Forum home› Problem solving
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

Camelia leaf problem

baytree1970R7WNg390baytree1970R7WNg390 Posts: 53
in Problem solving
My camelia has had leaf problems for a while. Any idea how to fix this?

Full disclosure - until recently it was in multipurpose compost, I only recently learned it needs ericaceous compost and I have repotted it. It was also a bit root bound until a couple of months ago and is now in a bigger pot.

Thanks!

Posts

  • chickychicky Posts: 10,410
    looks like camellia leaf blight to me.  My RHS book says to remove affected leaves and dispose (don’t compost).  Damp conditions encourage it so don’t water from above, but do keep the plants well watered and fed, as the healthier they are the more likely they are to shed it off
  • chickychicky Posts: 10,410
    https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=558

    Here you go .....
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Compost alone isn't enough if it's staying potted. Needs to be a soil based medium. They aren't easy to keep in pots unless you have optimum conditions. Plenty of water, good drainage, and a sheltered position out of cold winds, with some shade especially from early morning to mid day sun. Rainwater for watering them if you don't live in an area with soft tap water.

    It also isn't unusual for them to drop foliage - all evergreens do - but they look like they've had a bit of weather damage more than anything. Difficult to tell from those photos how big the shrub is too. It may have been struggling for a while.
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • baytree1970R7WNg390baytree1970R7WNg390 Posts: 53
    It's not a big shrub, it's maybe 60cm high. I'd say it's 3 or 4 years old. We have had frost this year and it's also pretty windy here. Maybe that's the issue?
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Wind will certainly be a problem for new foliage. They're shrubs which prefer some shade and protection-  from other planting ideally. Pots dry out far more quickly in windy conditions too, and as April was exceptionally dry, it would have needed plenty of water through that month. 
    They come from cold areas so frost doesn't affect them -it only affects emerging flower buds. It's why they benefit from a sheltered position from morning sun after a frost. They're unbelievably hardy shrubs :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • chickychicky Posts: 10,410
    I don’t think its frost damage.  I think its a fungal disease (see my two posts above) and the fact that the plant is not growing strongly, because its growing conditions  are not ideal, means that is more susceptible to such problems.
  • baytree1970R7WNg390baytree1970R7WNg390 Posts: 53
    ok, thanks both for your advice
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Yes - I think @chicky is right - there's a wee bit of blight there. Not a huge problem though. Just remove those leaves and destroy them.
    It's harder for potted camellias [like many shrubs]  to do well as it's not ideal for them unless they have really good growing conditions. It's good that you've re potted, as being rootbound, and short of nutrition, can create the stress that leads to problems. Every year, remove the top layer of soil and refresh that too, to give it a boost too. Hopefully, it will improve and do well  :)

    A healthy shrub in the ground can shrug off these things easily, whereas a container grown plant struggles more. They become huge shrubs with the right growing conditions  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Sign In or Register to comment.