Camellias are flowering shrubs, and are mostly planted at home gardens for the big and vibrant flowers they produce during the end of the winter and spring season. Camellias can be grown in the garden ground or in a pot easily. Preferably, these shrubs thrive more in containers as they get their ideal care and needs fulfilled through it. Here is hoe the spectacular plant grows with the proper care in a pot:
- The soil in the pot should be well drained and acidic, with a pH between 5 – 6.5. The commercial mix of azaleas is perfect, but rhododendrons are good as well. Mix a coarse peat moss or a small pine bark in coarse sand for the soil. Avoid fine peat moss for the soils mix as this makes it too wet for the plant.
- The pot should have a draining hole as these plants can rot and die in standing water or soggy soil.
- The container should be placed in partial shade and it has to be protected from the hot afternoon sun. if the camellia is absorbing too much sunlight, it will need more water as well.
- The pots soil mix should be checked regularly. If the weather is hot and dry, check it twice because camellias dry out quickly in pots. You will have to water the shrub deeply if the top 2 inches of soil is dry to touch. Do not let the container stand in water though.
- Use a fertilizer after the shrub has bloomed in spring. Use a water-soluble fertilizer, and remember to water the plant before adding the fertilizer. Fertilizer can be used in the summer if its growth is slow, but avoid using it when temperatures are over 32 degrees Celsius.
- Prune the camellias as soon as they bloom in the spring.
- Change the pot if the camellia outgrows the container size, which may be in 2-3 years. Use fresh soil when re-potting.
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