Can camellia survive in the north? (Why can't I keep the camellia I bought alive?)

Camellia is mainly distributed in the Yangtze River Basin and Fujian and other places in China. Camellia is also called camellia. Camellia likes warmth, so it is a big challenge to cultivate it in the north, and it is even more difficult to keep camellia alive .

Moreover, the weather in the north gets cold early, and the temperature is cold in late autumn. When the temperature drops to around 10 degrees, the camellia should be moved indoors. As for the daily maintenance, let's talk about it today.

1. Purchase time

Nowadays, people usually buy camellia online. Online shopping is convenient and fast, but there are many problems.

Merchants who sell camellia are generally in the south. If you buy it in the north, the transportation time is longer, and it usually takes 2-3 days for express delivery to get it.

Therefore, the time of purchase is key. It is not advisable to purchase in the hot summer season. The cool spring and autumn seasons are good times to buy camellia .

2. Soil configuration

Camellia is suitable for slightly acidic soil, and it is best to configure the soil in this direction. However, the soil should be adapted to local conditions and should be satisfied as much as possible. It does not matter if it cannot be satisfied, and it can be improved through watering and fertilization in the later stage.

In addition to slightly acidic, water permeability and water retention must be taken into consideration. If the water permeability is too good, the soil will dry easily, and if the water retention is too good, water will accumulate and the roots will rot easily. Another simple criterion is that after watering, it is OK if the water can penetrate within one minute.

3. The problem of root washing

Whether the newly purchased camellia needs to be washed has always been a controversial issue. Washing the roots will hurt the roots, which is beyond doubt, so it is best not to wash the roots if possible, but in some cases, washing the roots is necessary.

Whether to wash the roots depends on the original soil of the camellia belt you purchased. There are roughly three types of soil for camellia belts.

The first is nutrient soil, which is the ideal soil. You can plant directly with nutrient soil and only need to remove a small amount of the original soil.

The second is red soil, which is the soil in the south and is more suitable for the growth of camellia.

However, it is difficult to find this kind of soil in the north. It is recommended to remove a little more, but not too much, about half will be enough. In addition, the soil prepared should not be much different from garden soil.

The third is sandy soil, which is the worst soil. It is recommended to wash the roots of this soil. If you buy this kind of camellia seedlings, you will find that the sand is difficult to remove, and there will be problems with sandwiched soil in the later growth, so it is best to remove it.

4. Slow down the seedlings after potting

After potting, acclimatization is a necessary procedure, and the acclimatization period of camellia is very long.

At the beginning of the seedling acclimatization, you can put it in a well-ventilated and shady place. After a period of time, you can expose it to the sun appropriately. Do not apply fertilizer during the period of seedling acclimatization to ensure that the soil in the pot is not dry but not waterlogged.

After new leaves of the camellia grow, its survival can be basically guaranteed. At this time, you can apply a small amount of fertilizer. Note that the fertilizer must be small and thin, and do not use concentrated fertilizer.

5. Daily maintenance of camellia

In the north, when caring for camellia, you can add a little acidic substance to water, such as vinegar, citric acid, etc., or use ferrous sulfate once a month . Fertilization must be thin, and well-rotted acidic organic fertilizer is best, such as alum fertilizer water, cake fertilizer water, rice washing water, etc.

Camellia likes moisture, so in the north you can only spray water more often or use a humidifier. Camellia has a long bud-forming period, which takes several months from the differentiation of flower buds in May to flowering. In late spring and early summer, you can add some phosphorus fertilizer.