How to prune camellia?

Camellia is loved by gardening enthusiasts for its elegant posture and beautiful flowers, but correct pruning techniques are essential to make camellia bloom year after year. Many flower lovers fail to bloom their camellias as expected due to improper pruning. Let’s learn how to prune camellia.

Flowering characteristics of camellia

Camellias usually form buds at the top of the current year's branches. After spring pruning, the new branches gradually mature, and in autumn, flower buds begin to form on the tops of the branches. Therefore, the timing of pruning camellia is very critical and should not be done too frequently.

The best time to prune camellia

Spring is the best season to prune camellias. When the flowers have completely faded, carry out a thorough pruning to remove weak branches and twigs, wipe off the side buds at the base of old branches, and shorten any branches that are too long. This type of pruning helps the camellia to grow new shoots quickly and continue to grow during the summer. In autumn, most varieties of camellia will form buds at the top, while late-flowering varieties will form buds in late autumn.

Camellia pruning method

Starting from the top of the camellia branches and leaves, cut off about one-third of the plant's height. Remove branches that block light to promote ventilation and light inside the plant. Prune fast-growing branches more frequently and prune slow-growing branches less frequently or not at all. Avoid over-pruning, which can affect the health of the plant.

Tips for pruning camellia

When pruning, make sure the cuts are even and avoid leaving stumps. Choose outward-growing lateral shoots for pruning to promote compactness. For scraggly growing varieties, stick to regular pruning to maintain their shape.

In short, choosing the right time for pruning is crucial to the growth of camellia. Fast-growing varieties may require more frequent pruning. For slow-growing varieties, the frequency of pruning should be reduced appropriately. Generally speaking, pruning should be done about one month before new buds sprout in spring, that is, about 20 days before the Spring Festival in southern China and around the Spring Festival in low-altitude areas of the Yangtze River Basin.