With its end, top dressing begins. It is best to use professional fertilizers for camellias, azaleas, rhododendrons, in which the complex of nutritional components is already balanced for the needs. The frequency of top dressing is once every two weeks, all the time while the shoots are growing. Since August, feeding is stopped - this is a signal for laying generative buds and forcing buds

Transfer, choice of soil mixture

Camellia flower is usually transplanted every 2-3 years. The approach to choosing a planting container is the same as for other indoor plants - 1 cm larger in diameter than the previous one. Plastic pots hold moisture well.

It is better to purchase a soil mixture intended for camellias, azaleas. Its main property is an acidic reaction. Compound:

• horse (sour) peat;
• rotted coniferous litter;
• leafy land;
• perlite;
• coarse river sand.

Before transplanting, the flower is freed from the old substrate, the roots are slightly "combed", removing the rotten parts. A shard is placed on the drainage hole, drainage (expanded clay, stones) is poured, sprinkled with a layer of coarse sand, and then the planting proceeds directly. The substrate is pre-moistened, watered after planting so that it better envelops the roots.

The most suitable time for transplanting is the end of flowering.

In the photo - camellia transplant

Do you need pruning?

If you are not forming a bonsai, the plant needs minimal pruning. What and when are they pruned?

• Shoots that spoil the appearance of the crown.
• Twigs growing inward and interfering with others.
• The apex of the shoot, if it is necessary to stimulate its branching.

It is advisable to prune before the start of vegetative growth, i.e. in the spring. You cannot combine transplanting and pruning a flower, this will complicate its restoration.

Reproduction of camellia

Camellias are propagated by cuttings and grown from seeds.

Cutting allows you to preserve the variety of the crop. Cuttings are cut from green (non-lignified) apical shoots. You can do this at any time of the year, but better in summer... The length of the stem is 6–8 cm with 3-5 leaves, which are cut in half to reduce the evaporation area.

For rooting, a wet mixture of coarse sand and peat (in half) is prepared, the cut of the cuttings is treated with root or other stimulant, and planted at an angle of 45⁰. The dishes with cuttings are covered with a transparent cap on top, under which they will remain until the roots appear - and this is 3-4 months. The mini-green is regularly ventilated, moistened, and the temperature is maintained at 20–25⁰ С.

The second option is to grow camellia from seeds at home. But it must be remembered that with this method, 80% of the characteristics of the mother plant are preserved.

Seeds are sown in the same mixture as for grafting. The seeds are placed at a distance of 5–7 cm, sprinkled with a substrate, moistened and sent under a transparent cap for germination. Seedlings with two real leaves dive into small pots already with full-fledged soil.

Camellia seeds contain a lot of oils, so they germinate while fresh. It is better to sow them immediately after ripening, in the spring and summer months. If there is a need to preserve the seeds, they are placed in peat, perlite, put in a refrigerator or lowered into a basement - a temperature of no higher than 10 ° C is needed.

In the photo - rooted camellia cuttings

Japanese rose in the garden

With the advent of frost-resistant varieties of bush camellia, it is tempting to grow it in the garden, in this case, planting and care have their own nuances.

It is encouraging that some hybrids can withstand up to 20⁰ frost. But do not forget that it is winter flowering plant... Yes, the roots will hold sub-zero temperature, perhaps even some of the shoots will remain, but the shrub will not bloom in the frost. We are talking, firstly, about a short-term decrease in temperature, and secondly, in order for the bush to bloom, positive temperatures should be established by the end of January. So, whatever one may say, but we can grow camellia in the garden only in the south.

Planting requirements are similar to indoor ones - partial shade, acidic soil, abundant watering. But since the plant remains to winter in the ground, it is recommended to insulate the root zone with mulching materials - foliage, sawdust, crushed bark. If during flowering there is a threat of frost, it is recommended to wrap the camellia crown with lutrasil at night.

We have tried to outline all the nuances of growing a flower culture. If you remember and observe them, the camellia will conquer you with refined grace, and will not be capricious at all.

Tips for growing Japanese camellia:

Behind the garden camellias, an identification with roses has taken root, only those that bloom in winter, when all the plants are asleep. Although the similarity of these two colors lies only in their appearance: splendor and shape. But the garden camellia in its agricultural technology differs from other ornamental shrubs, planting and caring for it are special.

Frost-resistant varieties of camellia

Today, among the many cultivated varieties of camellias, there are varieties that are adapted to winter cold. They can be grown on open ground even in places where winters are very harsh.

Just in order for success to be justified, you, as a gardener, will need to carefully select growing conditions and provide careful care for the camellia. And then the beauty of the blooming camellia will pay off a hundredfold all the efforts made.

Camellia as a species combines many varieties with a wide variety of forms: from small shrubs to huge trees.

But frost-resistant varieties of camellia have been bred for hundreds of years, and only in the 21st century, seedlings of crops that can grow in open soil even in frosty winters began to spread massively. The following are the best frost-resistant camellia varieties:

All of them begin to bloom in spring, and even retain their foliage in winter.

Camellia varieties - seemingly fragile and delicate purple-pink ornamental shrub... The rounded flower petals vaguely resemble an orchid. The flower is 10 cm in diameter.

This variety is very slow-growing, forgives small care errors and is suitable even for beginner gardeners or those who have no experience in growing camellias. The lush dark green crown only emphasizes the luxurious scattering of large bright flowers.

Camellia varieties also have purple-pink flowers, only in a more saturated color range. Unlike the previous variety, Debbie grows quickly, and her abundance of flowering does not suffer at all.

Its flowers are smaller and more double, and the petals are rounded, but in general, these two varieties are very similar. Debbie is not afraid of precipitation or late snow, she does not require complex care and is very suitable for getting to know the world of camellias.

Japanese camellia varieties bloom with pearl-pink buds with tints. But the flowers are actually chameleons. With further blooming, they turn white.

It is a slender ornamental shrub with elongated branches and a dense crown. Camellia grows slowly and mainly upward, slightly adding to the diameter of the crown.

Camellia flowers are red in color with a slight coral shade and a silky texture. This is a real work of art among plants, decorated with bright stamens.

Branching Freedom Bell is very dense, straight growth and large, beautiful glossy leaves. This variety tolerates pruning well. In case of deformation and freezing of shoots, they can be shortened without fear.

Japanese camellia is strikingly different from the previous variety with its bright and variegated red flowers. White and scarlet spots stand out interestingly on them. White streaks on the petals increase as the buds bloom.

Did you know? To date, more than 10,000 species and varieties of camellias are known.

How to buy a young seedling in a store

It is better not to purchase camellia seedlings in advance, but to buy immediately before planting. Choose only seedlings that are at least four years old. They should have powerful lignified shoots.

If you buy a frost-resistant variety, make sure of its properties in the store. The supplier must provide full information on the possibility of growing camellias in regions with snowy and frosty winters and on the range of tolerable temperatures.

The meaning of this is that, although the variety is frost-resistant, a certain batch of seedlings can be grown in milder climatic conditions. And this can turn into disastrous consequences for the camellia in the very first winter.

Confirm the frost resistance of each plant purchased by asking guiding questions to the seller / supplier.

Planting a garden camellia

A gardener planting camellias must know where it is best to plant it, how to properly care for it, what kind of soil should be, how much to water it and in what quantities to feed it. The full life of a shrub begins with its planting in open land.

Dates of planting in open ground

Planting camellia must be done between the twenties of April and the tenth of June.

How to choose a landing site

For camellias, temperate and humid climates are most preferred. For planting in other regions, the plant must undergo adaptation. Further cultivation of camellia in the garden should begin by choosing a shady place where strong winds do not penetrate.

The eastern side and constant exposure to direct sunlight do not have a beneficial effect on the camellia. The shrub will grow well in partial shade or in constant shade - just not in the dark.

Camellia needs cool air and short daylight hours for buds to germinate. Camellia flower buds are laid at a temperature of 17 to 20 ° C, and bloom - from 8 to 13 ° C.

How to prepare the soil for planting a seedling

You can prepare the optimal soil yourself. It is enough to mix peat soil, sand, coniferous litter and ground bark. You can buy ready-made soil in the store, which is intended for growing azaleas and rhododendrons.

Often, a purchased camellia is planted in the country. In this case, you need to opt for a flowering specimen. During this period, the plant is in a state of rest, and with the accumulated forces of the camellia, it will be easier to transfer adaptation to the new habitat.

The shrub must be carefully removed from the container, keeping the fragile roots intact. When planting camellia, do not deeply deepen its root collar into the soil.

But do not leave the root system too close to the surface, because there is a high probability that the plant will die at the first onset of frost. After planting the camellia, water it abundantly and mulch it.

Did you know? One of the ancient legends says that beautiful virgins from Saturn were turned into camellias, who did not succumb to the spell of the god of love Cupid. In memory of this, camellias are symbolized with coldness and insensitivity.

Features of caring for camellia in the garden

Despite its unpretentiousness, garden camellia needs mandatory and proper regular care.

Watering and feeding plants

When watering camellias during flowering, make sure that no water gets on the buds or flowers. In summer, the plant needs regular moisture, which must be produced very generously. In winter, the intensity of watering must be significantly reduced.

But it also happens that camellia sheds leaves, and sometimes buds, what should I do in this case? First, this is the very first sign that the soil is either insufficiently moistened or poorly fertilized. The way out is obvious - the normalization of watering and an increase in the quality of feeding.

Important! Camellia growing in the garden is demanding on the composition of the water and its quality. Do not water the plant with water that contains lime. For this purpose, soft, well-settled water is best suited.

Camellia needs high-quality feeding, especially in spring, during the formation of new shoots, when the active period of its growth begins. It should be fed until the end of summer twice a month.

Important! Do not overdo it with feeding. The camellia root system does not require a lot of food. You need to feed the plant only when the soil is well moistened.

You need to introduce fertilizing only based on organic matter and mineral fertilizers... You can buy them at any gardening store. When the summer season gives way to autumn and new buds are formed, feeding can be stopped.

Overfeeding the plant will cause it to grow at the proper resting time. In this case, an adult camellia can be severely damaged, and a young one can completely freeze.

Pruning and replanting

It is necessary to transplant camellia during its rest period, namely with the onset of winter. There are two active periods of plant growth:

1. The first - from the beginning of April and for three weeks.
2. The second is from early July to autumn.

Important! Transplanting camellia in the growth phase is fraught with disastrous consequences: the plant can stop growing or even die.

Taking care of a young plant correctly, it should be replanted annually. And during the flowering period, camellias need to be transplanted to a new place every two years.

For greater density and branching, camellia shoots need to be pinched when transplanting. To stimulate bud formation, you need to trim the camellia in mid-autumn.

Camellia is unpretentious in terms of pruning branches, but it will be beneficial only if pruning at the end of the flowering period. If the bush has been pruned too much, then it will need more careful maintenance. The affected shrub will need to be moistened more often.

Preparing a bush for winter

V summer period camellia grows in the garden, for the winter it can be dug up and transferred to the room for the winter. It is quite difficult to save the shrub, since heating has a bad effect on the plant.

The best place for camellias is warm balcony or any other room with conditions similar to a cold greenhouse.

In winter, the flowering of camellia is most intense, but this is achieved only at night temperatures of 0 ... + 5 ° С. This is the main factor in which the garden camellia blooms most intensively and for a long time.

Reproduction of camellias at home

Camellia can propagate like most other plants: by seeds, layering, grafting and grafting.

Garden camellias are best propagated by semi-lignified cuttings, which are cut closer to August. The stalk should have five leaves, about 8 cm long.

How to root camellia? Its cutting should be planted in sand or a mixture of sand and peat soil in a 1: 1 ratio. The end of the cutting is dipped in phytohormone, which helps to better heat the soil.

Its temperature should be about 25 degrees. In such conditions, the cutting will take root for two months.

Be sure to take only semi-lignified cuttings. Green young shoots are not suitable for reproduction. Rooted cuttings are planted in separate pots.

Seeds

The seed breeding method for camellia is the most effective. When to plant camellia seeds? They ripen by mid-autumn. The seeds must be sown immediately after harvest, otherwise their germination will be quickly lost due to the large amount of oil.

Sow the seeds into a mixture of peat and sand in wooden boxes... Seedling growth accelerates at 20 ° C and lasts from several weeks to one year. Then, with the appearance of two leaves, the seedlings dive one at a time into separate pots with a diameter of 7 cm.

Camellias grown from seeds adapt much better to harsh conditions and grow faster.

Usually the plant blooms in the fifth or seventh year, but some varieties bloom in the second or third.

Did you know? Camellias appeared in Europe in 1738 thanks to the Jesuit monk Joseph Kamel. In his honor, the plant began to be called "camellia".

Frequent problems with growing, possible diseases and pests of camellias

Diseases of camellia can be both treated and prevented, the main thing is to know the methods of struggle and prevention.

Yellow spot. Individual leaves and the shoots of the plant are covered with yellow spots of various shapes. The disease can manifest itself as a result of genetic abnormalities, and under the influence of viral diseases.

How to fight: queen cells must be carefully selected. Plants even with least signs manifestations of yellow spot must be removed.

Phylostictyosis. Leaves are covered with brown spots irregular shape... This disease manifests itself as a result of increased air humidity and damage to foliage.

How to fight: the affected leaves must be removed. For the quickest drying of the plant, the air humidity must be reduced. Before the onset of winter, camellia must be treated with one of the preparations: Saporol, copper sulfate, Bordeaux mixture, Abiga Peak.

Weevil-skosar. This pest can be identified by the leaves nibbled at the edges. The larvae of this insect are much more dangerous than the mother. They damage the root system. They look like white worms 1 cm long with a brown head.

How to fight: perfectly cope with pests Bazudin in granules, Iskra gold, Mukhoed and Medvetoks.

Shields and false shields. They damage even young shoots, and on the surface of the stems, bumps of golden or brown color are visible. Insects can be simply picked off with something subtle.

How to fight: with a small lesion, you can get rid of pests with a toothbrush. After that, moisten a cotton swab in kerosene and wipe the stems. The dense film does not allow air to pass through, and insects die from asphyxiation. If the lesions are more global, then the camellia must be treated with insecticides. Mineral oil works well.

The leaves of the plant over the entire area acquire an uneven yellow-white color. There is a dark discharge on the underside of the leaves. Thrips are tiny oblong yellow or brown insects that settle on the underside of leaves. They appear when the air temperature rises and the humidity rises. Severely affected leaves dry and fall off.

How to fight: you need to hang blue sticky traps near the plants. To completely get rid of pests, camellias are sprayed with insecticides Aktara, Aktellik, Fufanon, Fitoverm, Tanrek, Iskra, etc. After five days, the treatment must be repeated, since the insects go through several stages of development.

The leaves are colored with yellow dots, which expand over time, discolor and dry out. The mites, only 0.5 mm in size, live among the cobwebs below the leaves. Mites appear from heat and dry air.

How to fight: in the first stages, you can treat the camellia with soapy water or mineral oil. For a more extensive one, Fitoverm, Akarin, Vertimek, Lightning and others will help.

The use of camellia plants in different fields

Camellias are planted in bright, cool rooms. Their flowers are perfect for decorating apartments and halls.

Camellia buds and leaves are made from medications... It is the young buds that are used to make drinks, as fermentation takes place in them.

Young camellia buds and leaves contain enzymes that increase the body's metabolic processes and promote the elimination of excess fat.

The phenolic compounds found in the leaves have a calming effect and break down lipids. Thus, fewer calories are supplied to the body. A decoction of camellia roots treats diarrhea.

On the basis of camellia seed oil, all kinds of cosmetics... For example, lipsticks with camellia oil are applied in a thinner and lighter layer. A decoction of the leaves makes hair more manageable and silky.

A healthy and aromatic tea is prepared from dried camellia leaves. It can also be prepared at home. Five-leafed shoots should be harvested from May to September. They are laid out on a wooden board and dried for half a day.

Then it is rolled into tubes and spread on a wet towel in a layer 7 cm thick and left for five hours. When the leaves start to smell and take on a copper-red color, they need to be dried in the oven at 50 ° C. Tea can be brewed.

In China, camellia leaves are used to treat dysentery, heal wounds, soothe stomach upsets, treat malaria, epilepsy and anemia. They help well with overwork.

Thanks to the tonic and astringent properties of camellia flowers, hemorrhoids are successfully and painlessly cured. A decoction of flowers stops internal and external bleeding.

Important! Be sure to observe the dosage when taking camellia raw material as a remedy.

And finally, I would like to understand one more question: what does the camellia flower symbolize?
For a long time camellia was the "flower of the samurai". Only representatives of this class could grow camellias and decorate clothes with them. But in the 15th century, such a belief suddenly arose that a samurai who touched a camellia would inevitably be beheaded. The explanation is simple.

The plucked camellia flower does not crumble when it hits the ground, and the associative imagination of the Japanese has added its colors.

In ancient times, according to the Shinto tradition, camellia was a symbol of the sun goddess Amaterasu, later - Jesus, with the advent of Christianity. Today camellia symbolizes stamina and longevity.

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Camellia is an evergreen flowering plant from the Tea family. It is mainly found in the subtropics of Eurasia and North America, but can also be cultivated as a houseplant or greenhouse plant around the world. Camellia is used for decorative purposes and also has medicinal properties. Some types of leaves are used as raw materials for tea. Many growers are afraid to grow a plant due to their capricious nature, however, it is enough to study a few features of care in order to avoid problems and enjoy amazing flowers.

Description of the plant

Camellia - perennial shrub or a tree 2-20 m in height. Stems branch from the base and quickly lignify. Young green shoots are pubescent. Over time, they become naked and turn gray or light brown in color.

On the branches of this evergreen plant, there are alternate, short-peaked leaves of an oval or ovoid shape. They have smooth or finely serrated edges and a pointed, elongated end. Monochromatic dark green leaves fold slightly along the embossed central vein. Each node can contain 1-3 sheets. The length of the shiny leaf plate, pubescent along the veins, is 3-17 cm.

Camellia blooms in November-December and can last until the end of winter. A single flower lives up to 1 month. Large single flowers are located on straight pedicels. Their diameter is 1-12 cm. The bases of the petals grow together into a short tube. The petals themselves are arranged in 1 or more tiers. They have a wide oval or rounded shape with a wavy edge. The center of the flower consists of a lush bunch of numerous yellow stamens with large anthers. Flowers do not exude a smell. Their color is dominated by white, red, pink and yellow... The petals are solid or variegated.

After pollination, the fruits ripen - dry capsules, divided into 5 compartments. Inside them are rather large angular seeds. They quickly lose their germination due to their high oil content.

Camellia species

The international classification of camellia includes more than 250 species.

The most common plant among gardeners is in the form of a spreading shrub or tree 1.5-6 m high. The stems are covered with a smooth grayish bark. During the flowering period, a lot of flowers appear, located between the leathery dark green leaves. Flowering begins in November-May. In oriental medicine, the species is used to fight cancer. Varieties:

• Alba is a white camellia with simple flowers;
• Winter rose - large double buds of white or pinkish color.

The variety serves as a raw material for making tea. It is a bush or tree up to 10 m in height with spreading branches. Leathery dark green leaves grow 5-7 cm in length. Fragrant single flowers in leaf axils consist of a five-membered calyx and a simple corolla 25-30 mm in diameter. The color of the flowers is creamy yellow or white.

Woody shrub 2.5-3 m high consists of branched, pounded shoots. The annual growth is covered with light pubescence. Gradually, it is replaced by a brownish-green or brown smooth bark. Another short-peaked foliage dark green has serrated edges and pubescent along the central vein. Large sessile flowers are arranged singly or in groups of up to 3 buds. Their color is dominated by pink and red, but there are also white flowers. The plant is used as an oilseed crop. On the basis of this species, several decorative garden varieties were obtained that are resistant to frost, and therefore suitable for growing in temperate climates. The most famous varieties:

• Bicolor - a wide pink border is located along the edge of the petals, and the bases are white;
• Chansonnier - double pale pink flowers;
• Cleopatra is a simple corolla with elongated pink petals.

Reproduction

Camellia is usually propagated by cuttings. For this, in the summer (June-July), young shoots are cut from the tops of the branches. It is better to take mature stems with olive bark, but younger, bright green ones are also suitable. Immediately after cutting, the cuttings are distributed in pots with sandy-peat soil or perlite. They are covered with a bag to maintain high humidity, regularly ventilated and sprayed. It is necessary to keep the greenhouse in diffused light and at a temperature of + 20 ... + 25 ° C. A full-fledged rhizome is formed in 1.5-2 months. After that, the shelter is removed. You can carry out cuttings in January, but then the rooting process will take longer.

Sometimes camellia seed propagation is practiced, although it is not suitable for highly decorative varieties and is more often used in breeding work. Soon after collecting seeds, they are planted in disposable cups or peat pots with loose garden soil... During germination, the temperature should be + 20… + 23 ° C. The soil is sprayed regularly. Seedlings with 2 true leaves dive into a larger container.

For poorly rooting varieties, the grafting method is used. The procedure is carried out in January. A developed shoot with 2-3 buds is fixed on the species stock. The plant is kept at a temperature of + 18 ... + 20 ° C. It needs to be watered and sprayed regularly, as well as shaded from direct sunlight. The engraftment process takes 2 months.

Home care

For an elegant, but sometimes capricious camellia, it is important to create an optimal living environment.

Lighting. The plant needs long daylight hours and bright, but diffused lighting. Shaded rooms are also suitable for the Japanese variety. Direct sunlight quickly damages the leaves, so the crown is shaded.

Temperature. In spring and summer, camellia forms flower buds, so it needs a temperature of + 20 ... + 25 ° C. Throughout the year, a hotter climate will not work for the flower. From mid-autumn, the temperature is gradually reduced to + 10 ... + 12 ° C. You can keep the plant even on unheated loggia... It can withstand frosts down to -10 ° C. For the summer, it is advisable to take indoor camellias to fresh air (balcony, veranda, garden).

Humidity. Camellias live in the tropics and subtropics, so high humidity is vital for them. Flowers are sprayed several times a day, and in winter in heating season use humidifiers. It should be remembered that drops on flowers lead to a rapid withering of the latter.

Watering. The higher the air temperature, the more abundant watering should be. Since autumn, it has been gradually reduced. The soil should dry out by 1-2 cm, no more. Stagnant water in the sump is not allowed. The liquid should be soft and well cleaned. Usually they use rainwater or that which has been defended for at least 3 days.

Fertilizer. From the beginning of active growth (April-May) and until the end of July, camellia is fed twice a month with mineral complexes for indoor flowers. Since August, all feeding is stopped, which is a signal for laying the buds.

Transfer. Since the camellia is still in full bloom in spring, its transplant is carried out at the beginning of winter. The roots are easily damaged, so they use the method of transferring to a larger pot. The procedure is performed every 2-3 years. A thick layer of drainage material must be poured onto the bottom. The root collar is placed on the soil surface. The soil must be sufficiently loose, water and air permeable. It is imperative that the earth is acidic or slightly acidic. The mixture for planting can be composed independently from the following components:

• sheet land (2 parts);
• coniferous land (2 parts);
• high-moor peat (2 parts);
• vermiculite (2 parts);
• sand (1 part);
• bark of coniferous trees (0.5 parts).

Pruning. Periodically, the camellia can be cut, giving it the desired shape. This should be done at the end of the flowering period. If too many flowers are formed at the budding stage, the plant may become sick. Because of this, some of the buds are removed, leaving 2-3 flowers on the shoot.

Growing in the garden

In the south of Russia, along the Black Sea coast and in the Caucasus, camellias are successfully grown in the garden. Bushes with a dense crown or short trees, which bloom between dense dark green leaves bright flowers, look very decorative. Appeared in last years hybrid varieties allow you to grow a plant in open ground in regions where the temperature does not drop below -20 ° C in winter. Moreover, garden plants are more flexible in nature.

Camellia is planted in partial shade, in a place protected from drafts. You can put her under high deciduous trees with an openwork crown and a deep-lying rhizome, as well as near a hedge or wall of a house. They will create protection from the midday sun. You cannot choose a place in deep shade, since there will be no flowers at all.

The soil should be loose and fertile. When planting, it is important not to deepen the root collar. It is placed flush with the soil.

Camellia will have to be watered regularly so that the soil is constantly slightly moist, but not waterlogged. Watering continues further in winter at positive temperatures.

In May-July they make monthly mineral dressing designed specifically for camellia (full dose) or rhododendron (half dose).

In autumn, the soil near the trunk is mulched with fallen leaves and crushed bark, and then covered with spruce branches. If frosts rarely occur in winter, then additional shelter is not needed. In more northern regions, the base of the trunk is covered with non-woven material. At night, the crown with flowers is also covered with lutrasil.

Common in the southern tropics from Japan to the Philippines, camellia rules the evergreen forests in southern Russia. Gorgeous and sophisticated, she can not help but please. Its flowers, vaguely reminiscent of roses, amaze the imagination with their regal beauty. Camellia, a very demanding culture, to grow it in a summer cottage will require some knowledge, but responsive to care and feeding, the princess will reward with a long festive fireworks of flowers. Giving a luxurious garden space needs care and attention.

Evergreen camellia: description

The genus camellia of the tea family has up to 80 varieties, which are either trees. The decoration of the shrub is the leaves - glossy, leathery oval, pointed single or accrete at the base, as well as flowers of all shades of white-pink-lilac. Many species are widespread due to their high decorative qualities. Garden camellia blooms in winter time when the thermometer reading does not exceed 12 ° C. The duration of flowering of the shrub is also surprising. It ranges from 1 to 3 months. Each flower is capable of not fading for about a month. On this amazing appear in the winter at the ends of the shoots. The blooming garden camellia, the photo of which is presented, is a festive and solemn sight. She is able to radically change any, even the most dull and unpromising area. That is why, among landscape designers, camellia is on a high pedestal. These magnificent shrubs are invaluable in landscaping interiors, creating park and garden compositions... The most interesting object in creating landscape masterpieces is considered to be a garden or shrub, reaching 10-15 m in height, common in the subtropical forests of Japan and China. Distinctive feature Japanese camellia is the presence of large red single flowers located in the axils and at the tops of branches. Flowering is spectacular and long-lasting. In culture, up to 1000 different garden forms and varieties with a wide variety of double and semi-double flowers with a diameter of 4 to 15 cm. Japanese camellia is photophilous, but it also tolerates a little shading.

Garden camellia: planting and care

The easiest way to propagate camellia is by seed. Usually freshly harvested seeds are sown, the germination rate of which is 80-90%. They are not stored, as they rapidly lose their ability to germinate. The ideal soil for sowing is a mixture of river sand and peat in equal proportions. To accelerate seed germination, the air in the room where the seedlings are grown is warmed up to + 22 ° C. Seedlings germinate and take root throughout the year. It should be remembered that the young seedlings obtained are distinguished by a low level of resistance to adverse influences, however, with quality care they develop intensively, increasing the degree of winter hardiness, which distinguishes the garden camellia. Care and cultivation ends with flowering, which usually occurs in the fifth or seventh year, sometimes after 2-3 years.

Propagation by cuttings

For propagation of varietal camellias, the vegetative method is more suitable - with apical cuttings, for which shoots of the current year with two or three internodes with developed axillary and apical buds are chosen. The sizes of cuttings are purely individual, ranging from 3 to 12 cm and depend on the variety of camellia. They are cut in July or August. From the bottom of the cutting under the axillary bud, the most oblique cut is made, the bottom sheet is also cut off. To increase the likelihood of rooting, cuttings are placed in a solution of stimulants for 5-7 hours and planted in clean river sand, covered with glass or film. An important condition for rooting is maintaining a constant temperature in the region of 23-27 ° C. Rooting takes a long time - up to one and a half to two months. Treatment with a stimulant significantly increases the rooting rate and forms a powerful root system of the plant.

Preparing the soil for planting in a permanent place

Garden camellia is a lover of acidic soils. Fertile and permeable soils are especially suitable for planting this shrub. When planting, it is important to remember: the camellia should not be buried too deep, its root collar should be flush with the ground. Once a year, the shrub needs feeding. Organic matter is considered the best fertilizer for camellia. At the end of summer, when the plant begins to form buds for flowering next year, the camellia is fertilized with humus, chicken droppings. There is no need to feed the shrub later, as the buds may fall off. A prerequisite good development plants are mulching with leaf humus, grass, crushed bark or chips, that is, everything that ensures the preservation of soil acidity and moisture at the roots. When mulching, it is necessary to leave the root collar open, as otherwise the camellia can rot.

Watering

Good development resulting from correct cultivation, will appreciate the garden camellia. Planting and care, as well as competent watering, contribute to
rapid growth plants. Regular watering should be provided in all seasons. In the summer they water more generously, taking into account the weather conditions and the landing site. If the summer is hot and dry, it is necessary to spray the bush. In cooler winters, watering is more careful and infrequent.

Camellia care

Camellias thrive in humid and temperate climates. They are quite winter-hardy and can withstand frosts down to -20 ° C, prefer shade, and in areas with dry hot summers - a shady location. Camellias are especially fond of being located next to a fence, wall or other higher culture, that is, a support that protects from the winds and the bright sun. The flowering time of the plant is unusual: autumn - winter - early spring. Such are biological features of this genus: short daylight hours and coolness are required for the formation of high-quality buds and flowering shrubs. Comfortable air temperature for setting flower buds is 18-20 ° C, for flowering - 8-12 ° C. Camellias love diffused light, but not direct bright sunlight. Blooming representatives of the tea family are not afraid of night frosts, but when the flowers quickly thaw in the morning sun, they lose their appearance and die. Therefore, camellias are usually not planted on the eastern slopes.

Pruning

Form the crown of the camellia in the spring, pinching the tops of the shoots. This is done in order for the garden camellia to branch better. Landing is not a complicated operation. In late autumn, shoot pruning is required to stimulate axillary bud growth. Repeating this operation annually, you can achieve excellent decorative effect and flowering of the bush.

Pests and diseases

Unfortunately, pests and diseases do not bypass camellias. It is often attacked by fungi, aphids and worms. Fungal diseases are manifested by the appearance of gray and black spots on the leaves and brown spots on the flowers. A diseased plant cannot be restored, so it is better to remove and burn it.

The garden camellia, amazing in beauty and duration of flowering, gives incredible joy. Planting and caring for this culture is not as burdensome as they write in many publications, but it is impossible to contain emotions, looking at the regal decoration of a magnificent tree.