Is camellia easy to care for?
Are you curious about whether camellia is easy to care for and the related experience of camellia maintenance knowledge in flower planting? Next, the site editor will introduce it to the netizens.
Camellia leaves are glossy and green, with beautiful and colorful flowers, and have high ornamental value. They have been deeply loved by people since ancient times. Now, camellias are also very popular among flower enthusiasts, and it is common to have several pots at home for appreciation. However, this type of southern flower has high requirements for the growth environment, and many flower enthusiasts say it is very difficult to care for. In fact, camellias are not particularly difficult to care for; just by mastering five maintenance "skills," you can make them flourish with abundant flowers and leaves.
Soil is important.
The reason everyone thinks camellias are difficult to care for is that during the cultivation process, they do not prepare suitable soil for growth. This southern flower has high requirements for soil and prefers slightly acidic soil, while most soil in the northern regions is alkaline, making it difficult to care for camellias.
When growing camellias in pots at home, don't be afraid of the trouble and try to collect more loose, breathable, nutrient-rich soil, such as pine needle soil, peat soil, and humus soil. Then, mix in some permeable and breathable materials, like calcined coal slag or decomposed peanut shells, to make the potting soil soft, breathable, and nutrient-rich to allow the camellia to grow vigorously.
Watering should not be too frequent.
Camellias are woody flowers and do not like excessive water. Many cases of yellow leaves and falling leaves, as well as flower bud drop during the flowering period, are related to watering. If you water it frequently during maintenance, keeping the potting soil in a consistently moist state, the roots in the soil cannot breathe normally, leading to root rot and the dropping of leaves and flower buds.
Is camellia easy to care for?
Water camellias when the soil is dry, allowing for a cycle of wet and dry. This means watering when the potting soil is dry. You can insert a bamboo chopstick into the potting soil, and if the soil below 2 centimeters is dry, immediately water it thoroughly.
Master the air humidity.
Camellias prefer a humid environment, with the air humidity ideally maintained between 60% and 70%. However, our home cultivation environment is mostly made of reinforced concrete with little shade, making the air relatively dry. In a dry environment, camellias often show symptoms like yellowing, curling, and falling leaves.
Therefore, when growing camellias at home, apart from normal watering, it is also necessary to frequently spray water mist with a spray bottle in sunny and well-ventilated conditions to increase the humidity of the air environment and provide a good growing environment for the plant.
Fertilize appropriately.
Although camellias are woody flowers, they should not be fertilized with too concentrated fertilizer, as this can also cause root burn and lead to root rot and yellowing leaves, especially when applying organic fertilizer. Do not apply unfertilized organic fertilizer directly to the flowerpot.
For acid-loving flowers like camellias, it is best to frequently water them with a dilute acidic fertilizer solution, such as ferrous sulfate, which can be applied once a month to promote vigorous growth and make the leaves greener and more glossy.
In the fall, when flower buds start to grow, use less nitrogen fertilizer and more phosphorus and potassium fertilizers. You can water with a 1:1000 dilution of potassium dihydrogen phosphate fertilizer every half month to encourage the plant to grow more flower buds.