The most popular camellia (Camellia japonica) is an evergreen shrub that grows from 10 to 20-feet tall, having a spread of 3 to 10-feet. It fills the late-winter and early spring landscape with flowers that bloom in shades of red, yellow, white or pink, with respect to the variety. The flowers are perfect for reducing to use in arrangements. This early bloomer is a slow-growing shrub and generally doesn’t require pruning. Camellias develop in gardens that obtain partial shade or partial sun and are hardy in Sunset’s Climate Zones 14.
Pruning Camellias
Remove flowers throughout the blooming period by snapping off the primary bloom, or the flower truss, using your fingers. This stops the plant from seeds, a method that halts flower creation. Removing flowers that are fading enables the plant to to save power, usually resulting in extra or prolonged blooms.
Don’t make cuts till after it’s finished blooming, when pruning the camellia. Use pruning shears and make all cuts flush to the feeder branch, avoiding leaving a little nub of the branch that has been pruned. Even tiny remnants of branches can play host to dis-ease, offering an entry-point to the plant.
Inspect the camellia and eliminate any branches that are dead or dying. Remove any limbs that slim and cross inside branches to improve air circulation and decrease the odds of an infestation.
Shape the camellia as required through the entire growing season.
Cutting Fresh Flowers
Measure the vase camellias. This lets you cut precisely the size which you need.
Wait till morning or late night to reduce camellias. This helps to ensure the flowers are at their freshest due to the temperatures that are cooler.
The stem of the camellia at a 45-degree angle. Place each stem into container or a bucket of water that is fresh.
Slit each stem or scrape the sides of the stem using a sharp knife. This improves the freshly cut camellia’s capacity to absorb water, eventually prolonging the cut flowerâs freshness.
Arrange in the vase. Camellias may be employed alone or combined with with other flowers to produce desirable shows.