Camellia - flowering tea bushes. Home camellia: how to breed an oriental beauty at home

Camellia is a shrub or tree, a member of the tea family. Some varieties grow up to 15 meters. The original leaves and large flowers of this plant were the reason for its adaptation to cultivation in room conditions. There are several varieties of shrubs - Chinese, mountain, Japanese camellia. Care and cultivation at home have their own subtleties. You will learn about them from this article.

Decorative views are really very good. These are tall plants, in autumn winter period covered with many large flowers of different colors. She is often called Chinese rose for the similarity of colors appearance and smell. The camellia leaf is dense, with a glossy surface, so the decorative qualities of the plant are high not only during flowering.

In an apartment with good, attentive care, it grows up to 4 meters in height. There are many varieties, but not all of them are suitable for an apartment. The best varieties The following species are considered for growing at home:

• Japanese. In nature, it is widely distributed in Japan, China, Korea. The highest variety, which is a full-fledged tree up to 15 meters high. Camellia japonica is interesting for its pointed glossy leaves, which are so smooth that they glare in the sun. Decorative varieties Japanese camellia form a fairly compact shrub or tree.
• Mountain. Not less than beautiful bush arnica with erect or hanging shoots. The leaves are ovate with a slight pubescence on the underside. It blooms from early autumn to mid-winter, the flowers exude a delicate aroma.
  
• Mesh. The flower of the camellia net in diameter reaches 20 cm. In some varieties, the flowers have multi-colored strokes and overflows. They are called chimeras.
  
• Chinese. It is also called the tea bush. The leaves are elliptical with a serrated edge. There are many flowers - 2-3 pieces in the bosom.
  

Williams hybrids, bred by crossing two species - reticulated and Japanese, deserve special attention. Their distinctive feature is resistance to negative factors.

Advice! If you do not want to pay too much attention to the plant, choose a mountain camellia. It is characterized by restrained growth and ease of shaping.

Features and rules of cultivation

Houseplant camellia, despite the beauty, is not too common. This is due to the difficulties of growing it at home. Inexperienced flower growers often face the death of a flowering and outwardly healthy plant some time after purchase. For the proper growth of the plant, you need to create the appropriate conditions for it:

1. Lighting and location. This is photophilous plant but should be protected from direct sun. It grows well on the windowsills of windows facing west, east or on the floor next to them. The tub or pot of camellia is periodically rotated to uniformly form the crown.
2. Temperature. The main difficulties in growing arise from the need to maintain the optimum temperature. Without it, she will simply disappear. For each season, flower growers recommend adhering to a certain temperature regime. Summer optimum temperature is from +20 to +25°C, in spring from +13 to +17°C, in winter from +5 to +8°C, in autumn from +15 to +16°C. You can create such conditions only if there is a glazed balcony in the apartment.
3. The soil. Soil for camellia is better to choose acidic soil with a pH value of 4.5-5. Recommended composition - one part of humus and peat and half as much fine sand. You can use ready-made soils for rhododendrons or directly camellias, consisting of peat, perlite, crushed bark and fine sand.
4. Watering. Regular but moderate watering is recommended. Excess moisture is unacceptable. It is better to take soft water - snow, rain or settled for 1-3 days. In summer, during the period of laying buds, the frequency and intensity of irrigation is limited.
5. Humidity. The flower responds gratefully to air humidification. It is recommended to systematically spray it from a spray bottle, using soft water for this. There is another way - the pot is placed on a pallet filled with expanded clay, decorative pebbles and a small amount of water. flowering plants sprayed gently, avoiding water on the flowers. Purchasing a humidifier will make it easier to maintain high humidity.
6. Top dressing. Feed the plant during active growth using mineral and organic fertilizers. Camellia responds well to watering with a solution chicken manure very low concentration. Top dressing is completely stopped during the formation of buds.
7. Pruning and crown shaping. Shaping allows you to get more beautiful and neat bushes by thinning the crown or stimulating the growth of buds in the axils. Pruning is recommended towards the end of the flowering period.

Important! Proper care of camellia is to create favorable temperature conditions. In winter, the plant needs cold, in the apartment it will quickly die. Therefore, in winter, the camellia should be kept on a glazed balcony at a temperature not higher than + 10 ... + 15 ° C.

Camellia transplant

Due to the developed root system, camellias need to be transplanted into a larger container once every 2-3 years. The soil for planting should be light and acidic. The use of heavy soil will lead to difficulty in breathing the root system, its decay as a result of high humidity. Lime and alkaline soils are unsuitable for growing camellias - the plant quickly dies in them.

In order not to damage the roots, the plant is transferred to larger pot together with a clod of earth, pouring fresh soil mixture into the free space. The first days after transplanting, the camellia should be sprayed daily and monitor soil moisture. Adding a small amount of hydrogel to the soil will help maintain optimal humidity avoiding root rot.

As for the timing of the transplant, the opinions of flower growers differ. Some believe that the optimal period is the end of flowering. Others prefer to transplant camellias during flowering. The second option has a drawback - the flowers will inevitably suffer. It is forbidden to transplant camellias during the period of active growth, which begins in April and ends in autumn.

Advice! It is best to grow camellias in oak tubs and unglazed ceramic pots. Please select a container big size for the harmonious development of the root system.

Reproduction methods

Reproduction of camellia is usually carried out by cuttings. This is the easiest but effective method get a plant with unchanged characteristics of the variety. In addition to cuttings, planting with seeds and grafting are sometimes used.

1. Reproduction by seeds. Camellia can only be grown from seeds that are sold in specialized stores. When the camellia is propagated by seeds that are independently collected from the plant, it will lose the original characteristics of the variety. Sowing seeds is carried out in boxes, laying them out on the surface of light moistened soil. From above, the seeds should be lightly sprinkled with soil mixture. To speed up germination, the boxes are covered with polyethylene or glass and placed in heat. Seedlings dive into separate pots when true leaves appear.
2. Cuttings. Apical stiff cuttings are taken from adult plants in July or January. The length of the cutting is 6-8 cm with 3-5 leaves is considered optimal. The cuttings are briefly soaked in a solution of heteroauxin, after which they are planted in a moistened mixture of sand and peat. For fast rooting, a temperature of about 20-23°C is required. After about 2 months, they are planted in separate pots.

Diseases and pests

Camellia - capricious plant, with inappropriate care, it gets sick and suffers from pests.

• The appearance of brownish spots on flowers and black-gray spots on leaves indicates fungal disease. Fungicides are used to control it.
• Worms and aphids can completely destroy the young shoots of the plant. To get rid of them, they are treated with insecticides.
• The appearance of brown spots on the leaves in summer indicates a sunburn.
• Falling leaves indicate a lack or excess of moisture in the soil.

Camellia requires constant care, but the time spent is fully paid off by a very beautiful and long flowering plants.

Camellia flower is a very capricious plant that requires constant attention, but with proper care, it blooms amazingly beautifully. With the wrong content, this flower instantly drops buds and does not bloom. Light, humidity and air temperature are the main factors for good growth a plant like the camellia. A flower at home will bloom magnificently if you provide it with sufficient lighting in the first place. The light should be bright, but diffused, excluding direct sunlight on the camellia. It is very important to increase the humidity in the winter. Camellia flower cannot be placed near radiators and heat sources. AT summer period the flower is desirable to take out on Fresh air. A balcony or loggia will be just the perfect place for him.

Camellia home flower: proper watering- a pledge of abundant flowering

This is true, because a plant, like all living organisms, simply needs moisture. The flower is watered using water

room temperature, it must not contain lime. The soil in the pot should not be heavily moistened. The camellia flower will also respond negatively to drafts and sudden changes in temperature. It should be fed with special fertilizers about 2 times a month.

Camellia is prone to disease and attack harmful insects. The main problem in such cases is the appearance of spotting on the leaves. The most dangerous pests are scale insects and whiteflies. If the plant suddenly dropped buds, this speaks first of all about not proper care.

The camellia flower can be propagated by seeds or cuttings, both apical and annual growth, from which the buds are previously removed. Cuttings take root well in summer at a temperature of 25 degrees.

Camellia flowering can be delayed or moved for more late deadline. To do this, a pot with a plant is placed in a dark, cool room, the air temperature in which is about 8 degrees. Approximately two weeks before flowering, the camellia pot is placed in a bright and warm place and watered abundantly.

Useful advice: when transplanting camellias, pay attention to the neck of the stem. It should not be covered with earth. And do not transplant plants during a period of intensive growth, otherwise they may stop developing and get sick.

In addition, this flower does not tolerate pruning, and no matter how much you want to form a pretty bush, you should not do this. You can cut only weak shoots that have shed their leaves so that the plant does not lose its decorative appearance. But this procedure must be carried out with caution.

It is necessary to transplant every year, older ones - after 2 years. When transplanting, it is recommended to completely replace the land. For camellias, it is better to buy a special soil mixture, it is most suitable for such flowers in terms of composition. Some camellias can grow in open field, however, only in the southern and warm regions. With the onset of spring, camellia bushes throw out an incredible amount of buds and flowers, creating the feeling of a fireball. It's fabulously beautiful!

Camellia is considered one of the most beautiful indoor plants. Its leaves are the raw material for the production of tea, and the beauty of its flowers can compete with roses. Evergreen camellia is rather moody. When grown at home, this flower requires increased attention and special care. Flowering occurs in the winter months only with careful observance of all the rules for the care and maintenance of the plant.

Description and popular varieties

Camellia garden is evergreen shrub or a tree belonging to the Tea family. Depending on the species, the height of the plant can be from 3 to 12 m. Glossy oval-shaped leaves can be pointed at the ends. The diameter of large single flowers is from 5 to 15 cm, the colors are red, yellow, pink or white. There are quite rare varieties with various spots and stains on the petals. In areas with a warm climate, camellia can be grown outdoors, such as in a garden.

Several varieties of camellias are grown as a room.

Camellia mountain, or Miyagi in vivo is a shrub reaching a height of 5 m. This plant has dark green leaves with a glossy upper surface, pubescent below. Flowers - red, pink or white - can reach a diameter of 7 cm, grow singly or in groups of 2-3 pieces. This type of camellia begins its flowering in November and ends in January.

Camellia japonica grows up to 12 m in height. The leaves of this shrub are large, oval-shaped, with pointed edges. The flowers of the domestic Japanese camellia reach 4 cm in diameter, collected in several pieces. garden varieties have larger flowers, up to 12 cm in diameter. Flowering is observed at a temperature not higher than +12 degrees, from December to April. In greenhouse conditions, this camellia can bear fruit.

The evergreen Chinese camellia is a shrub up to 10 m high. The oval-shaped leaves are light green on top, darker on the underside. The flowers of this plant are arranged in groups of 2-4 pieces in the axils of the leaves, they smell pleasant. Flowering begins in August and lasts until November.

Tree-like oil camellia in natural conditions grows up to 10 m in height. It blooms with white flowers that appear in September. This period lasts until the end of October, and then, instead of flowers, boxes with numerous seeds appear, which are distinguished by a high content of oils.

Landing Rules

Landing is one of milestones caring for room camellia. From the correctness of its implementation depends largely on further successful cultivation flower. right time for planting camellias - from November to March. It is necessary to acquire and plant only flowering seedlings. Planting at a different time will cause the plant to stop growing, go into a painful state for a long time, or even die.

The roots of this plant are delicate and fragile and react sharply to all adverse factors. They freeze quickly and are extremely sensitive to excessive dryness or moisture. The soil must necessarily be acidic and have sufficient drainage qualities, but at the same time be constantly wet. If speak about ready ground, then a soil mixture for azaleas, which also develop in an acidic environment, is suitable for this flower.

If the soil is prepared independently, its composition should be as follows:

• 2 parts of leafy soil and peat;
• 1 part of sand and turf land.

A layer of expanded clay drainage must be laid at the bottom of the pot. Then they pour a large number of soil. After that, the seedling is placed in a pot, its roots are straightened and covered with prepared soil. When planting, it is important not to deepen the point of growth, as this will lead to a delay in the development or even death of the plant.

Until the age of three, camellias need an annual transplant, and adult plants are transplanted every 2 years. Bushes need to be transplanted in spring or summer, when the flowering period is over. At the same time, pinching or pruning the bush is performed in order to make the flowering more lush.

Camellia care at home

Given the description of the features of the plant, it can be assumed that camellia is perfect flower for home growing. It perfectly withstands frosts down to -5 degrees, for flowering it needs a temperature of +10 degrees. The plant is high decorative properties and is practically not at rest. But in reality, growing camellia in an apartment is quite difficult.

In order for the camellia to bloom, it is necessary to have a light covered balcony, loggia or terrace, and even better - winter Garden. After all, the buds of this plant open in winter, and spring is the time of active growth of greenery.

Throughout the year, this shrub needs a long daylight hours, its duration should be at least 12 hours. It is important that direct sunlight does not fall on the camellia. Therefore, when placed on the south side of the house, the plant needs to create diffused lighting. Camellia should not be placed on the windowsills of the northern windows. This leads to the fact that the shoots are unnecessarily stretched, the foliage turns pale and becomes small. During the period when the daylight hours are short, it is necessary to organize additional illumination of the camellia with special lamps.

In spring and summer, the camellia can be kept at room temperature, but with the onset of autumn, the flower pots must be transferred to an insulated balcony or loggia, where the temperature will not rise above +12 degrees. With proper care, a lot of buds will soon appear on the shrub, and the plant will bloom almost all winter, even at a slight sub-zero temperature.

Watering and feeding

Under natural conditions, camellia grows in areas with a humid climate, therefore, when kept at home, it needs to create similar conditions. To do this, in the summer, the bush is often and abundantly watered, as an actively growing shrub consumes a lot of water. In addition, moisture evaporates from the soil surface. In winter, less water is needed, even if the shrub blooms. At this time of the year, you need to water the camellia after the earthen coma dries up.

Too wet soil at any time of the year leads to the reproduction of pests and bacteria and can cause the death of the root system.

For irrigation, it is necessary to use soft water, it must be settled and boiled. Occasionally, you can add a little lemon or acetic acid to support required level soil acidity.

In addition to competent watering, camellias need a certain level of air humidity, since dry air and heating appliances buds may fall off. To do this, the camellia is regularly sprayed with water from a spray bottle or an automatic humidifier is installed in the room.

In the spring, you need to regularly feed the flower. As a top dressing, organic or mineral fertilizers. They are brought in twice a month until the end of July. From the second half of August, fertilization is stopped so that flower buds begin to form on the bush, from which buds will then appear.

Reproduction features

For breeding camellias are used seed propagation and cuttings. If seed propagation is used, then only fresh ones are taken. Due to the high concentration of oils, the seeds of this flower are unsuitable for long-term storage. They must be planted in containers with soil prepared from sand and peat, and kept warm. Plants obtained in this way are distinguished by good vital indicators, easily adapt to adverse conditions and grow quickly.

For propagation of varietal camellias, cuttings are used. Most best cuttings obtained from apical shoots olive shade. For rooting cuttings, a mixture of peat, sand and vermiculite is used. planting material placed in moist soil and covered glass jars to create a greenhouse effect. The rooting process takes 60 to 70 days.

Camellia (Camellia) belongs to the tea family. Under natural conditions, it grows in Japan, China, Korea, India, Indonesia, Java and Sumatra. Camellia got its name from the name of the Moravian naturalist G.I. Kamelius, who first brought this plant to Europe in the second half of the 18th century. Blooms in winter and in early spring, depending on the type.

What does a camellia flower look like: photo and description of a shrub

Camellia as indoor flower is a small beautiful evergreen shrub or small tree with leathery, elliptical leaves. AT garden conditions the minimum growth of the shrub is 1.5 m, and the tree can reach 20 m in height. The branched stems become woody very quickly, become bare, and instead of their green color, they acquire a gray or light brown color. The leaves on the shoots grow alternately, one after another. They are short-stalked and may be oval or ovoid in shape with an elongated end. The surface is smooth and glossy. As you can see in the photo, the leaves of the camellia plant have a rich dark green color and are slightly folded along the relief central vein:

The size sheet plate can vary between 3 - 17 cm in length. There is slight pubescence along the veins.

This is a fairly popular plant among flower growers, as camellia flowers usually look very attractive, somewhat reminiscent of roses.

The diameter of the flowers is from miniature (6 cm) to large (up to 12-14 cm), red, white or color pink, with 5-7 petals. There are camellias with double and variegated flowers. However, they are on the bush for no longer than one month. Most varieties are odorless. The bases of the petals fold into a tube. They can be located both in 1 and in several tiers, forming a lush bud. Each individual petal has a round or broad oval shape with a wavy edge. In the description of camellia flowering, a large number of stamens are also distinguished. yellow color, which are placed in the center of each flower. In most cases, the color of the petals is monophonic, but variegated varieties have also been bred.

You can see in the photo that the camellia looks like an ordinary bush after the petals fall:

However, fruits are formed in their place - dry seed pods, divided into 5 compartments. The seeds that are in them quickly lose their germination capacity, since their structure contains peculiar oils.

A variety of species and varieties of camellia flower: photo and description of plants

Types of such a flower as camellia have a fairly wide variety and differ from each other not only in the color of the inflorescences, but also in size and shape.

Popular types:

Japanese camellia (S. japonica);

Camellia mountain (C. sasanqua) - grows slowly, blooms in late winter - early spring;

Camellia sinensis (C. sinensis).

Many terry varieties have been bred.

camellia japonica (C. japonica). This type Camellia plants are considered the most decorative among the rest and are valued by flower growers because of their very beautiful flowers. It is an evergreen shrub that blooms profusely. Its dark green leaves are covered with a thin skin.

You can see from the photo that this type of camellia blooms in winter, which especially highlights the bright buds against the background of snow. Under indoor conditions, the plant grows up to 1 m in height. Its flowers are double, with a variety of colors.

Camellia "Guilio Nuccio". This is a variety of Japanese camellia, which is distinguished by a rich raspberry-pink color of flowers and not very large sizes. Oval-shaped petals are folded in two rows.

Camellia "Lady Campbell". This variety is highly valued for its high hardiness. It can withstand a short drop in temperature to -20°C without consequences. Because of this, it is ideal both as a houseplant and as a garden plant. The size of this shrub can reach no more than 2 m in height. It branches very strongly and forms a fairly wide and lush plant. Peony-like flowers can be up to 10 cm in diameter.

Camellia 'Japonica nobilissima'. Quite a tall bush, which in its natural environment can reach 2 m in height. In room conditions, the plant, of course, is much lower. Flowering of this variety falls on the period from December to January. The snow-white flowers stand out very favorably against the dark green background of the leaves.

Camellia 'Brushfield Yellow'. You can see in the photo that this variety of camellia is different unusual flowers with a double color - a cream-colored core surrounded by snow-white petals. This shrub has a relatively small size - it never reaches a height above 1.5 m.

camellia sinensis (C. sinensis). As can be seen from the photo, the description of this camellia differs in many ways from the previous species - this tree plant, sometimes small in size, which, however, can reach 20 m in height. As you know, this representative is the same Chinese tea tree. Since ancient times, this species has been used exclusively for practical purposes - a special preparation was prepared from its leaves. medicinal tea. However, now large quantity flower growers draws attention to lush bloom trees. Large inflorescences of white or yellowish color have a slightly noticeable mesh surface. The leaves of this species can reach a size of up to 14 cm in length and 4 cm in width.

Camellia mountain (C. sasanqua). This camellia as a houseplant is quite small and looks good indoors. This species has branched, mashed shoots covered with smooth green or green bark. Brown. The edges of the leaves are serrated, and their surface is slightly pubescent along the central vein. The plant can form small inflorescences with 3 buds, and can produce single flowers. The color of flowers can be varied - from red and pink to white. Several are derived from this species. ornamental varieties which are especially resistant to low air temperatures. They thrive best in cool rooms.

Camellia hybrid Williams (Camellia x williamsii). This plant is especially popular in Europe. This is due to the ease of cultivation and the tolerance of the bush to the climatic conditions of temperate latitudes. hallmark This camellia is that after the flowers wither, it completely discards the buds.

Optimal home conditions for growing camellia and plant care video

Growing camellia at home requires not only care, but also providing the plant optimal conditions environment.

Camellia is a light-loving plant, but direct sunlight is highly undesirable. Best of all, the flower will feel on the eastern or western windowsill. If you place a camellia near the north window, or in the back of the room, it will suffer from a lack of lighting. If the pot with this plant is placed on the windowsill on the south side of the house, then in the sunny time of the day, care must be taken to shade the flower. In order for the crown of the shrub to grow evenly and not to stretch in one direction, you can turn the pot from time to time. However, during the formation of flowering, changing the position of the pot is highly discouraged. In response to stressful influences, the plant may drop buds. As you can see in the video, caring for camellia in the warm season does not require high costs energy and the flower can be taken out into the fresh air:

However, it is important to monitor the absence of drafts and direct sunlight. This plant will feel good in daylight conditions with a length of 12 hours. AT winter time year when daylight does not last such a long period, it is necessary to place a fluorescent lamp near the flower.

In winter, the room temperature should not exceed 10-12 °C. Avoid drafts and sudden temperature fluctuations. When buds appear, the temperature should be raised to 16 -17 ᵒС. The flower feels best at 18 - 20 ᵒС. In a room that is too warm, the camellia will begin to drop buds. Also, flowering may begin earlier than usual, and the quality of the flowers will deteriorate dramatically. The flower does not like stale air, so the room must be ventilated from time to time. In this case, the plant should not be allowed to remain in the draft.

Loose, permeable soil works best. The substrate is leafy, soddy and coniferous soil, peat, sand (2:2:2:1:1). The soil must be acidic.

The plant is suitable for cool bright rooms, winter gardens.

How to grow a lush camellia bush at home

Many novice flower growers do not know how to properly care for home camellias, and make mistakes that can lead to the death of a flower. However, in order for the plant to live long and bloom well, you need to follow just a few simple tips.

The abundance of watering depends on the air temperature - the hotter, the more water the flower needs. Every time between humidifications top part an earthen coma with a depth of 1 - 2 cm should have time to dry completely. However, the soil should not be allowed to dry out completely, as this will harm the plant, and it will begin to shed its leaves. Waterlogging is also highly undesirable - in this case, the substrate will turn sour and the flowers will fall off, and the leaves will be covered brown spots. Watering at room temperature is recommended. The water must be free of lime. In July - August, watering is reduced. Moderate in winter.

When growing and caring for a camellia bush, it is important to provide it with a sufficient level of humidity, since it experiences extremely hard dry conditions. To do this, you need to regularly spray the flower. It is best to do this at a low light intensity, otherwise the leaves may burn. For this purpose, settled water at room temperature is used. If the camellia is in bloom, it is important to ensure that water droplets do not fall on the flowers during spraying, as this will lead to their rapid withering. Also, the humidity of the air around the plant can be increased by placing the pot on a pallet with wet pebbles.

Caring for a camellia flower, both at home and in the garden, involves regular top dressing in order to provide the plant with all the necessary nutrients. With the beginning of growth, mineral fertilizers are applied without admixture of lime. They need to be diluted at the rate of 1 gram of fertilizer per 1 liter of water. With the advent of buds, top dressing should be stopped.

In order to grow a lush camellia bush at home, it, like everyone else houseplants need to be repotted periodically. Considering that with the advent of spring, most camellia varieties are still in full bloom, transplantation is usually carried out at the beginning of winter. This must be done every 2 to 3 years for adult plants and every year for young ones. The pot must be chosen a few centimeters larger than the previous one. The root system of this plant is very fragile and it is very easy to damage it during transplantation. Therefore, they do not completely get rid of the old earthy coma, since after that the flower will hurt for a very long time. The best option will get rid of only a small part of the old soil and simply transfer the plant to a new pot. It is imperative to put a thick layer of drainage on the bottom, which will not allow excess moisture to stagnate in the ground. For this, expanded clay is used or broken brick. After transshipment, the remaining between the walls and the old earthy clod empty space is covered with fresh substrate. The root neck of the plant must be placed on the surface of the soil. Care after planting a camellia is slightly different from the usual - at first it is necessary to water the plant quite rarely and very carefully.

Theoretically, this plant does not need pruning, but this procedure can be carried out in order to give the flower a decorative effect. If you want to get a profusely flowering bush with a large crown, you can cut the shoots a little, which after that will branch much better. It is necessary to carry out this procedure after the flowering of camellia. In the event that there are too many flowers on the bush, the plant may get sick, since it takes a lot of effort to form them. In this case, it is better to cut off the extra buds, leaving about 3 flowers per shoot.

If the pot is constantly moved, the plant may drop buds.

Camellia flower propagation: how to root cuttings

The reproduction of a flower such as camellia is carried out with the help of seeds and apical cuttings, which take root easily. Seeds are rarely used.

Reproduction of camellia using cuttings can be carried out in the summer season - July-June, as well as in winter, but it is worth remembering that in this case the development of the plant will last a little longer. To obtain cuttings, it is necessary to cut off several shoots from the top branches. Stems that have already developed bark are best, but green ones can also be used. In order to root the camellia, you need to place the cuttings in pots with sandy-peat soil or perlite as soon as possible. After that, the shoots cover plastic bag or a jar to help maintain high humidity. Containers should be placed in a bright room with a temperature of 20 - 25 ° C. From time to time it is necessary to ventilate the cuttings, spraying and watering them at the same time. In order to root system managed to fully form, it should take 1.5 - 2 months. After that, you can remove the shelter from the plant.

Growing camellia: how to plant seeds correctly to grow a beautiful bush

To grow a beautiful camellia bush with the help of seeds, you need to carefully select the variety of the plant, since such reproduction will ensure the successful production of decorative specimens of far from all varieties.

It is necessary to plant camellia seeds as soon as they are fully ripe and suitable for sowing. To do this, you need to put them in disposable cups with loose garden soil and cover with glass or polyethylene. Containers should be placed in a well-lit place with a temperature of 20 - 23°C. The substrate is constantly sprayed with settled water. It will be correct to plant a camellia in a new pot after 2 full leaves have appeared on the plant.

At home, growing camellias using seeds is not recommended, since this method is usually used exclusively for breeding purposes.

Treatment of camellia diseases and how to get rid of pests (with photo)

As you know, camellia diseases are most often caused by care errors, and each symptom can indicate what exactly the plant lacks.

If the flower began to fade, the leaves became covered with brown spots, and the buds fall off, then most likely the reason for this is the decay of the root system. It can also be detected during transplantation. The roots begin to rot when the soil is waterlogged, when the moisture turns sour. Excessive watering can produce a particularly detrimental effect at low air temperatures.

As can be seen in the photo, to treat this camellia disease, the plant must be transplanted as soon as possible into new ground, which passes air and moisture well, while removing all damaged areas. After transplanting, you need to leave the flower alone for a few days. It is not necessary to water it this time - you can get by with a simple spraying of the leaves. Many inexperienced growers try to save a rotting camellia by reducing watering, but it’s worth warning right away that this method works quite rarely, and only if the damage is still very weak.

If the plant generally feels good, but at the same time, the leaves began to appear brown spots, then Camellia received the fastest sunburn. In this case, care must be taken to shade the flower from direct sunlight. Also, burns can occur when spraying foliage at lunchtime.

At the same time, brown spots indicate the appearance of such a disease as phyllostictosis. It appears if the room with camellia is too high humidity air. In order to get rid of this disease, it is necessary to process the foliage blue vitriol. Damaged areas plants are removed. After that, it is important to take care of the resumption of the normal microclimate in the room.

It happens that the camellia suddenly begins to shed its leaves. This can happen as a result of prolonged drying of the earthen coma. You can fix this by gently resuming proper watering.

If grayish spots appear on the plant, then most likely the cause of this is a disease such as oidium. You can get rid of it by using sulfur or fungicidal preparations.

If at the same time symptoms such as black-gray spots on the leaves and brownish spots on the petals appear, followed by falling flowers, then the problem lies in the appearance of some fungal diseases. In order to heal the flower, fungicides can be used, but this will only help with a low degree of damage. Otherwise, it is better to throw the flower away, as the disease can migrate to other plants.

Due to the dryness of the air in the room or frequent movement, the camellia sheds buds.

Many camellia diseases are caused, which can usually be detected even with the naked eye. For example, if on the stems and leaves of a flower appeared white coating, it's a mealybug. Clearly visible large areas of white accumulations must be wiped with a cloth dipped in soapy water. Hard-to-reach can be obtained with alcohol-soaked gauze wound on a stick. With a strong lesion, the flower must be treated several times with karbofos.

One of the common pests found on camellias is aphids, due to which the leaves of the plant curl and become covered. yellow spots. For treatment, it is necessary to treat the bush with special aerosols. However, they only kill adult insects, so the procedure must be repeated several times every 2 to 3 days.

In conditions of dry air, a flower can settle spider mite. It is easy to detect it - with the help of clusters of white cobwebs on leaves and shoots. The bright red mite itself is also a highly visible insect. To get rid of this pest, you can process the plant oil emulsions or chemical aerosols.