How to grow and care for camellias?

I need to know what kind of soil for planting, shady or full sun? Watering schedule,etc.

How to grow and care for camellias?
Hope this helps !





Growing camellias is very simple. Keep it that way by doing it right from the start! Camellias in containers may be set out during any month of the year if they receive proper care. Fall and early spring, after freezing weather is past, are best for putting outdoors, but remember the plants must be protected during the first winter. Other than that, if the following instructions arc followed, your camellias should thrive and be a wonderful addition to your garden or patio.





* LOCATION





Camellias grow and produce the best flowers in filtered sun or partial shade. In too much sun they may suffer scald on the leaves, or the leaves may appear yellow rather than deep green. In winter, protect camellias from the "blue northers" coming in with a fast freeze. So, what does this leave? Camellias make great foundation plants where they can be shaded or protected by large trees. They are beautiful in corners, on patios, as hedges, in atriums and stand-alone. Camellias love pine trees and pine groves.





* PLANTING











Slightly acid (pH 6), sandy or loamy is a great soil for camellias. The best camellias are usually grown in beds or in areas where the soil and surroundings offer a friendly home for them. If you choose a raised bed, clear the area and raise a bed with ties, timbers, rocks or bricks to a height of about two feet. Put down a porous ground cloth to prevent weeds. Spread your prepared soil on top of the ground cloth.





* SOIL MIX





Good drainage is the "secret" to good camellias! They must have a loose, well-drained soil. A mix of 15%-25% coarse, sharp sand, mixed with 75%-85% fine pine bark mulch, is an easy, inexpensive and ideal soil mix. Camellias love a few (about 10%) pine bark "nuggets" added to the soil mix. The roots will attach themselves to these pieces of pine bark because of the air the bark holds. Add enough dolomitic limestone, about two tbs. per cubic foot of this mix, to bring it to a pH of approximately 6. (One cubic foot of soil is equivalent to 1-1/2, five-gallon paint buckets full of soil.) This is all that is needed.





Distance between camellia plants really depends on and will vary with growth habit of the species and cultivars you are planting. Generically, when planting camellias in the landscape, allow a minimum of about eight feet between plants, except for planting a hedge when a distance of six feet may be okay. Some of the new `Winter-Hardy' camellia hybrids make excellent hedges as well as stand alone, tough and decorative plants.





* THE RIGHT WAY TO PLANT A CAMELLIA





Camellias need air. The top of the root ball should be slightly above the soil level, enough so that you can see a few roots. You might want to put a rock or brick pedestal under the root ball to keep the root ball from sinking. Do not use a concrete block or scrap as a pedestal for the root ball. Calcium, concentrated in concrete, will kill the plant.





Do not use peat moss or "landscape mix" with camellias; these fill pores in the soil and clog it, denying needed air to the roots and thereby drowning the plant.





* FERTILIZER





A good, time release, 3-1-2 ratio fertilizer with trace elements is recommended for camellias. Apply it at about 3/4 the dose as recommended on the label, in the spring, immediately after the plant has completed its blooming cycle. Top dress with a slow release (six-month or longer) fertilizer in early April. The most effective camellia fertilizers release nutrients that flush by the roots and do not remain in contact with, or clog the roots.





If you want to give the soil an initial "charge," add a small amount of organic fertilizer, such as composted cow manure, cotton seed meal or Milorganite [R], to this mixture. Organic fertilizers are okay, but should be used sparingly. Many organic fertilizers break down and leave a fine residue that fills the air spaces in the soil, thereby damaging the plant. Liquid organic fertilizers leave no solid residue and can be very good for a relatively short period.





* WATER





Do not "puddle." Camellias hate wet roots! After the plants become acclimated, new roots will usually provide moisture for the plant except in the dry months. If new growth droops, the plant needs water. Camellias prefer the soil to be moist, not soggy. Some camellia cultivars are more water sensitive than others. When watering, the soil should be moist to a depth of 14" to 18." Water when the soil is dry to the touch--two to three inches deep.





* MULCH





Mulch around the plant with pine straw or bark nuggets to help the soil retain moisture and keep cool in summer and warm in winter. Two to four inches of this mulch will do well. Other mulch materials, such as leaves or hardwood barks, will mat, trap water and prevent air from reaching the roots, ultimately killing the camellia.





* DISEASES





Camellias have few diseases, most of which do not occur in relatively dry climates. The primary one is camellia die-back, caused by the fungus, Glomerella cingulata. Prune away infected branches to clean wood. Phtophthora root can attack C. japonicas. Good drainage helps prevent it. C. sasanquas and the new `Winter-Hardy' C. hybrids are immune to it.
Reply:we can't grow them down in south Texas.....I only know that they need a very acidic soil like azaleas....Houston can do it because of the pine needles which help (along with sulphur to amend the soil)
Reply:Have a look at this website:





http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/...
Reply:You need to plant camellias using an ericacious compost.