Why do camellia buds fall off? (Why do camellia buds always fall off without blooming?)

Why does camellia buds fall off easily?

There are many reasons why camellia buds fall off. It is recommended to treat them according to the actual situation:

(1) Water imbalance

Camellias like moisture but avoid waterlogging, and they are also not drought-tolerant. Long-term waterlogging will cause yellow leaves and falling flower buds due to suffocation of the roots, while excessive drought will easily cause the flower buds to develop poorly and shrivel and fall off.

  Daily care and watering should best be carried out in combination with climate characteristics and soil dryness and humidity. When the weather is dry, in addition to normal watering, you can also use a spray to spray some foliar water to increase the ambient temperature.

(2) Excessive temperature difference

Camellia requires a relatively stable ambient temperature when it is in bloom, and the suitable growth temperature is around 10-15℃.

Abnormal or extreme weather is particularly prone to occur in late winter and early spring, such as warm winter and late spring cold snap. The temperature changes are like a roller coaster. When the ambient temperature is continuously above 20℃ or below zero for a long time, it is also easy to cause weak flower buds to fall naturally, thereby reducing the quality of flowering.

Especially in an open-air environment, the temperature difference is a climatic factor and is an uncontrollable factor. Potted plants are relatively better, and the temperature difference can be minimized through human intervention.

(3) Nutritional imbalance

Camellia has a long bud-growing period and requires sufficient nutrients, but it does not like concentrated fertilizers or raw fertilizers. Fertilizer damage can also cause a large number of flower buds to fall off.

For daily care, you can choose relatively mild quick-acting water-soluble fertilizers or slow-release fertilizers according to the growth cycle, and apply thin fertilizers frequently. Nitrogen fertilizers are generally used during the growth period of branches and leaves, while phosphorus and potassium fertilizers are used during the bud formation and flowering periods.

(4) Insufficient light

Camellias do not require full sunlight, but need to be placed in a bright, well-ventilated, diffuse light environment. Sufficient scattered sunlight is conducive to the differentiation of flower buds and promotes the continued growth of flower buds.

Camellias placed indoors for a long time may also cause yellowing leaves, weak flower buds, and frequent falling off due to lack of sunlight and ventilation.