Camellia Care Tips

Camellia is famous for its shiny green leaves and gorgeous flowers. It has a high ornamental value and has been loved by people since ancient times. Nowadays, many flower lovers also like to place a few pots of camellia at home for viewing. Although this southern flower has high requirements for its growing environment and many flower lovers think it is difficult to maintain, in fact, as long as you master the camellia maintenance techniques, you can make the camellia grow luxuriantly.

1. Choose the right soil

Camellia has high requirements for soil and prefers acidic soil. The soil in the north is mostly alkaline, which is not conducive to the growth of camellia. Therefore, when planting camellia in potted plants at home, you should try to choose loose, breathable, nutrient-rich soil, such as pine needle soil, peat soil, humus soil, etc., and add water-permeable and breathable materials, such as burnt cinder particles or decomposed peanut shells , to ensure that the soil is loose, breathable and rich in nutrients.

2. Water moderately

Camellia, as a woody flower, does not like too much water. Frequent watering will cause the soil in the pot to remain moist for a long time, which will affect the respiration of the root system, causing root rot and falling of leaves and flower buds. When watering, you should follow the principle of "water when dry and water when wet", that is, wait until the soil in the pot is dry before watering thoroughly. You can use bamboo chopsticks to insert into the soil to test the soil moisture.

3. Maintain appropriate air humidity

Camellia likes a humid environment, and the suitable air humidity is 60% to 70%. In a dry environment, camellia is prone to yellowing, curling, and falling leaves. Therefore, in addition to normal watering, you should also spray water mist frequently to increase the air humidity and provide a good growth environment for camellia.

4. Reasonable fertilization

Camellia should not be fertilized with concentrated fertilizer to avoid burning the roots. Avoid using unfermented fertilizers . During the growth period, you can regularly apply a dilute acidic fertilizer solution, such as ferrous sulfate, once a month to promote plant growth. When flower buds begin to form in autumn, reduce the use of nitrogen fertilizers and increase phosphorus and potassium fertilizers. For example, apply 1:1000 potassium dihydrogen phosphate liquid fertilizer once every half a month to promote the growth of flower buds.

5. Avoid direct sunlight

Camellia prefers semi-shaded environment and is afraid of direct sunlight. When the light is strong in summer, shade protection is needed to prevent sunburn on the leaves. Appropriate light must also be ensured in other seasons to promote photosynthesis and flower bud differentiation. After autumn, gradually increase the scattered light, and in winter it can be placed directly in the sun for maintenance.

You can refer to the above maintenance techniques according to the actual growth conditions of your own camellia. If you follow the maintenance techniques well, the camellia will grow luxuriantly, and the branches will be full of flowers during the flowering period.