White camellias are one of the most beautiful flowering plants in the plant kingdom. But for you to have one and enjoy it, you need to know everything you need to provide it so that its health is as adequate as possible.
For that, What if we gave you a hand and gave you the keys to the most important care for white camellias? In this way, you will be able to enjoy its flowering and also it will not die at the first change. Want to know how?
Care of white camellias
When it comes to providing the most important care for white camellias, it is essential that you know their main needs and know how to meet them.
In return the plant will give you beautiful white flowers, one of the most popular. But how to get it?
location and temperature
This is one of the most important care for white camellias. Perhaps the one who can tell the difference between a well cared for and another that is not.
In general, camellias, like any other plant, should be outdoors. But this one is tricky. On the one hand, she does not like that we change places every two by three. On the other hand, it does not tolerate drafts. And finally, he likes the sun, but not direct.
Of these three points, the third is the one that we must specify because, while it is true that it does not like direct sun, it can tolerate early morning or late afternoon sunlight. Why are you being told this? Because if you only have it in partial shade or full shade it will not flower well. If, on the other hand, you give it those hours of sunshine, things will change.
If you see the leaves wilting or burning, it will be because she has too many hours of light (direct or indirect) which will prevent her from flowering (because she will focus on leaf recovery, not on the extinction of flowers).
Regarding the temperature, These are plants that tolerate cold and heat well. But they like to have a mild temperature as much as possible. In other words: if there is frost, or extreme heat, it is better to protect it because it can suffer until death.
Substrate
We recommend that the soil for white camellias has an acidic pH. Also, it will depend on whether you have it as a ground shrub or a potted plant.
If you have it in a jar, We recommend mixing the substrate for acidic plants with some drainage like perlite or even soil for orchids. You can also include a universal substrate or worm humus to keep the soil moist.
However, if you are going to plant it in the ground, it is best to check the pH of the soil and, depending on the result, include a soil compatible with the pH of acidic plants, such as white peat.
Irrigation
Before, we told you that white camellias like moist soil. But if you go too far with the watering, you will end up drowning it and thus rotting the roots. For that, It is important to consider two important factors:
The frequency of watering: in general it is necessary to water two or three times a week in summer; and one or two in winter.
The type of water: do not think about using water with lime, as this will kill the plant. Failing that, the best is rainwater.
One of the keys that can help you know if you are overwatering is that the plant is dropping flower buds before they open. If so, that means it’s flooded. and the best in these cases is to check the soil and, if necessary, make an emergency transplant by changing the pot and removing all the earth for a dry one.
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White camellias generally do not grow quickly, rather they are very slow. Besides, flowering leaves them very exhausted, which is why they need an acidic plant fertilizer.
Apply it in spring and summer (as long as you haven’t transplanted at that time, if so, it’s better not to throw it away). In general, it must be paid at least once a month. But the dose to be applied is lower than that indicated by the fertilizer manufacturer (to avoid over-fertilization).
Size
In caring for white camellias, pruning is essential to keep the plant healthy. And also so that it continues to flourish.
So, when pruning, you must do it in mid-February. At that time, it should have no more flowers and your task will be to break off the branches (always cut between the second and third bud).
Also, if you see any branches that are diseased, weak, in poor condition, or harming other branches, you should remove them as well.
Plagues and diseases
The camellia, like other plants, you also have to deal with pests and diseases. In the first case, the most important are scale insects. But others like aphids, scale insects, slugs, spiders, mites or worms can endanger the plant. That’s why, if you detect something strange, it’s better to fix it and prevent it from affecting you.
As for the diseases, the most important and that will have to be checked are the blight (which affects the flower), root rot (due to poor watering), or canker.
the reproduction
To finish, propagation of camellias can be done between plants. To do this, you just need to get a few cuttings from the plant. Make sure they have leaves.
Then you will have to put them in a pot and water them (rather moisten the soil and make sure that it stays that way) so that they will eventually take root. It is advisable to place them in a place with indirect light (only when you see them starting to sprout can they be placed in a way that gives them some direct light).
As you can see, caring for white camellias is not difficult. Of course, be careful when watering them so that water doesn’t get on the petals as they can stain or burn with the sun. Do you have questions about how to take care of them? Ask us if so.