Hi folks i've had my camellia lady campbell for a couple years and it seemed to be growing well but it hasn't flowered. When i brought the plant it was in flower but after that year it hasn't flowered again. Any ideas?
They need quite a bit of water in summer and Autumn to help produce flower buds for the following year. We use an ericaceous liquid feed every two weeks during the growing season too. Your plant looks lovely and healthy, so don't worry , maybe next spring 🙂
Your shrub is too young to be growing with gravel round the base. They may cope better once matured and creating some sort of shadow over the root space. I would remove the gravel around it. In summer, if you get sun shining down, the area will get too hot.
Camellias prefer semi shaded areas with cool roots. Your shrub will flower when you give it those conditions and as others have stated, they need to be kept moist around the roots through the summer months.
Camellias grow very well here in full sun and with heatwaves in the 40C area. They flower profusely thru spring.
What you need to understand is that their natural habitat is the monsoon zone of Asia so you need to emulate that and make sure the plant is generously watered thru July/August to September/October which is when these plants form their flower buds for the following year. Going thirsty will prevent or abort bud formation.
It's best to give it one or two deep drinks a week rather than light dribbles so give it 15l at a time, poured slowly so it soaks in deep and encourages the feeding and drinking roots to go down deep and not stay near the surface where they will fry in heatwaves. If your tap water is hard, add some special liquid feed for ericaceous plants or use harvested rainwater from a butt. Adding some liquid tomato or rose feed will also help with flower bud formation.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
Our soil is clayish so we don't water. But they need acid soil. So an ericaceous feed once a year helps them establish - and mulch the roots with compost. And ditch the pebbles (as per others).
Ours is now 12 year old, 1 meter high and fully frost hardy.. but frost will damage the flowers. Flowers annually: neglected.
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Camellias prefer semi shaded areas with cool roots. Your shrub will flower when you give it those conditions and as others have stated, they need to be kept moist around the roots through the summer months.
What you need to understand is that their natural habitat is the monsoon zone of Asia so you need to emulate that and make sure the plant is generously watered thru July/August to September/October which is when these plants form their flower buds for the following year. Going thirsty will prevent or abort bud formation.
It's best to give it one or two deep drinks a week rather than light dribbles so give it 15l at a time, poured slowly so it soaks in deep and encourages the feeding and drinking roots to go down deep and not stay near the surface where they will fry in heatwaves. If your tap water is hard, add some special liquid feed for ericaceous plants or use harvested rainwater from a butt. Adding some liquid tomato or rose feed will also help with flower bud formation.
And ditch the pebbles (as per others).
Ours is now 12 year old, 1 meter high and fully frost hardy.. but frost will damage the flowers. Flowers annually: neglected.