The author of the text is Dr. Regina Dębicz
Japanese Camellia Camellia japonica comes from the mountains in southwest China, from where it came to Japan, and from there, in 1731, was brought to England.
Camellia is associated with salon life. In Europe, she was very fashionable in the 19th
and the 20th century. It was commonly grown, in many varieties, in court greenhouses. Blooming camellias were pinned to dresses and buttonholes.The plant is a solid green shrub with glossy dark green leaves and very elegant large flowers that form at the tips of the shoots and in the axils of the leaves.
Cultivars, and there are over three thousand of them, differ in color and shape of flowers and flowering time.It is worth adding that the flowers, even when they fall off by themselves, remain fresh for a few more days.
An established opinion that camellias are difficult to grow at home.Is it true, it is better to find out for yourself, remembering that in late autumn and winter, when they are blooming keep them in a cool room, ideally at a temperature of 10-12ºC (not to exceed 16ºC).
Outside this period, they must be provided with a cool and well-ventilated place in the apartment, avoid sudden changes in temperature in the room, do not rotate the plants or move them from place to place, as this may cause the flower buds to fall.For watering we use only soft water and make sure that the substrate is always slightly moist.
Camellias as ground plants
Camellia care
Camellias require an acidic substrate. We always transplant them to slightly larger pots in the spring after flowering, young plants every year or two, and the older ones every three or four years. Camellias will branch out nicely with proper trim.We perform this treatment in early spring, by pinching the tops of the shoots or shortening the shoots by half, if their increments were greater than 30 centimeters.
In May, after hardening, it is worth taking the camellias out on the balcony or in the garden
in a quiet, slightly shaded place. In August, we water them more sparingly to produce more flower buds. Before the frost sets in, the camellias should return home.
