How to Plant Camellias
Camellias are shrubs or small trees that are known for their beautiful, ornamental flowers. There are several species of camellia. Camellias bloom in late fall and winter, or early spring. The blooms range from hues of pale pink to bright red, and come in varieties of single or double blooms. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Soil pH test
- Potted camellia plant
- Acidic fertilizer
- Shovel
- Tin snips or box cutter
Instructions
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1
Find an area in your yard that receives partial sun. Camellias do not thrive in full sun, and shade should be considered when deciding where to place the camellia plant.
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2
Dig a hole that is twice the width of the camellia's root ball, and 3" deeper than the height of the root ball. Remove all of the loose dirt from the bottom of the hole. While some might think that leaving loose dirt in the hole will allow the roots to penetrate more easily, it will lead to the plant sinking deeper, which could promote root rot.
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3
Test the pH of the soil using a pH soil meter (see resources below). Camellias prefer acidic soil, and an optimum pH for camellias is 6.0. If your soil is alkaline, mix an acidifying fertilizer into the loose soil that you removed from the hole.
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4
Remove the camellia from the nursery pot. The plant should slip out of the pot easily without tugging. If the plant is difficult to remove, this is most likely because the plant has become root-bound, causing the compacted roots to press outward against the pot. In this case, use garden snips or a box cutter to carefully cut the pot away from the camellia's root ball.
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5
Place the camellia plant into the hole. Fill the hole with the soil that was removed from the hole.
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Water the plant thoroughly, fully saturating the soil. Gently tamp the area around the plant to release any air pockets that might have been trapped under and within the root ball.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit Wikimedia Commons
