How to do everything right for your camellia!
The most commonly planted camellia in the world is in fact the Tea plant that we all love to drink plenty of, but today in Ireland we are more interested in the large flowering varieties we love to grow on our patios and doorsteps in large pots or in the garden if we are lucky enough to have the acid or peaty soil they desire.
The most commonly planted camellia in the world is in fact the Tea plant that we all love to drink plenty of, but today in Ireland we are more interested in the large flowering varieties we love to grow on our patios and doorsteps in large pots or in the garden if we are lucky enough to have the acid or peaty soil they desire.
Despite their exotic waxy flowers of great beauty, camellias are quite easy to grow if you follow a few basic principles. In the wild, camellias are found in forests or open woodland, on slopes where they enjoy light shade from overhead trees, the shallow soil is slightly acid with lots of organic material and dead leaves from the trees above and good drainage.
In the garden, plant under open deciduous trees where they will have dappled shade. Lack of light will prevent flower bud set.
In patio containers, locate the plants anywhere, sheltered from cold strong winds and ideally where they do not get early morning sunlight.
When the flowers are frozen, the early sun thaws them too rapidly and this will damage the flowers.
Feed all camellias during the summer months of June, July and August to ensure plenty of flowers the following year, as the flower buds are formed at this time.
Choose from the many varieties and colours available now