Some trees on our park have grown tall enough to obstruct
the adjoining homeowner’s view of the countryside and industrial units. The
council took action and with the help of a subcontractor managed to chop the
tops off and shred the resulting wood into neat piles. The trees look a bit
odd, being lopped isn’t the most visually pleasing style and I’m sure if it was
in your own garden a tree surgeon would have done a bit more sculpting. It’s not really an issue here and if the
neighbours are happy then all’s well.
I’m benefiting too as I’ve been scuttling down there with
my empty coal and compost bags shoveling in the resulting woodchip. It’s very
good stuff too. I’m a bit unsure what to do with it and will be leaving it in
the bags until I decide to use it as weed suppressing mulch, put it in the
compost and let it rot down before using it, or both. I’m not short of it now
and there’s plenty more to go at. There’s even enough for the neighbours to
have a few bags as well. Enough about mulching, let’s have a look at a spring
favourite flower, the camellia.
Camellia
Camellias are one of the most popular winter- and
spring-flowering shrubs, providing a vivid splash of colour when little else is
in bloom. Although they need acid soil, they are easy to grow in containers of
ericaceous (acidic) potting compost.
Growing
Site and soil
conditions
Camellias are woodland plants that grow best in shelter and
light shade, although with careful watering they can be grown in sunny
positions. They prefer free-draining
conditions, with plenty of organic matter, such as leaf mould, incorporated
into the soil. Being ericaceous plants, camellias require an acid soil. If your
soil isn't acid then consider growing your camellia in a container.
Watering
Rain water is ideal for watering camellias and is preferable
to tap water if you need to keep young plants moist in the summer. There’s less
calcium in rainwater.
Feeding
Feed camellias in spring and early summer with acidic
fertilisers if needed. I’ve found that most gardens are adequately acidic but
nearer the coast some peat based soil could be used as mulch or get yourself
some seaweed.
Container growing
Camellias make lovely container-grown plants and this is a
particularly good method if your garden soil is too alkaline for camellias. Use
an ericaceous or multi-purpose potting compost. John Innes ericaceous compost
usually gives good results, as its loam content makes it especially easy to
manage.
RHS research has found that soil-less potting media,
including peat-free potting composts, are suitable for camellia growing.
However these composts can lose their structure over time leading to poor
drainage and an airless root environment, causing leaves to brown and die back.
Re-potting in spring every other year into fresh potting compost is
recommended. In the intervening year, replace the top 5cm (2in) of compost and
look out for root eating grubs. After a few years you might need to try a bit
of root pruning if they are not put into a larger container.
Pruning and training
Camellias form flower buds in late summer and autumn,
especially on new growth. Pruning at this time could remove potential flowering
growth. Therefore pruning is best done in spring, immediately after flowering
and following the advice given for other evergreen shrubs. Where an overgrown
camellia needs to be reduced or renovated, hard pruning is usually safe and
reliable.
Propagation
Camellias can be propagated from semi-ripe cuttings,
hardwood cuttings, layering and grafting. Seed is also an option, but seedlings
will not usually come true to parent type.
Semi-ripe cuttings
often root better if slightly wounded by taking a 1.5cm (5/8in) strip of bark
off the base of the cutting and dipping the wound in hormone rooting compound.
Hardwood cuttings
are taken as for semi-ripe cuttings, but between autumn and late winter. They
can root in three months.
In a good summer, camellias sometimes produce seedpods –
more often in single-flowered varieties. Although the resulting seedlings will
take six to eight years to flower and will be of unpredictable quality, many
gardeners like the challenges of seed propagation
Problems
Despite being easy to grow, camellias are occasionally
subject to problems, normal leaf drop isn’t any cause for concern but other
things might be. There are a few diseases that cause leaf drop or yellowing.
Some winter protection might be needed for container grown ones, buds might
drop off in cold weather and if the plants are fed after July. Don’t let this
put you off growing them though, they are well worth the effort and if one does
die you can always replace it with one of your rooted cuttings.
