I have lots of buds on my camellia bushes but they are not opening up , just falling off why?

Have you tried giving a food weekly that will feed the flowers? Sometimes they buds grow but the plant doesn't have enough nutrients to follow through with the buds, it's using all of it's nutrients to stay alive. Try a food specifically for the bush and your flowers will open up.

I have lots of buds on my camellia bushes but they are not opening up , just falling off why?
Hi...try a soil test kit and sweeten your soil with a little lime. I suspect your soil leans to the acidic side. Also, look for a fertalizer specifically for blooming shrubs, There are three letters(NPK) and corresponding numbers on the fertilizer bag or box. Look for one with a higher middle number. (ie., N-10 P-15 K-8). This will promote better blooming. Also, camelias aren't too fond of beauty bark,...so clear away from the base of the bush if you can...good luck!
Reply:This doesn't sound like a feeding problem to me. I would guess you have a later blooming variety of camillas which probably got hit from the unusually cold weather we've been having. It's possible it killed the buds, although it may have just stunned them and they may open later than usual. I'm in Georgia zone 7 and my camillas bloomed in November/December.


Give it a few more weeks and if nothing happens, trim back the dead buds and wait for next year. You may want to cover your camillas with burlap in the future if you hear of an unusually cold front coming through.


Hope this helps!