Growing beautiful camellias at home. Camellia – flowering tea bushes Camellia flower where

Camellia is a genus of evergreen shrub and tree plants of the Tea family (Theaceae). In nature, these plants are common in the tropics and subtropics. But knowing how to care for camellia, you can try to grow this wonderful flower at home. If everything is done correctly, you will be able to admire it year after year. magnificent view and luxurious flowering. After all, camellia is deservedly considered one of the most beautiful and graceful plants.

Camellia flowers are very similar to roses, for which the plant received its second name - Japanese rose.

Camellia is native to Japan, Korea, the island of Java and the Philippine Islands, the Indochina Peninsula, central and southeast Asia. The plant was brought to Europe in the 17th century by the naturalist monk Camellus (the plant is named after him). Now the Asian beauty can be found not only in Asia, but also in the south of the USA, the Caucasus, and the Black Sea coast.

Camellia is grown in many greenhouses and winter gardens, used to decorate closed interiors, and in regions with a mild, humid climate, the plant has become an indispensable element of landscape design.

Most species are shrubs, but there are also tall trees. The dark green leaf blades of the plants, from 3 to 17 cm long, are oval in shape, pointed or semicircular at the ends.

Large, elegant flowers that complement the rich greenery can be delicate white, cream, pink or bright red. Two-color double or variegated camellia flowers look no less impressive. Delicate flower petals seem to be made of wax, which gives the buds a special attractiveness.

Varieties

Camellia leaves are the raw material for obtaining essential oil, a decoction of flowers has an antiseptic, analgesic, tonic effect, and in Chinese medicine Japanese camellia is used as an anticancer agent.

The genus includes more than 200 species, the most famous of which are Chinese and mountain camellia. And in indoor floriculture, the Japanese variety is most often grown.

• Chinese (otherwise boheya). Grows on mountain slopes and in wooded areas of China. The tall bush has elongated, fleshy, glossy leaves of rich green color. White axillary flowers on short peduncles are arranged singly or in 2–3 buds.
• Mountain (otherwise Miyagi, tegmentosis). A shrub with pubescent young shoots of a reddish hue and thin branches in nature reaches a height of 3–5 meters. At the same time, the dimensions of the dark green elongated leaves of mountain camellia are quite modest: about 7 cm in length and up to 3 cm in width. In November, large (about 7 cm) white, pink or red flowers bloom on the bush. Flowering lasts until January.
• Japanese. The most popular variety among flower growers, which has given rise to many hybrids, including Alba simplex, Adolph Adduson, Tammia and others. All varieties have dense, oval, dark green leaves, and from December to April they delight with large single, single or double, white, pink or red flowers.
• Williams. The species is winter-hardy and least demanding of environmental conditions. A distinctive feature of the variety is that the plant sheds faded buds, while in other species they remain on the stem.

Care according to the rules

Camellia is a capricious flower that can be considered one of the most demanding and difficult to grow. But if you care for camellia according to the rules, the plant will quickly develop and grow, and bloom profusely.

Lighting and watering

The indoor camellia flower is light-loving and grows well on windows facing east and west. When choosing a place for cultivation, you need to take into account the characteristics of a particular variety: Japanese camellia does not tolerate direct sun (it needs to be shaded), but mountain camellia feels great under the scorching rays of the sun. The plant cannot be placed on the north side - there will be little light.

To achieve uniform crown formation, flower pot From time to time you need to rotate around its axis. But during the bud-laying phase, it is forbidden to disturb the flower, otherwise beautiful flowering you won't be able to admire it.

The plant needs to be moistened evenly. Japanese rose reacts poorly to both excess moisture and drying out of the soil. In the summer, when flower buds are being laid, the plant needs to be watered only when the top layer of soil dries out. In winter, watering camellias should also be moderate - this will help avoid rotting of the roots. Water for irrigation is taken at room temperature.

Temperature and humidity

The room in which camellia grows should be well ventilated. In summer, the temperature should be in the range of 18–20 ° C, in spring – from 13 to 17 ° C. In winter, it is better to place the flower on a glazed balcony or loggia, where the temperature is kept in the range of 8–12 ° C. In rooms with working heating devices the plant feels bad: it withers, begins to hurt, and does not bloom.

Indoor camellia does not react well to drafts and temperature changes.

The air in the room where the plant is kept must be humid. In summer, the required humidity can be maintained by spraying the plant twice a day. In winter, additional moisture will be provided by placing a container of water next to the plant. You can also place the flower pot in a tray with damp small pebbles or expanded clay, moss.

Soil

Japanese rose grows best in acidic soil. Alkaline soil substrate can be acidified with a few drops of lemon juice or special fertilizers.

The soil for camellias should be light, well-permeable to air and moisture, since in heavy soil the roots of the plant quickly rot.

As a rule, indoor flowers are planted in ready-made purchased soil intended for growing azaleas, camellias, and rhododendrons. The composition of such soil in equal quantities includes:

• crushed bark;
• vermiculite;
• perlite;
• high peat;
• sand.

To ensure good drainage, place a large layer of expanded clay on the bottom of a wide pot.

You can prepare the soil mixture yourself. In this case, it is important that the soil has an acidic reaction and is well permeable to moisture and air. Can be mixed:

• leaf mixture (2 parts);
• peat soil (2 parts);
• turf (2 parts);
• coniferous substrate (2 parts);
• sand (1 part).

Feeding

Fertilizers begin to be applied in the spring, when the first young shoots appear. Frequent feeding of camellia is not required; it is enough to apply fertilizer once every 3-4 weeks. At the end of summer, when flower buds begin to form, fertilizing is stopped completely.

Fertilize the flower with organic or complex mineral fertilizers for flowering plants, containing nitrogen, potassium, sulfur and phosphorus, microelements (copper and zinc, manganese, iron, boron and molybdenum). Complexes containing calcium and magnesium should not be used. Their source is the usual tap water which is used for irrigation. And an excess of these elements can cause the death of the plant.

When diluting fertilizers, it is better to reduce the concentration indicated in the instructions by half, since an excess nutrients is not good for camellia, but harmful. Organic fertilizers can be used chicken droppings in low concentration.

Planting, replanting and pruning

Camellia at home is replanted in February - immediately after flowering ends, before active growth begins. Young camellias are replanted annually, but it is enough to replant an adult indoor plant once every 3-4 years. It is better to take wide pots for replanting. The bush cannot be planted deep, and the root collar, located between the roots and the stem, is strictly forbidden to be sprinkled with earth.

The plant must be replanted very carefully, trying not to damage the roots.

Home care for camellia also includes regular pruning of shoots. The procedure is best carried out from the beginning of October to the end of November.

It is important to remember that camellia is poisonous, and all transplanting and pruning procedures must be carried out with gloves.

Bloom

A characteristic feature of camellia is that it blooms during the dormant phase - from mid-autumn to the end of winter. During this period, it is important to provide the plant with a temperature within 12–15 ° C. In hotter conditions, the plant may shed its buds. Flowering duration is from 1 to 3 months. In spring, flowering ends, the plant wakes up, and vegetative growth is activated.

Problems in growing

When growing camellias, difficulties associated with care errors, attacks by pests, or damage to a susceptible flower by one disease or another cannot be ruled out.

• Fungal diseases. They appear as black-gray spots on the leaf blades, and brown spots on the petals. Fungicidal drugs are used for treatment.
• Oidium. The leaves of the affected plant become covered with grayish spots. You can cure a flower with soap solution, sulfur, and other fungicides.
• Cucumber mosaic virus. The disease is accompanied by yellowing of the leaf blades along the veins. Insecticides are used for treatment.
• Aphids, scale insects, spider mite. To control pests, the plant is wiped with a cotton pad soaked in alcohol (if there are not many pests) or treated with insecticides (if necessary, the treatment is repeated several times).
• Solitary mower (type of weevil). One of the most common camellia beetles. Its larvae infect the roots, and adult insects infect the root collar. Insect control is carried out with insecticides.

Reproduction

To grow a houseplant, camellia is propagated:

• seeds;
• cuttings;
• vaccinations.

Seeds

Camellia grown from seeds blooms in 2–3 years.

As camellia seeds are stored, their germination rate decreases. Therefore, sowing is carried out immediately after collecting planting material in a container with a pre-prepared soil mixture of high-moor peat, perlite and a small amount of sand. Containers with crops are kept at a temperature of 18 to 22 ° C until germination. When 2 leaves appear on the seedlings, they are planted in separate pots.

Cuttings

For propagation, semi-lignified cuttings about 8 cm long with well-developed growth buds are cut in late spring or early summer. The cut sites are treated with rooting agents and growth stimulants. Then the cuttings are placed in damp sand, vermiculite or a mixture of sand and peat (taken in equal quantities), covered with film or a glass jar, and bottom heating of the soil is provided (temperature about 25 ° C). Under such conditions, the rooting process lasts about 2 months.

If you simply place the cuttings in a glass of water, they will not root.

Vaccinations

Grafting is the most labor-intensive method of propagation. However, if the procedure is carried out correctly, the plant will bloom next year.

Vaccination is carried out in August or January. Semi-lignified apical shoots about 10 cm long are used as cuttings. The cuttings must have 3-4 elongated swollen buds (future leaves). The side shoots of the mother plant are cut off, and the cut points are sprinkled with powdered coal. The central trunk is trimmed horizontally at a height of 10–15 cm from the ground level. Vertical cuts are made on the cut of the trunk, grafting cuttings are inserted into them. The cuttings are pressed tightly against the trunk and secured with electrical tape.

Only lignified cuttings are suitable for propagation, and young green shoots are not suitable for cuttings.

It takes about 2 months for the grafts to germinate if they are kept at a temperature of 20 ° C. Young plants need to be regularly sprayed, watered, and protected from direct sun. In the second year, the plant can be transplanted into a pot.

As young plants develop, it is important to prune the side shoots of the mother bush that form below the graft. This will ensure a flow of nutrients to the grafted cuttings.

Purchase Features

You can buy camellia at a specialized flower shop or greenhouse. And it's best to buy flowering plant, which is in the resting phase. The cost of camellia is determined by its variety and size, and is:

• 450 rubles – Japanese camellia 15 cm high;
• 1500 rubles – bush 35 cm high;
• 2600 rubles – plant 55 cm high.

The main difficulty in growing camellias is ensuring a suitable temperature regime. This is quite difficult to do in an apartment. If there is no glazed loggia or balcony where you can maintain low above-zero temperatures in winter, there is no point in growing an Asian beauty - in a heated apartment the plant will get sick and will not bloom. But if it is possible to create comfortable conditions and provide complete care for camellias, at home you will be able to grow an unusually beautiful, exquisite, luxuriously flowering bush.

My friend grows the most beautiful flower! At first I thought it was a rose, but no, it turned out to be a camellia. I had never heard of this plant before. I decided to find out how it feels at home, whether it is demanding on lighting and soil.

A friend said that the flower was “capricious.” It should receive enough light, but not be exposed to direct sunlight. You should select suitable soil and fertilizers for it. I liked camellia so much that I decided to find out how to grow it correctly. And this is what my friend told me.

Camellia, a representative of the tea genus, grows in the tropics and subtropics; it is also common in Russia, Europe, Asia, Japan and Korea. The leaves of this ornamental crop are ovoid, leathery, and depending on the variety, they can be simple or pointed.

Red, pink, and white varieties are popular. Some gardeners prefer variegated leaves. In the photo you can see all the beauty of the plant.

Features of care

In order for camellia to bloom for a long time at home, you need to properly care for it. If you are a beginner gardener and don’t yet know how to care for an indoor flower, listen to my friend’s advice.

Camellia stunts in growth if it does not have enough light. For full photosynthesis, home culture needs light and moisture.

It is recommended to spray not only the plant itself, but also the air around it. It is important to choose the right soil mixture; we will return to it later. A friend advises placing the camellia in the east or west. The plant prefers bright but diffused light. If placed in the south, it will suffer from direct sunlight.

Periodically you need to turn the pot, so the home culture will develop proportionally.

Be careful: the buds should not fall off! In hot weather, you need to take the plant out into the fresh air (only in the morning and evening). Remember that direct sunlight is harmful.

1. In spring, camellia develops well at temperatures from + 19 to + 26 degrees.
2. In order for the plant to form buds in a timely manner, at the beginning of spring and also in autumn, the air temperature should be from + 16 to + 18 degrees.
3. Recommended temperature in winter is from + 9 to + 12 degrees.

A flower growing in unfavorable conditions drops its buds. Camellia must receive a sufficient amount of air; a draft is harmful to it. We recommend watering the plant as the soil dries out. Make sure that water does not get on the fragile buds.

For irrigation, it is better to use soft, settled water. To provide the plant with additional nutrition, you need to place the pots on a tray with wet expanded clay.

Fertilizer application, soil for camellia

I advise you to feed camellia once every 22 days. She positively perceives mineral products: 1 g of such fertilizers is calculated for 1000 ml of water. To improve photosynthesis, you need to trim your camellia. It is advisable to carry out the procedure at the end of autumn. Thanks to the adjustment, the buds grow better.

The home flower does not tolerate transplantation well, but it needs to be done every year. After picking, you can pinch the shoots. Camellia takes root in the lung fertile soil with a pH level of up to 5. I advise you to make a mixture of soil, sand and peat, taken in equal proportions.

Before planting the plant, you need to lay drainage at the bottom of the pot.

Generative (seed) propagation and cuttings

For planting, you should choose compact pots. Seeds need to be sown one at a time. When they germinate and turn into seedlings with two strong leaves, they will need to be picked (transplanted into larger pots).

If you want the plant to retain its varietal qualities, propagate it by cuttings. In this case, seven-centimeter green cuttings are used. Reproduction occurs in early July or late January. The planting material should have several strong leaves. Each cutting is placed in a box.

Planting material develops favorably at an air temperature of + 22 degrees. Experienced gardeners use a soil mixture of sand and peat taken in equal proportions. If propagation is carried out in summer, the cutting will take root in 50 - 70 days, in winter - up to 90 days. We recommend not only watering, but also spraying the plants.

In order for the planting material to take root faster, it must be placed in a heteroauxin solution. Don't forget to water the plants. When they form roots, transplant them into separate containers. Make a soil mixture of peat, sand, leaf and turf soil, taken in equal proportions.

Diseases, pests, possible problems during cultivation

If the soil mixture turns sour, the plant begins to drop buds and its leaves turn brown. It is important to protect the crop from direct sunlight, otherwise burns in the form of brown spots will appear on the leaves.

You must add water on time, otherwise the plant will die!

This plant is not susceptible to disease, but if the air is too dry, spider mites attack. Insecticides are used to control the pest.

We met very beautiful plant. Caring for and growing at home will not take much of your time, but follow important rules. The main thing is to add water moderately and avoid drafts! Provide your home culture with bright, indirect lighting.

Garden camellias are closely identified with roses, only those that bloom in winter, when all plants are dormant. Although the similarity of these two colors lies only in their appearance: splendor and form. But garden camellia differs in its agricultural technology from other ornamental shrubs; planting and caring for it are special.

Frost-resistant camellia varieties

Today, among the many cultivated varieties of camellias, there are also varieties that are adapted to winter cold. They can be grown in open soil even in places where winters are very harsh.

Only for success to be justified, you, as a gardener, will need to carefully select growing conditions and provide careful care for the camellia. And then the beauty of the blooming camellia will pay off all the efforts made a hundredfold.

Camellia as a species combines many varieties with a wide variety of forms: from small shrubs to huge trees.

But frost-resistant camellia varieties have been bred for hundreds of years, and only in the 21st century did seedlings of crops that can grow in open soil even in frosty winters begin to spread en masse. The following are the best frost-resistant camellia varieties:

They all begin to bloom in the spring, and even in winter they retain their foliage.

Camellia variety is a seemingly fragile and delicate purple-pink ornamental shrub. The round-shaped flower petals vaguely resemble an orchid. The flower is 10 cm in diameter.

This variety is very slow-growing, forgives minor mistakes in care and is suitable even for novice gardeners or those who have no experience in growing camellias. The lush dark green crown only emphasizes the luxurious scattering of large bright flowers.

Camellia varieties also have purple-pink flowers, only more saturated color range. Unlike the previous variety, Debbie grows quickly, and the abundance of flowering does not suffer at all.

Its flowers are smaller and more double, and its petals are rounded, but in general these two varieties are very similar. Debbie is not afraid of either precipitation or late snow, she does not require complex care and is very well suited for introducing herself to the world of camellias.

The Japanese camellia variety blooms with pearly pink buds with iridescence. But flowers are actually chameleons. As they bloom further they turn white.

This is a slender ornamental shrub with elongated branches and a dense crown. Camellia grows slowly and mostly upward, slightly increasing the diameter of the crown.

Camellia flowers have a red color with a slight coral tint and a silky texture. This is a real work of art among plants, decorated with bright stamens.

Freedom Bell's branching is very dense, straight growth and large beautiful glossy leaves. This variety tolerates pruning well. In case of deformation and freezing of shoots, they can be shortened without danger.

Japanese camellia is strikingly different from the previous variety with its bright and variegated red flowers. They have interesting white and scarlet spots. The white streaks on the petals increase as the buds open.

Did you know? Today, more than 10,000 species and varieties of camellias are known.

How to buy a young seedling in a store

It is better not to purchase camellia seedlings in advance, but to buy them immediately before planting. Choose only those seedlings that are at least four years old. They should have powerful woody shoots.

If you purchase a frost-resistant variety, check its properties in the store. The supplier must provide full information about the possibility of growing camellias in regions with snowy and frosty winters and about the range of tolerated temperatures.

The meaning of this is that, although the variety is frost-resistant, a certain batch of seedlings can be grown in milder climatic conditions. And this can result in disastrous consequences for the camellia in the first winter.

Make sure that each plant you purchase is frost-resistant by asking leading questions to the seller/supplier.

Planting garden camellia

A gardener planting camellias must know in what place it is best to plant it, how to properly care for it, what kind of soil it should be, how much to water it and in what quantities to feed it. Full life The process of growing a shrub begins with planting it in open ground.

Timing for planting in open ground

Planting camellias must be done from the twentieth of April to the tenth of June.

How to choose a landing site

For camellias, moderate and humid conditions are most preferable. climatic conditions. To plant in other regions, the plant must undergo adaptation. Further cultivation of camellia in the garden should begin with choosing a shady place where strong winds do not penetrate.

The eastern side and constant exposure to direct sunlight do not have a beneficial effect on camellia. The shrub will grow well in partial shade or constant shade - just not in the dark.

To produce buds, camellia needs cool air and short daylight hours. Camellia flower buds are laid at temperatures from 17 to 20°C, and bloom from 8 to 13°C.

How to prepare the soil for planting a seedling

You can prepare the optimal soil yourself. It is enough to mix peat soil, sand, pine litter and ground bark. You can purchase ready-made soil in the store, which is intended for growing azaleas and rhododendrons.

Often purchased camellias are planted in the countryside. In this case, you need to opt for a flowering specimen. During this period, the plant is in a state of rest, and with the accumulated strength of the camellia it will be easier to adapt to the new environment.

The shrub must be carefully removed from the container, keeping the fragile roots intact. When planting camellia, do not deepen its root collar into the soil.

But do not leave the root system too close to the surface, because there is a high probability that the plant will die at the first onset of frost. After planting the camellia, water it generously and mulch it.

Did you know? One of the ancient legends says that beautiful maidens from Saturn who did not succumb to the spell of the god of love Cupid were turned into camellias. In memory of this, camellias are symbolized with coldness and insensitivity.

Features of caring for camellia in the garden

Despite its unpretentiousness, garden camellia requires mandatory and proper regular care.

Watering and fertilizing plants

When watering camellias during flowering, make sure that the water does not get on the buds or flowers. In summer, the plant needs regular moisture, which must be done very generously. In winter, the intensity of watering should be significantly moderated.

But it also happens that camellia sheds its leaves, and sometimes even its buds, what should you do in this case? Firstly, this is the very first sign that the soil is either insufficiently moistened or poorly fertilized. The solution is obvious - normalizing watering and improving the quality of fertilizing.

Important! Camellia growing in the garden is demanding on the composition of water and its quality. Do not water the plant with water that contains lime. Soft, well-settled water is best suited for this purpose.

Camellia needs high-quality feeding, especially in spring, during the period of formation of new shoots, when the active period of its growth begins. It should be fed twice a month until the end of summer.

Important! Don't overdo it with fertilizing. The camellia root system does not require a large amount of food. The plant should be fed only when the soil is well moistened.

It is necessary to introduce fertilizing only based on organic matter and mineral fertilizers. They can be purchased at any store specializing in gardening. When the summer season gives way to autumn and new buds are formed, feeding can be stopped.

Overfeeding the plant will cause it to grow at the right time for resting. In this case, an adult camellia may suffer greatly, and a young one may even freeze.

Pruning and replanting

Camellia needs to be replanted during its rest period, namely with the onset of winter. There are two active periods of plant growth:

1. The first – from the beginning of April and for three weeks.
2. The second - from the beginning of July until autumn.

Important! Transplanting camellias during the growth phase is fraught with disastrous consequences: the plant may stop growing or even die.

To properly care for a young plant, it should be replanted annually. And during the flowering period, camellias need to be replanted to a new place every two years.

For greater density and branching, camellia shoots need to be pinched when transplanting. To stimulate bud formation, you need to prune the camellia in mid-autumn.

Camellia is unpretentious in terms of pruning branches, but it will only benefit if pruning is done at the end of the flowering period. If the bush has been pruned too much, it will require more careful care. The affected shrub will need to be moistened more often.

Preparing the bush for winter

In the summer, camellia grows in the garden; in the winter it can be dug up and moved indoors for the winter. Preserving shrubs is quite difficult, since heating has a bad effect on the plant.

The best place for camellia is a warm balcony or any other room with conditions similar to a cold greenhouse.

In winter, camellia flowering is most intense, but this is achieved only at night temperatures of 0...+5°C. This is the main factor in which the garden camellia blooms most intensively and for a long time.

Propagation of camellias at home

Camellia can propagate like most other plants: by seeds, layering, grafting and cuttings.

Garden camellias reproduce better using half-lignified cuttings, which are cut closer to August. The stalk should have five leaves, about 8 cm long.

How to root camellia? Its cuttings need to be planted in sand or a mixture of sand and peat soil in a 1:1 ratio. The end of the cutting is dipped in phytohormone, which helps to better warm the soil.

Its temperature should be about 25 degrees. In such conditions, the cutting will take root for two months.

Be sure to take only semi-lignified cuttings. Green young shoots are not suitable for propagation. Rooted cuttings are planted in separate pots.

Seeds

The seed method of propagating camellia is the most effective. When should you plant camellia seeds? They ripen by mid-autumn. Seeds must be sown immediately after collection, otherwise their viability will quickly be lost due to the large amount of oil they contain.

Sow the seeds in a mixture of peat and sand in wooden boxes. The growth of seedlings accelerates at a temperature of 20°C and lasts from several weeks to one year. Then, with the appearance of two leaves, the seedlings are planted one at a time into separate pots with a diameter of 7 cm.

Camellias grown from seeds adapt much better to harsh conditions and grow faster.

Usually the plant blooms in the fifth or seventh year, but some varieties bloom already in the second or third.

Did you know? Camellias appeared in Europe in 1738 thanks to the Jesuit monk Joseph Kamel. In his honor, the plant began to be called “camellia”.

Frequent problems when growing, possible diseases and pests of camellias

Camellia diseases can be both treated and prevented; the main thing is to know the methods of control and prevention.

Yellow spot. Individual leaves and shoots of the plant are covered with yellow spots of various shapes. The disease can manifest itself as a result of genetic abnormalities and under the influence of viral diseases.

How to fight: it is necessary to carefully select queen cells. Plants with even the slightest signs of yellow spot should be removed.

Phyllostictyosis. The leaves are covered with brown spots of irregular shape. This disease manifests itself as a result of high air humidity and damage to foliage.

How to fight: affected leaves must be removed. In order for the plant to dry out as quickly as possible, air humidity must be reduced. Before the onset of winter, camellia should be treated with one of the following preparations: Saporol, copper sulfate, Bordeaux mixture, Abiga-Pik.

Weevil-mower. This pest can be identified by leaves nibbled at the edges. The larvae of this insect are much more dangerous than the mother. They damage the root system. They look like white worms 1 cm long with a brown head.

How to fight: Bazudin in granules, Iskra gold, Fly-eater and Medvetox cope well with pests.

Scale insects and false scale insects. They damage still young shoots, and golden or brown tubercles are visible on the surface of the stems. You can simply pick off insects with something thin.

How to fight: If the infestation is small, you can get rid of pests with a toothbrush. After this, soak a cotton swab in kerosene and wipe the stems. The dense film does not allow air to pass through, and the insects die from asphyxia. If the lesions are more global, then the camellia needs to be treated with insecticides. Mineral oil works well.

The leaves of the plant acquire an uneven yellow-white color throughout. There are dark discharges on the underside of the leaves. Thrips are tiny, elongated, yellow or brown insects that live on the bottom of leaves. They appear when air temperature rises and humidity increases. Severely affected leaves dry out and fall off.

How to fight: You need to hang blue sticky traps near the plants. To completely get rid of pests, camellias are sprayed with insecticides Aktara, Aktellik, Fufanon, Fitoverm, Tanrek, Iskra, etc. After five days, the treatment must be repeated, since insects go through several stages of development.

The leaves become colored with yellow dots, which over time expand, discolor and dry out. Mites, just 0.5 mm in size, live among the webs on the bottom of leaves. Ticks appear from high temperatures and dry air.

How to fight: In the first stages, you can treat the camellia with a soap solution or mineral oil. For more extensive cases, Fitoverm, Akarin, Vertimek, Molniya and others will help.

Uses of camellia plants in different areas

Camellias add greenery to bright, cool rooms. Their flowers are perfect for decorating apartments and hallways.

Made from camellia buds and leaves medicines. It is the young buds that are used to make drinks, as fermentation occurs in them.

Young camellia buds and leaves contain enzymes that increase the body's metabolic processes and help eliminate excess fat.

Phenolic compounds contained in the leaves have a calming effect and break down lipids. Thus, fewer calories enter the body. A decoction of camellia roots treats diarrhea.

All kinds of cosmetics are made from camellia seed oil. For example, lipsticks with camellia oil are applied in a thinner and lighter layer. A decoction of the leaves makes hair more manageable and silky.

A healthy and aromatic tea is prepared from dried camellia leaves. It can also be prepared at home. Five-leaf shoots need to be collected from May to September. They are laid out on a wooden board and dried for half a day.

Then they are rolled into tubes and laid out on a wet towel in a layer 7 cm thick and left for five hours. When the leaves begin to smell and acquire a copper-red color, they need to be dried in the oven at 50°C. Tea can be brewed.

In China, camellia leaves are used to treat dysentery, heal wounds, soothe stomach disorders, treat malaria, epilepsy and anemia. Helps well with fatigue.

Thanks to the tonic and astringent properties of camellia flowers, hemorrhoids are successfully and painlessly cured. A decoction of flowers stops internal and external bleeding.

Important! Be sure to follow dosages when taking camellia raw materials as a remedy.

And finally, I would like to understand one more question: what does the camellia flower symbolize?
For a long time, camellia was the “flower of the samurai.” Only representatives of this class could grow camellias and decorate clothes with them. But in the 15th century, a belief suddenly arose that a samurai who touched a camellia would inevitably be beheaded. This is explained simply.

A picked camellia flower does not crumble when it hits the ground, and the associative fantasy of the Japanese added its own colors.

In ancient times, according to the Shinto tradition, the camellia was a symbol of the sun goddess Amaterasu, and later of Jesus, with the advent of Christianity. Today, camellia symbolizes perseverance and longevity.

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In nature, camellias are large bushes or trees with a loose crown that grows up to several meters. But at home, caring for the camellia flower in the photo is not possible for all gardeners. This beauty, famous for its winter blooms, sometimes turns out to be obstinate and does not want to adapt to living indoors.

And yet, knowing the secrets of the plant, creating conditions for it that are as close as possible to nature, one can hope for the camellia’s favor. For experienced indoor plant lovers, with proper care, camellia feels great, forms many buds, blooming every year to the delight of others.

Features of camellia and flower care at home

Decorative varieties and varieties of camellias, of which there are several thousand in the world, are amazingly beautiful. They cannot be confused with other cultures. And in terms of splendor and flower shape, camellia competes only with. Smooth, leathery leaves of rich green color have a pointed elliptical shape and are attached to the shoots with short, dense petioles. Flowers, depending on the type, can be simple or double, white, soft pink, deep crimson or even variegated.

Most often in home collections you can find three types of this plant:

• or Camellia japonica;
• camellia reticulata or Camellia reticulata;
• mountain camellia or Camellia sasanqua.

They gave the world the largest number of varieties and hybrids used by flower growers.

Having seen this miracle only once, it is difficult to refuse the temptation. But to prevent the purchased flower from dying, you will have to provide special care for camellia when growing it at home.

This means that the home beauty is provided with a semblance of a natural climate and is provided with:

• moderate temperatures in summer time;
• coolness in winter;
• high air humidity;
• nutritious ultra-light substrate;
• protection from drafts and direct sun.

If all conditions are met, the maintenance and care of the flower is organized, the camellia, as in the photo, will respond with friendly flowering, lasting from 2 to 4 months.

Conditions for growing camellias and care at home

If you describe the characteristics of the camellia flower, indicating that the plant can withstand frosts down to –5 °C, blooms at +10 °C, has almost no dormant period and is incredibly decorative almost all year round, you might think that there is no better crop for your home collection. But that's not true. The difficulty of keeping camellia is that creating such conditions in an apartment is extremely difficult.

Without a bright, closed balcony, loggia, terrace or winter garden, it is unlikely that you will be able to enjoy camellia blooms, because the plant’s buds open in the winter, and the growth of greenery begins with the arrival of spring.

How to care for camellia at home? Throughout the year, camellia needs up to 12–14 hours of daylight, but does not react well to direct sunlight. Therefore, on southern windows in the summer, the shrubs are provided with shading. But on the north side the plant will be completely uncomfortable, which is signaled by elongated shoots, pale and shredded foliage. With the decrease in natural light, when autumn comes, camellias are arranged.

If in spring and summer camellias are kept at room temperature, then with the onset of autumn it will be harmful for the plant to be in a warm room. It is transferred to a glazed loggia or an insulated balcony, terrace or other place where the temperature will be about 12–15 °C.

At proper care and maintenance, a camellia flower, as in the photo, will produce many buds, and flowering will begin in winter, continuing even at low sub-zero temperatures down to –10 °C.

Watering and fertilizing when caring for indoor camellia at home

Camellia care is based on the fact that in nature, most species grow in areas with a fairly humid climate, which affects the needs of the plant:

1. In summer, indoor camellias need frequent, abundant watering. This is explained both by the consumption of actively growing shrubs and by the large evaporation of moisture in the soil surface.
2. In winter, when low temperatures, although camellia blooms, it needs less water. Therefore, the substrate is moistened only when the earthen ball in the pot is dried.

Excessive moisture in the soil mixture in both summer and winter is unacceptable, since it leads to the proliferation of bacteria, soil pests and causes rot of the root system.

Water is used that has been settled, melted or boiled. When caring for camellias, citric or acetic acid is occasionally added to the water to maintain a comfortable level of soil acidity for the plant. An increased content of calcium salts and other impurities negatively affects the condition of the flower.

In addition to proper watering, it is important for camellias to be kept in moist air. Operating heating devices will cause the leaves and already formed buds to fall off, therefore:

• if necessary, you can use a humidifier;
• Give the indoor beauty a warm shower with a spray bottle, trying not to touch the surface of the soil.

With the beginning of active growth, that is, in the spring, they begin to regularly feed indoor pets. This procedure, as part of camellia flower care, is carried out 2-3 times a month until the end of July, feeding the shrubs with organic matter and minerals. Then, in the second half of August, fertilization is stopped, which will help the camellia begin to form flower buds, and then buds.

Transplanting indoor camellia when caring at home

In nature, camellias are large shrubs. When kept at home, the flower also grows strongly, so it requires:

• regular transplantation into a larger pot;
• adding fresh substrate.

Young plants are transferred every year, and adult specimens - no more than once every 2-3 years, as the root system fills the entire volume of the pot.

Unlike other species that are carried to new soil in spring, indoor camellias are replanted in late autumn or winter. Lush flowering- not a hindrance to this procedure. The buds and already opened corollas will not fall off.

The vagaries of camellia concern not only the air temperature during flowering and its high humidity, but also the composition of the substrate. To simplify the care of a camellia flower, as in the photo, at home, the most structured light soil is selected for it, which provides the plant with good nutrition and does not interfere with the passage of water and air.

In this case, increased soil acidity at a pH level of 4.0–5.5 units is extremely important. If it is not possible to independently make the required substrate from equal parts of leaf and coniferous soil, perlite, high-moor peat and adding a small amount of crushed coniferous tree bark and sand to make the mixture loose, you can purchase ready-made soil for azaleas.

Drainage is made at the bottom of the pot, a little soil is poured on top, and a shrub with a straightened root system is placed on top of it. The substrate is poured carefully, easily pressing around the azalea.

The soil should not be allowed to hide the root collar. The same rules for caring for camellias are followed if the soil surface is mulched with shavings, sawdust or crushed bark that acidifies the soil.

Trimming and pinching camellias when caring for flowers

Pruning is an integral part of caring for a camellia flower growing in a room. In addition to the sanitary removal of weakened, damaged and dried shoots, the crown must be formed, otherwise the bush loses its compactness, grows and becomes unsuitable for keeping in the house.

The formation of the camellia crown is done during the period when mass flowering is declining and the plant does not form new buds. Depending on the type indoor flower camellias are cut down to half the length of the shoots. Places of large cuts are treated with garden varnish.

Experienced flower growers, using pruning and shaping, obtain elegant standard trees or miniature bonsais from camellias. Pruning and pinching help stimulate branching, so you can expect that after such care the camellia will bloom much brighter and more abundantly.

But at the stage of bud formation, the gardener should evaluate the strength of the plant and adjust the number of future flowers on the shoots. If there are too many buds, they will weaken the camellia, and the bush will still not be able to hold the large corollas that have opened for long.

Subtleties of camellia care - video

Camellia is a large shrub or tree if it grows in open ground, endowed with a porous crown reaching more than 2 meters. Not all gardeners will be able to grow a flower at home, since the bush, which blooms in winter, does not take root very readily in indoor conditions.

Nevertheless, the wayward charmer is very popular thanks to its exotic flowers and the presence useful qualities, which are applicable both as decorative elements of interiors and practical ones that bring benefits.

blooming camellia

Belongs to evergreen, ornamental flowering shrubs from the Theaceae family. In the natural environment, most of the varieties are found in regions where tropical and subtropical climates predominate. So you can find blooming camellia in Southeast and Central Asia, Indochina, Japan, the Philippine Islands and the island of Java.

Nowadays, there are about 250 species of this amazing tree. One of the most famous varieties is the Chinese camellia or tea bush, thanks to the foliage of which the original variety of tea is produced. Some of the varieties are grown only indoors or for decorating certain areas.
It is very popular as it blooms for a long time in winter.

Characteristics and description of Camellia

Camellia is a flower that can be either a shrub or a tree. The height reaches from 2 to 20 meters. Endowed with simple elliptical or broadly ovate and oblong-ovate leathery leaves.

camellia bonsai

The glossy leaves, located in several pieces on short petioles, can be either pointed or blunt. Their length, depending on the variety, varies from 3 to 17 cm.

In their circumference, single flowers vary from 1 to 10 cm. The petals fused at the base are colored pink, red, white or variegated, and are also decorated with many stamens. The tree begins to bloom with the onset of cold weather, if the air temperature does not exceed +12 degrees.

You can enjoy bright colors for 1 to 3 months. After they wither, fruits are formed, which are a dry box with five compartments, in which no more than 8 seedlings are formed.

Some of the varieties are valued by gardeners due to their evergreen crown and flowers that bloom with cold weather. They decorate rooms and parks, giving them rich green shades.

Using the foliage of the hybrid Japanese-Chinese eugenolic camellia, they create essential oil, which contains 97% eugenol.

What types of flowers are found?

Only a few species of cameli are grown at home. Among them:

• Mountain Camellia sasanqua - Camellia sasanqua

Sazanka variety

The Japanese call this species very beautifully and poetically - the flower of the winter sun, as it grows on the mountain slopes of the islands of Kushu and Okinawa, which are perfectly illuminated by the sun's rays.

The height of the bush varies from 3 to 5 meters. Richly green ovoid or elliptical leaves, upper part which are shiny and the lower ones are pubescent, grow from 3 to 7 cm.

The circumference of red, pink and snow-white simple flowers can reach up to 7 cm. Both single flowers and several flowers can bloom on the bush. Abundant flowering on personal plots starts in November and lasts until February.

The most mega popular decorative varieties:

• Bicolor
• Bonanza
• Cleopatra
• White double
• Enishi

• Chinese camellia - Camellia sinensis

tea tree

This variety is also commonly called tea bush or Camellia bohea. But the most popular “name” is tea tree, since its leaves produce black and green tea. Young bai-kho greenery is used to make bai-kho tea.

The bush contains lovely fragrant inflorescences, which are excellent aromatic additives with exotic taste for teas. They originate in the tropical and subtropical forests of Indochina. On the territory of Russia, this species can be found in the Krasnodar Territory. It is grown quite rarely indoors.

On a small evergreen tree, no more than 10 meters high, fragrant single buds bloom, which can also be combined into inflorescences of 2-4 pieces. White flowers consist of petals, sometimes with a yellow-pink tint, the number of which can vary from 5 to 9. Flowering begins in August and lasts until late autumn. The fruits are formed from October to December.

• Japanese - Camellia japonica

IN folk medicine Chinese varieties of Camellia japonica are used as an anti-cancer medicine. The flowers tone the body and have astringent properties.

The Japanese camellia flower is grown quite often at home and is incredibly popular among professional gardeners.

indoor camellia

After all, it was on its basis that many indoor flower hybrids were bred. In Japan, the variety is no less famous than the magnificent sakura.

There are simple, double, semi-double, symmetrical and unevenly double inflorescences, in white, pink and bright red shades. In addition, there are hybrid varieties whose petals are decorated with specks, dashes or streaks.

The spherical flowers have a lot of similarities with a rose, peony or anemone, only the aroma emanating from them, of course, is absent. They are formed in the leaf axils and are located throughout the crown of the bush. All flowers do not fade for a whole month. You can enjoy the flowering from the beginning of November until the end of spring.

As a rule, this species is planted in pots, tubs and open ground. It feels great indoors, but the temperature where it grows should be no more than 12 degrees. Specimens grown in greenhouses form fruits.

Common indoor varieties:

1. Hippolight Toby
2. Japanese Tsubaki
3. camellia japonica Nagasaki
4. Lady Campbell
5. Empress

Video of indoor camellia variety:

In addition to the already known species, you can also find:

• Saulenskaya - Camellia saluenensis

Thanks to this species, frost-resistant varieties are developed that can be grown in completely open ground or in a greenhouse. The free-branching shrub reaches up to 1.5 in height and the same in width. Flowering begins in the last months of winter and continues until spring.

The color of camellia is snow-white or deep red, and sometimes you can see a burgundy flower. The diameter in circumference reaches 8 cm. It is one of the unpretentious garden varieties. It differs from other representatives in that it independently drops flowers from the bush. Thanks to this ability, the shrub always looks neat and tidy.

• Camellia oleifera - Camellia oleifera

Distributed in forests and on the river banks of China, at an altitude of 500 to 1200 meters above sea level. It is often bred on an industrial scale for its seeds, which are saturated with beneficial essential oil.

Camellia oil acts as:

1. Antiseptic
2. Tones
3. Local anesthetic

The height of this evergreen shrub reaches about 10 meters. The trunk reaches 20 cm in circumference and is decorated with brown bark. The regular, leathery petiolate foliage is ovoid in shape with slightly pointed or blunt tips. Snow-white flowers can be either bisexual single or paired axillary. They form in September, and their flowering lasts until the second half of October. It bears fruit in large capsules, in which many round seeds appear, about 3 cm long.

• Reticulated - Camellia reticulata

The height of the tree reaches 20 m. In China, Buddhist monks decorate their gardens with rich red double flowers. It is characterized by rather large inflorescences, the circumference of which exceeds 20 cm.

The bush is strewn with an endless number of pink, white and red blossoming buds, in which all the colors are mixed together in bizarre transitions and unusually shimmering under the sun's rays. Thanks to this feature, gardeners call them chimeras.

• Golden-flowered camellia - Camellia chrysantha

It differs from other varieties in its bright yellow opening buds, the number of which on one bush can reach up to 200 pieces. It is protected by law in China and is listed in the local Red Book.. It can be found in its natural environment in the hard-to-reach forests of Vietnam or China.

Camellia flower care and cultivation at home

how to care

Growing a plant indoors is quite difficult. The fact is that the camellia bush prefers to grow at temperatures not lower than +5 degrees and not higher than +10, and also practically does not hibernate. Maintaining such a temperature indoors is not easy, which is why growing it in an apartment causes a lot of trouble.

Important to remember! If you don't have glass loggia, balcony, winter garden or terrace, then you are unlikely to be able to see flowering, since the shrub begins to bloom its buds with the onset of cold weather, and foliage forms only in the spring.

In order to enjoy flowering in your apartment, you have to create some special conditions for its successful growth.

Temperature regime for indoor camellia

The first thing to take care of is creating a suitable temperature. In order for the buds to emerge and actively develop, the camellia will need only 12 hours of exposure to the sun. But at this moment you should pay special attention to the temperature:

• Its limits should be about 8-15 degrees. If it falls a little lower, flowering will most likely not occur.
• If you provide the shrub with less than 12 hours of daylight, be sure to reduce the room temperature to 8-10 degrees.
• Flowering begins in December and lasts until February and during this time you should maintain the temperature in the room no higher than 10 degrees, but it should not drop below 8°C.

If the air in the room is too warm, the bush will begin to drop buds or they will open much earlier, which will affect the quality of the flowers.

Сamelia: what kind of lighting does it prefer?

What should the soil moisture be and how to water it correctly

At the moment of bud formation, as well as when camellia flowers bloom, it must be watered with well-settled water.

how to water camellia

As soon as you see that the top earthen ball has dried out, be sure to water the plant. But remember that under no circumstances should the water be allowed to stagnate. When the tree is dormant, it is necessary to water it moderately.

• Prefers to receive water acidified with citric acid, fresh lemon juice and vinegar.
• If the tree does not receive enough moisture, it will begin to shed its leaves.
• If you water the shrub too often, its foliage will turn brown and the buds will fall off.

To increase humidity in the summer, spray twice a day, humidify the air by spraying the plant and adding water to the pan. You need to place the container with the bush in moistened coarse river sand, gravel, pebbles or moss. During the flowering period, be especially careful when spraying, as water should not touch the flowers. If you want the tree to develop well, be sure to install a humidifier.

What fertilizer to use

At the time of the growing season, which begins in the spring, you need to start regularly applying fertilizers. Feed the tree no more than 2-3 times a month, using mineral or organic fertilizers for this purpose. They stop feeding it completely by the end of summer, which allows it to set buds and release buds.

What should the soil composition be?

Camellia care at home is not easy, because it needs special lighting and temperature regime. In addition, special attention should be paid to the soil in which you will plant the tree. In order to feel good in apartment conditions, it should be placed in loose, nutritious soil that easily allows water and oxygen to pass through. The acidity level should be equal to pH 4.0-5.5 units.

Juliet variety

It is possible to prepare the soil yourself using:

1. 1 share of leaf soil
2. 1 share of perlite
3. 2 shares of coniferous land
4. 2 shares of high peat
5. 0.3 parts of conifer bark
6. 0.3 shares of sand, which will make the soil loose

If you cannot prepare the soil, then purchase a suitable substrate from a specialized store, suitable, for example, for indoor azaleas.

First of all, a drainage layer is poured into the pot, which is covered with a thin layer of soil, on which the tree should be placed, straightening its root system. Fill the container with the rest of the substrate and lightly compact it with your hand.

Do not bury the root collar under any circumstances. This should also be monitored when mulching with sawdust, shavings or crushed bark.

How and when pruning and pinching is done

One of the important procedures that should definitely be carried out is tree pruning. In addition to removing damaged, dried and weak branches from the shoot, it is imperative to shape its crown. If you do not do this, the shape will be lost, the bush will become too large, and you will no longer be able to grow it in the house.

This procedure is carried out when the flowers begin to fade one by one and new buds do not form on the bush. Based on the chosen camellia variety, its shoots are sometimes cut off almost in half. Large sections are processed using garden varnish.

Experienced gardeners, using pruning, manage to create small bonsai trees or standard specimens. Thanks to pinching and pruning, branching becomes more active, which allows the bush to bloom much more and more beautifully.

It is not easy to keep track of such an unusual plant, because camellia flower care at home photo showing all its beauty requires special attention.

Important! Be sure to pinch the buds, leaving no more than 2 on each stem. This procedure will allow you to provide the bush with large flowers that will delight you for a long time.

How to transplant

When the bush is between 1 and 3 years old, it needs to be replanted annually. Adult specimens need to be replanted once every 2 years. The procedure is carried out in spring and summer, when flowering has already completed. At the same time, you need to pinch the top to allow the tree to form. It is constantly necessary to add soil to the tubs and pots, which is mixed in advance with complex fertilizers.

Reproduction methods

You already know that camellia garden planting and care, which is not easy to care for, is a rather capricious plant in terms of demands. Now you should find out how you can propagate this incredible tree.

There are several ways to propagate camellia:

• Cuttings

It is the most common method of reproduction.

Typically, this method is practiced in January, July or August. To form a root system, summer cuttings need only a month, which cannot be said about January seedlings, since they will need more than one month for this process.

1. To obtain cuttings, you need to take special care to cut off the top young shoots that have formed in the current season. Their length should be about 6-8 cm. Don't forget to leave about 5 leaves on them. Under the axillary bud, make an oblique cut.
2. Seedlings must be planted in special boxes into which a mixture of peat and sand in a 1:1 ratio is poured in advance.
3. The box is placed in a lighted room in which the temperature is maintained at least +20+23 degrees.
4. Be sure to water and spray the cuttings.
5. After the roots have fully formed, transplant the plant into a pot with a diameter of about 8 cm.

• Seminal

This method is also often used by flower growers. You need to sow 1 seedling in small pots. As soon as two full leaves appear on the sprouted sprout, transplant it into a larger container. Camellia sinensis tea is grown from seeds in the same way as other varieties.

• Graft

There are varieties that take root with difficulty. In such situations, they are grafted onto the apical bud. The rootstock in this case is tea tree or other slightly demanding varieties of indoor camellia. After grafting, the room temperature must be maintained at least +20 degrees. Excess shoots that form on the seedling should be trimmed. It is necessary to spray the grafted flower regularly and not allow the sun to burn the immature leaves again. After 2.5 years, the seedling is separated from the rootstock and transplanted into a separate container.

Garden care

Camellia indoors is grown in the southern part of Russia and in the garden in open ground and it will already be a shrub.

To do this, you must follow some rules, including:

1. tested soil composition
2. maintaining a certain temperature
3. careful lighting
4. humidity in the air

As a rule, all these items should meet almost all care requirements, as for indoor plants indoors.

To decorate gazebos, loggias and other facades, a special variety of climbing plant was bred.

What problems do you encounter when growing camellia shrubs?

1. Improper watering and excess moisture will lead to rotting of the root system and the formation of a crust on the foliage of the tree.
2. Dry air causes black spots to appear on the leaves. To cope with this problem, you need to get rid of the affected greenery. Wipe those leaves that have not become infected with a soft, damp sponge. Place the container in a cool room or near a window, thereby distancing it from other plants.
3. If you bury the root collar when planting, this will most likely lead to the death of the plant. The cervix does not deepen under any circumstances.
4. It can easily drop all the buds and leaves if:

• change his usual potty position
• change the angle at which the light was illuminated
• soil acidity will be higher than normal

Red camellia, like other varieties, requires special care. If you do everything correctly, you will soon be able to enjoy the lush, bright flowering of an evergreen shrub that will delight you with its flowers throughout the winter.

Video secrets for caring for camellia at home: