Camellia propagation methods and precautions

Cutting method

The easiest way to propagate camellia is by cuttings, with September being the best time but spring is also possible.

Choose well-growing, semi-lignified branches, remove the leaves at the base, keep a few leaves on the top, cut them into oblique cuts with a sharp knife, soak the cuts in 200-500ppm indolebutyric acid for 5-15 minutes, then dry them in the sun, and then plant them in a sand pot or vermiculite pot. Wait for about 40 days for the wound to heal, and keep watering during this period. It usually takes about two months to take root.

Adjoining method

This method should choose appropriate camellia varieties, such as: teacup tea or oil tea as rootstock, generally by grafting precious camellia. The best time is between Qingming Festival and Mid-Autumn Festival.

Before grafting, plant the rootstock in a flowerpot, use a knife to cut off about half of the parts to be joined to ensure a smooth cut. Then fit the cut surfaces on both sides tightly and wrap them with plastic film. Water twice a day and it will heal in two months. Then you can cut it and plant it, and place it under the shade of a tree to avoid direct sunlight. In the second year, transplant again.

Leaf cutting method

Camellias are usually propagated by branch cuttings, but some rare varieties may be propagated by leaf cuttings due to limited branch sources or because the material collection will affect the tree shape.

To facilitate ventilation and drainage, mountain mud should be used as the cutting medium. The substrate is placed in a clay pot and then the plants are transplanted into the pot. During the rainy season, you can take annual leaves as leaf cutting materials (too old are difficult to root, too tender are easy to rot, one-year-old is just right), insert them into the soil about 2 cm deep, press the soil after insertion, water enough, and then place them in a cool and ventilated place. Generally, roots will grow after 3 months, and sprouts and branches will appear in the spring of the second year.

High insertion method

The biggest feature of this method is high survival rate and early flowering. It can also give new life to weak branches that should have been pruned.

The specific operation is: ring-bark the thin branches that need to be pruned at the appropriate position. The ring-barking length can be between 5-8 mm. Then tie a plastic film of appropriate size. Add sterilized peat soil or leaf mold into the film. After about 7-10 days, ring-bark another 5-8 mm at the bottom of the plastic film. This is called the double ring-barking high insertion method.