The first sentence I walked past a camellia bush , I literally did a double take .
I turned to the ally I was walking with and take if they sleep together what the heck this gorgeous creature was .
A quick tripper to the glasshouse after that , and I was on my agency to grow my own beauty .
Photo by Kristine Lofgren.
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I before long hear fertilizing is one of the substantive parts of growing a bush that makes heads release .
You have to tip your works if you want them to perform . If you do it decently , you ’ll be richly rewarded .
The process is all about timing and determine your baseline to start , starting with a solid foundation – and a estimable sympathy of the land .
That ’s what this guide shoot for to instruct gardeners . To that end , we ’re die to talk over the following :
How to Fertilize Camellias
Camellias are slow raiser and heavy feeders .
While they can survive without fertilizer , particularly in the case of older , more established plants , they will bloom and develop much better if you feed in them .
Even if you have fairly respectable soil and you mulch regularly withwell - waste compost , it ’s likely that your grunge does n’t have enough nutrient to keep grave feeders like camellias glad .
You do n’t want to over - inseminate either , however . That lead to lank , long-shanked ontogeny that breaks easily .
Choosing a Fertilizer
There are lots of granular fertilizers out there made for acid - love , woody bush likeazaleas , rhododendrons , and camellia .
you could trust on these if your soil is evenhandedly balanced in nutrient already and if your grease is the right pH for these plant .
Remember , these plants opt slightly acid soil with a pH of around 6.0 to 6.5 .
Dr. Earth ’s Acid Lovers portmanteau word is idealistic , particularly for previous , well - establish plants that do n’t need anything special . Plus , it ’s Non - GMO Project verified if that ’s crucial to you .
Dr. Earth Acid Lovers
Amazon carriesthis product in one- , four- , and 12 - Ezra Loomis Pound bag .
If you ’re like most multitude , you probably do n’t roll in the hay what variety of nutrients your ground has in it already .
It ’s easy to assume that you ’re start from a neutral baseline when , in reality , your soil is deficient in nitrogen and high in phosphorus , for example .
If you were to fertilise with a balanced fertiliser , you ’d be waste money on food your plants do n’t need and miss out on ones they do .
The solution is totest your soil . You do n’t have to do this often . Doing it every few year will give you a good estimation of what ’s die on .
It does n’t have to be expensive , either . You canbuy a soil test kitor you may send some soil off to your local extension power and they ’ll give you a good summing up on the nutritional make-up .
Once you invite your final result , you could do what ’s required to balance your soil , whether that involves making amendment to switch the pH or work in more of one particular nutrient .
After that ’s done , you may turn to that good old camellia fertilizer we talked about above .
When to Feed Camellias
Ideally , you should feed your plants two times a twelvemonth – once after the heyday have mostly faded , and once again in midsummer to give them a cost increase as they begin to develop the flower buds for next year ’s show .
The exact timing will motley look on where you hold up and which type you are growing , so observe your own plant rather than relying on the calendar as the chief indicant .
When the flowers are mostly fleet , fertilize your plant . Then , when you see the very start of buds developing , feed again .
Fertilizing Tips
The exact operation will variegate depending on the eccentric of plant food you ’re using .
In general , you ’ll want to rake away any mulch that you ’ve put in place and apply the granules spanning an area from just outside the trunk to the bound of the dribble line .
Then reapply your mulch and water well .
Again , it depends on the manufacturer ’s direction , but you ’ll need to distribute out about a quarter of a cup per mature plant .
Give the Right Food at the Right Time
Careful feeding is imperative in young specimens as opposed to ripe one , to avail them develop a strong structure that will keep them goodly for years to issue forth .
But established flora necessitate nutrients too . It ’s gentle to forget about feeding your bushes when they ’re mature and blossom out just alright , but your camellia will look so much better if you take this supererogatory step .
Is this your first year maintaining your camellia plant ? Or are you just looking for a refresher on how to give these beauty the things they want to thrive ?
If you are just begin , you might find some of our othercamellia growing guidesuseful . Here are a few to get you started :
Photos by Kristine Lofgren © Ask the Experts , LLC . ALL right RESERVED.See our TOSfor more details . Product photo via Dr. Earth . Uncredited photos : Shutterstock .
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