How to Grow and Care for Camellia Plants
You can grow and care for camellia plants best if you live somewhere warm, but this isn't an absolute necessity to enjoy these flowers in your garden. Camellias are rightfully known by gardeners as a high maintenance flower and should not be raised by beginners. These shrubs, if grown properly, produce pretty, peony-shaped blossoms in pink, coral, red, white and many shades in between. Camellias will bloom throughout the winter and early spring in mild climates. They can be grown in pots or in the ground and mature slowly to a full height of up to eight feet.
Choose a shady spot for your camellias or a spot with dappled sunlight. Test your soil before attempting to plant camellias. Camellias require sandy, acidic, well-drained soil. If you have the right type of soil, dig a hole twice as deep and twice as wide as your camellia's roots and fill the hole halfway with a half compost, half soil mix. Place your camellia in the hole and fill the hole with your soil and compost mix, being careful not to leave air pockets. Your camellia needs to be planted high; this means that the trunk base must be above the soil line. Pat the soil around your roots down gently and water the camellia thoroughly. You must cover the ground around your camellia's roots with about two inches of mulch. The mulch will preserve moisture in the soil and block weeds. It will also keep your camellia's roots cool in hot weather.
Keep your camellia plant clean in order to avoid petal blight. This means that you need to clear out dropped leaves and flowers before they rot. Do not add them to your compost pile if you want to protect your plant. You need to keep your camellia well watered, but try to avoid wetting the leaves if you want to avoid mold and rot.
