Camellia flower found. Camellia (tea flower) - home care. Soil and potting requirements

Camellia (Camellia) is an evergreen shrub or compact tree from the Tea family.

Origin

In nature, it grows in China, Japan, Taiwan, where it reaches a height of 4 m. healing tea. The flower was brought to Europe in the 19th century, and it immediately gained popularity due to its lush and bright flowering.

Description

Camellia grown in room conditions, forms a large (up to 2 m) bush, covered with glossy foliage. Leaves, up to 12 cm long, leathery, ovate, deep green. The flowers are pink, up to 14 cm in diameter, numerous, white, pink, red, variegated. Camellia blooms in winter, up to 100 days.

Species and varieties

Of the 80 varieties of camellia, three varieties have gained the greatest popularity at home: mountain camellia, Japanese, Chinese.

Popular varieties:

The presented photos of flowers will help to appreciate the beauty of the camellia.

Creating conditions for camellia

A beautiful flower is quite capricious, and requires the creation of special conditions.

Camellia soil and planting

The plant needs acidic soil, pH 3 - 5. You can use ready-made store-bought soil for azalea. It is not difficult to make land for camellias on your own. They take turf land and river sand in 1 part, peat and leaf humus in 2 parts. Drainage (expanded clay, pebbles, coarse sand) is necessarily poured at the bottom of flower pots.

For rooted cuttings, a mixture of sand, peat and earth from a coniferous forest is prepared (0.5: 1: 2).
A young camellia is transplanted annually into a new, more spacious pot, completely replacing the soil with a fresh one. After 3 years, the plant is transplanted every 2 years. Large-sized camellia bushes are not transplanted, only changed annually upper layer soil in a pot on fresh.

The optimal time for transplanting camellias is spring and summer, when flowering has come to an end. The transplant is combined with pinching the shoots to improve the bushiness of the camellia.

reproduction

Camellia can be propagated by sowing seeds, cuttings and grafting.

Self-collected camellia seeds may not retain their varietal qualities. It is better to sow seeds bought in specialized stores. Camellia seeds are placed in separate cups, immersed in moist soil by 1 cm. The cups are covered with film or glass, and cleaned in a bright, warm place.

Seedling care consists of regular watering and fertilizing, starting from the age of one month, with fertilizers for azaleas. Camellia blooms grown from seeds for 5-6 years.

A more common method of propagating camellias is woody cuttings. The procedure for cutting branches is carried out in January or July. Apical cuttings are cut from the plant, 8 cm in size. Before planting, planting material soaked in a solution of Kornevin, Epin or Heteroauxin. The cuttings are obliquely stuck into a light substrate, and covered with a greenhouse made of cut plastic bottle. The temperature for successful rooting of camellia is +20 degrees. Regular watering and spraying of cuttings is necessary. As a rule, within 60 - 70 days, the cuttings form a developed root system, and they can be transplanted into larger pots.

Some capricious varieties of camellia can be propagated by grafting on another, more unpretentious appearance plants (usually, tea camellia is taken as a rootstock). Small apical cuttings with well-developed buds are grafted onto a strong young camellia bush - stock. As a rule, cuttings take root well within 50 days.

Pests, diseases

Camellia can be attacked by pests,. The camellia crown is washed with soapy water, then sprayed with Aktellik.

Adult plant care

As stated above, camellia is demanding on moisture and lighting (but does not tolerate direct sunlight and long daylight hours). Special attention should be given winter watering when the plant blooms. At low air temperatures, water for irrigation should be warm, and not stagnate in the pan. Excess moisture can lead to root rot. In the summer, from July to September, the camellia is at rest, when watering is carried out at a minimum.

An adult plant is fed all year round, except for the summer hibernation period, every 20 days. Apply a special complex fertilizer for azaleas, diluting it at a concentration of 1 g per liter of water.
In order for the camellia bush to grow evenly, from time to time it is rotated around its axis. If you provide illumination of the camellia from all sides, it is not necessary to turn the flower.

During the growing season, sanitary pruning of the bush is carried out, removing branches that are weak and thickening crowns.

Camellia can suffer from root rot if the soil in which the flower grows is not breathable enough. With an excess of moisture in the air, brownish spots appear on the foliage (phyllostictosis). Treatment consists in removing diseased leaves and treating the plant with a Bordeaux mixture.

See also video

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 growing indoors. 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 the 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. Japanese camellia is interesting for its pointed glossy leaves, which are so smooth that they glare in the sun. Decorative varieties of Japanese camellia form a fairly compact bush or tree.
  
  
• Mountain. No less beautiful shrub with upright 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. Them distinguishing feature- 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 a photophilous plant, but it must 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. In summer, the 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. The recommended composition is 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 the period of active growth, using mineral and organic fertilizers. Camellia responds well to watering with a solution of chicken manure of 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 for camellia is to create favorable temperature conditions. In winter, the plant needs cold, in the apartment it will quickly die. Therefore, in winter, camellia should be kept on glazed balcony at temperatures 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 a larger pot along 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 moisture, 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. Be sure to choose a large container 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 is a 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 a 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 the very beautiful and long flowering of the plant.

Camellia (Camellia) is an evergreen plant belonging to the Tea family. This amazing flower was named after the Jesuit monk Kamelius Georg Josef, who first brought it to Europe. In conditions wildlife the plant grows in tropical, subtropical zones in countries such as Japan, Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, India, China, on the islands of Java, Sulawesi.

Surely the description of the camellia flower will be of interest to many florists. This beautiful plant is a shade-tolerant shrub or tree, the height of which can vary between 2 - 20 m. Dull or pointed leaves have a simple, elliptical, broadly or oblong-ovate shape, leathery structure, glossy surface, short petioles. They are single, sequential. The length of the leaf plate is about 3 - 17 cm.

Getting an answer to the question of what a flower of a plant looks like is a must. Camellias form many single buds. The diameter of blooming flowers with numerous stamens can vary within: 1 - 12 cm. At the base, the petals are fused. Their color is pink, red, white, variegated.

Popular types of camellia

Modern breeders have bred numerous varieties, camellia hybrids, based on various plant varieties. Below are the most popular types.

camellia japonica

This variety is considered the most famous, often used in breeding events to breed indoor flowers. In the Land of the Rising Sun, this plant is revered on a par with the iconic sakura. The magnificent flower Japanese camellia (Camellia japonicaa) is cultivated as indoor, greenhouse, garden. It is often used as an interior decor, for making bouquets.

AT natural conditions the plant can have a height of 1.5 - 11 m. Caring for home care for Japanese camellia, you can count on getting a tree-like shrub with stems up to 1 m long, blooming in November - January. Semi-double, double spherical flowers may have white, pink, red colors. In hybrid specimens, the petals often have a spotted or striped color. Flowers form in leaf axils and cover the entire crown.

camellia sinensis

This variety also has another name - tea bush. The leaves of the plant are used to produce green, black, long leaf tea. Dried flowers are components of various aromatic additives.

If you are interested in the question of where the Chinese camellia (Camellia sinensis) grows, you can find out that the industrial cultivation of the plant is carried out by many countries: China, India, Kenya, Japan, Georgia, etc. Our state is also engaged in the cultivation of camellia tea (Krasnodar Territory). Indoors, its cultivation is carried out quite rarely.

mountain camellia

Mountain camellia (Camellia sasanqua) in nature grows on the islands of Kyushu, Okinawa (Japan). In a cool room, it is fashionable to observe its flowering in the period November - February. The species is often taken as a basis for breeding indoor, garden varieties. The plant forms single buds or rosettes with 2-3 flowers. The red camellia flower looks very impressive, also, the petals can be white or pink.

camellia saluyonskaya

This species is actively used in breeding cold-resistant varieties suitable for garden and greenhouse cultivation. A slightly branched shrub reaches a height of 1.5 m. Large flowers (8 cm in diameter) gradually bloom on it, the color of which can be snow-white, pink, dark red, burgundy. Saluyon camellia (Camellia saluenensis) is considered the most unpretentious of garden plants of his family.

Camellia oleifera

The cultivation of this evergreen tree with a height of about 10 m is practiced in the Chinese mountainous areas. Large seeds of the camellia oil (Camellia oleifera) flower are formed in a large fruit box. For single bisexual or paired axillary flowers, the presence of a white color is characteristic.

Indoor camellia: cultivation and reproduction

As practice shows, home care for a camellia flower, which is quite capricious, will be very successful if a number of rules are followed. To master the skills of growing such a plant is quite within the power of any grower.

Requirements for location, lighting

So that the home maintenance of camellia does not cause problems, you will initially need to decide on the most successful place to install a pot with a plant.

For this purpose, it is worth giving preference to windows oriented to the west or east. Camellia also feels great in the winter garden, greenhouse, on a glazed loggia.

An inexperienced florist caring for and propagating a camellia flower should take into account that the plant (especially in the first year after planting) does not like moving, turning the flowerpot, being exposed to direct sunlight, and drafts.

Bought or donated new flower it is necessary to withstand 2 weeks in a shaded cool room, and then transfer to a permanent sunny place, where the temperature will be maintained, not exceeding + 16 ° C.

AT summer time the plant is allowed to be exposed to fresh air with obligatory shading. A beautiful potted camellia flower will show good growth, bud development in diffused light lasting 12 to 14 hours per day. In the cold season, it is worth providing camellias with additional illumination.

Temperature regime for the plant

During the laying of flower buds, it is necessary to provide for maintaining a temperature of + 5 ... + 6 ° C. The plant will show the best flowering at + 8 ... + 12 ° C. In the dormant phase, camellia tolerates temperatures + 20 ... + 25 ° C.

Organization of watering camellia

When deciding how to care for a camellia flower, you will need to ensure that it is regularly watered using settled water. During budding, flowering, irrigation is carried out immediately after the drying of the upper soil layer is detected. It is very important to prevent stagnant water, acidification of the earth. In the dormant stage, moderate watering should be dispensed with.

To increase the humidity of the air on hot days, it is recommended to spray the bush twice a day. Also pouring water into the pan has proven itself well. Justified will be the installation of the pot in a container filled with moistened gravel, moss, sand or pebbles.

The plant likes acidified water lemon juice, vinegar. With a lack of moisture, the bush is able to shed its leaves. Excessively abundant irrigation can provoke a situation where the leaves and stems of camellias turn brown. Subsequently, flowers and buds may fall off the plant. If the situation is not corrected, the flower will die.

Soil quality for crop

Camellia is very demanding on the quality of the soil. She feels best when planted in acidic soil with a pH level in the range of 3 - 5. The use of a soil substrate for azaleas has proven itself well. Self-preparation of the soil mixture involves the use of turf (1 share), sand (1 share), peat (2 shares), leafy soil (2 shares).

Transplanted shoots are best placed in a flowerpot filled with a substrate with the following composition: sand (0.5 shares), peat (1 share), coniferous soil (2 shares). Drainage should be provided at the bottom of the landing tank.

Performing top dressing camellia

Camellia reacts positively to organic fertilizers. In the autumn-spring period, monthly application of liquid dressings is practiced. During budding, flowering, this event is performed 2 times a month. For camellias, it is advisable to purchase ready-made fertilizers suitable for orchids, azaleas.

Pinching and pruning the plant

In order to prevent crushing of flowers, pinch the buds, leaving a maximum of 2 copies per branch.

In autumn, the plant is pruned. Damaged, weak shoots are removed from him. This activates the formation of axillary buds.

The procedure for transplanting to another pot

Camellia undergoes an annual transplant for the first 3 years, and an adult, well-flowering bush - every 2 years. A similar procedure is carried out after the flowers wither in spring or summer, while pinching the apical sections of the shoots.

Reproduction of camellia in different ways

When propagating the camellia flower, it is advisable to give preference to the cutting method.

To get high-quality planting material, you need to trim the apical shoots that have formed over the current season. The recommended length of the cuttings is 6-8 cm, they should have 4-5 leaves. An oblique cut over the axillary kidney is practiced.

The optimal months for vegetative breeding of a plant are January, July-August. The rooting of summer seedlings will take about 2 months, winter seedlings will form a root system over a longer period.

The cuttings are planted in boxes filled with a mixture of peat (1 share), sand (1 share). The containers are to be installed in a bright room with the temperature maintained at + 20 ... + 23 ° C, the soil is moistened by spraying. Germinated specimens are determined in pots with a diameter of 7 - 8 cm.

Florists with experience practice growing camellias from seeds to simultaneously obtain a large number young bushes. As part of this procedure, each seed is sown in a separate container. The 2 true leaves that have appeared are a signal of the need to pick the plants into a larger container.

It is worth noting that often flower shops may offer a mixture of seeds for sale. different varieties. In order not to subsequently encounter a solution to the problem of how to care for camellia mix, you will first need to carefully read the information published on the package. The choice of planting material of a certain variety, hybrid is considered preferable.

Garden camellia: care features

Experienced florists are sure that keeping a camellia flower in the garden is guaranteed not to be problematic for a person who has studied the appropriate agricultural techniques. A young plant is transplanted in open ground conditions every two years, an adult culture is transferred to a new place with a frequency of 5-7 years.

AT landscape design, basically, the garden curly camellia flower is used. In regions with severe winter period to grow in open field many small varieties have been bred. In anticipation of frost, they are transplanted into flowerpots and transferred indoors.

Diseases, crop pests

Unfortunately, the camellia in the open field, like an indoor flower, often becomes the object of attack by pests such as aphids, scale insects, whiteflies, worms, spider mite, thrips.

The appearance in the leaf axils, in the areas of the stems of a white, dense coating indicates the defeat of the plant by the mealybug. To get rid of the pest, it must be removed with a cotton swab, toothpicks, and then wipe the affected areas with a sponge dipped in a solution of laundry soap.

Due to aphids and scale insects, sooty spots begin to be visible on the plant - the black camellia looks very unpresentable. Heavily damaged specimens must be treated with specialized fungicides, insecticides. Blackened leaves must be removed.

Brown, gray spots on the sheets signal a fungal infection. Yellowing veins on the surface of the leaves indicate a mosaic virus. Having identified the disease in time, it is urgent to take up the treatment of the plant, because otherwise the decorative properties of the camellia will be lost for a long time, and sometimes the flower may even die.

Reward for patience and hard work

Home camellia is a beautiful oriental beauty, similar to a luxurious rose. Beautiful buds look gorgeous against the background of dark green foliage, but in order to admire the plant, you need to properly care for it. Camellia has won the love of flower growers due to the fact that in addition to the decorative properties of the bud, its leaves are used as tea leaves.

The most common varieties of camellia

Camellia (camellia) has been known since the time of the Japanese samurai. Interest in a bright flower has not faded so far. Proper cultivation camellias at home guarantees lush flowering in the winter. There are such types of flowers:

• Camellia oleifera is an oil-bearing evergreen tree up to 10 m high, which is conveniently located along the river banks and in the wooded area of ​​China at an altitude of about 500-1400 m above sea level. seas. Often they are grown specifically in order to extract healthy oil from seeds. Flowering occurs from September to the second half of October with luxurious snow-white flowers. After that, seed boxes appear, and you can collect seeds from them.

• Camellia sinensi is a Chinese tree with fragrant buds up to 10 m high. It begins to bloom in August, and in October three-leaved, slightly flattened boxes appear in place of the flowers. Due to the fact that its foliage is brewed as tea, the plant has received a second name - the tea bush.

• Camellia japonica - this beauty grows up to 15 meters. Lives in Korea, Japan and China. Abundant flowering lasts from December to April. Flowers are terry, simple and semi-double, reaching a diameter of 4 cm.

• Camellia sasanqua is a mountain camellia native to the islands. Bushes about 5 m high with thin branches and slightly red shoots. Fragrant flowers of white, pinkish and red shades appear from November to the end of January.

Habitual in the middle latitudes of Europe, garden camellia and home varieties common among our compatriots were bred on the basis of the Japanese variety.

How to care for homemade camellia

To grow room camellia, you should study in detail the conditions that he prefers. capricious flower. Even a slight deviation from the norm can cause it to start shedding leaves and flowers.

Important! This flower is not for the lazy, so be prepared to pay due attention to the care of indoor beauty.

Proper lighting

indoor flower Requires specific lighting

• The best place for breeding perennials is a well-lit conservatory. The flower prefers lower temperatures during the colder months.
• The optimal brightness of lighting is at least 3000 lux, and the required daylight hours are at least 12-14 hours. That is why in winter the flowers need to be illuminated. For these purposes, gardeners use phytolamps, which you can read more about. In the absence of the necessary light, the plant will not bloom.
• For camellia during the formation of buds, it is strictly forbidden to turn it relative to the light source. If you do not listen to this requirement, she will simply drop the buds.
• Camellia in the open field is also common, but even a flowerpot with a home flower can be safely taken out to the balcony or garden in the summer, as well as change its location. At the same time, the greens will not react in any way to a change in the place of cultivation.

Important! Saturated green foliage requires protection from direct sunlight on especially hot days. Therefore, the pot is best placed in a slightly shaded place.

Competent temperature regime

The camellia flower is winter flowering, so the temperature of its cultivation, like many other flowers, is very different during the autumn-winter period.

• March-September - the temperature ranges from +20 to +25 degrees. As soon as the period of formation of flower buds begins, lower the temperature to the optimum +18 +20 degrees.
• December-February - the temperature is not more than +8 +12 degrees.

If the temperature is violated, you may experience such problems: the ovary will fall off or flowering will come much earlier, but the buds will be small and inconspicuous.

Camellia care involves the complete absence of drafts and the presence of fresh air.

How to water a plant

Camellia loves moisture, but this process also obeys clear rules.

• Watering cannot be called consistently plentiful or moderate. Throughout the year, the degree of required moisture changes several times. In summer, abundant watering, and in winter, moderate.
• The soil should not be allowed to dry out in summer, as the camellia may die. In winter, watering is prudent and accurate, since moisture evaporates very slowly at low temperatures. With excessive moisture, the flower may turn sour and die.
• Watering is carried out only with settled water. The liquid can be slightly acidified by dropping a few drops of vinegar into it.

Important! The flower prefers watering with settled water of medium temperature. Water rich in lime can kill the sprout.

• Set up a watering schedule. This will help you keep track of how often you moisturize. Landmark - the degree of drying of the earth. If the watering time is up and the topsoil is still wet, delay watering for a few days.

Optimum indoor humidity

The flower does not tolerate dry air in the room where it grows. You can ensure optimal humidity in the following ways:

• Place a saucer of water next to the pot. The liquid will gradually evaporate, providing the plant with comfortable conditions. How to humidify the air in the room in other ways, you can read.
• Install a humidifier in the room to maintain the desired level of humidity.
• Spray the leaves regularly, especially in summer. Be extremely careful during the budding period. Moisture should not fall on the flowers.

How to fertilize correctly

In the summer, the plant does not require active feeding, but for harmonious development, it should still be carried out. For these purposes, buy a special mineral fertilizer, and in the absence of it, a substrate for roses or liquid dressing for azaleas will do. Apply fertilizer according to the instructions no more than 1 time per month. During the flowering period, increase feeding up to 2-3 times a month. Before fertilizing, be sure to pay attention to expiration dates. Delay can only harm the pet.

Japanese beauty transplant

Perennial requires systematic transplants. The frequency of changing the pot depends on the age of the plant.

• Replant young flowers every spring. Each time take a container with large diameter. When transplanting, the soil changes completely, while the neck of the flower should not be covered with earth. This is dangerous for the plant, and can lead to its death.

• Mature plants change the pot every 3 years. But the top layer changes every year.

• If a perennial grows in a tub, then it is not transplanted, as it is very difficult. In addition to inconvenience, you can cause irreparable harm to the plant. Therefore, it is enough just to change the top layer of soil. This will reduce the risk of disease and stimulate the development of buds.

Reproduction of room camellia

Plant propagation occurs in several ways:

• Seeds. Gardeners are not very fond of this method, as it does not preserve the quality of the variety. Some individuals have seed pods. These seeds are transplanted into a container with a nutrient substrate and grown until the first leaves appear, after which the sprouts dive into different pots.

• Cuttings. The most popular way to maintain the quality of varieties. It is better to cut off the upper parts of ripe shoots. Their length varies from 3 to 8 cm. The cuttings are placed in diluted heteroauxin. After that, the cuttings are moved to a box filled in half with peat and sand. Planting is left at a temperature of +20 +23 degrees until rooting.

• Grafting. This method is considered very time consuming, and is extremely rare at home.

What problems do gardeners face?

How to care for camellia depends on its flowering. Errors in care are the main cause of disease and plant death.

• If the foliage falls, then you make mistakes with watering.
• Withered leaves - the plant lacks nutrients.
• If, as in the photo, brownish spots have formed on the leaves, then remove the pot from the windowsill as soon as possible. These are signs of sunburn.

• Poor flowering is a sign of soil acidification.
• In the event of an attack by a scale insect, tick or aphid, it is necessary to treat the foliage with special preparations, or with an ordinary soapy solution.

The video below shows how to grow a camellia and make her a queen. winter garden. Have you had any experience in breeding camellias? Write about the most important, in your opinion, in this process to readers.

My friend grows beautiful flower! At first I thought it was a rose, but no, it turned out to be a camellia. Never heard of this plant before. I decided to find out how it feels at home, whether it is demanding on lighting and soil.

A friend said that the flower is "naughty." It should receive a sufficient amount of light, but not be exposed to direct sunlight. Suitable soil and fertilizers should be selected for it. I liked the camellia so much that I decided to learn how to grow it properly. And here's what my friend told me.

Camellia, a representative of the tea genus, grows in the tropics and subtropics, it is also common in Russia, Europe, Asia, Japan and Korea. The leaves of this ornamental crop are ovate, leathery, depending on the variety, can be simple or pointed.

Red, pink, white varieties are popular. Some flower growers prefer variegated. In the photo you can see the beauty of the plant.

Features of care

In order for the camellia to bloom for a long time at home, you need to properly care for it. If you are a beginner gardener and do not yet know how to care for a potted flower, listen to the advice of my friend.

Camellia lags behind in growth if it does not have enough light. For full-fledged photosynthesis, home culture needs light and moisture.

It is recommended to spray not only the plant itself, but also the air around it. It is important to choose the right soil mixture, we will return to it later. A friend advises placing the camellia in the east or west. The plant prefers bright but diffused light. If placed in the south, it will suffer from direct sunlight.

Periodically, you need to turn the pot, so the home culture will develop proportionally.

Be careful: the buds should not crumble! In the hot season, it is necessary to take the plant out into the fresh air (only in the morning and evening). Remember that direct sunlight is harmful.

1. In spring, camellia develops well at temperatures from + 19 to + 26 degrees.
2. In order for the plant to form buds in a timely manner, at the beginning of spring, as well as in autumn, the air temperature should be from + 16 to + 18 degrees.
3. The recommended temperature in winter is from + 9 to + 12 degrees.

A flower growing in unfavorable conditions drops buds. Camellia should receive a sufficient amount of air, a draft is harmful to it. We recommend watering the plant as the soil dries out. Be careful not to get water on fragile buds.

For irrigation, it is better to use soft settled water. To provide the plant with additional nourishment, you need to place the pots on a tray with wet expanded clay.

Fertilization, soil for camellia

I advise you to feed the camellia once every 22 days. She positively perceives mineral products: 1 g of such fertilizers is calculated for 1000 ml of water. To improve photosynthesis, you need to cut the camellia. It is advisable to carry out the procedure at the end of autumn. Thanks to the adjustment, the kidneys grow better.

A home flower does not tolerate transplanting well, but it needs to be done every year. After picking, you can pinch the shoots. Camellia takes root in light fertile soil with a pH level of up to 5. I advise you to make a mixture of earth, sand and peat, taken in equal proportions.

Before planting a plant, it is necessary to lay drainage on the bottom of the pot.

Generative (seed) propagation and cuttings

For planting it is worth choosing compact pots. Seeds must be sown one at a time. When they germinate and turn into seedlings with two stronger leaves, you will need to pick (transplant into larger pots).

If you want the plant to keep varietal qualities, propagate it by cuttings. In this case, seven-centimeter green cuttings are used. Reproduction is carried out in early July or late January. Planting material should have several strong leaves. Each cutting is determined in a box.

Planting material favorably develops at an air temperature of + 22 degrees. Experienced flower growers use a soil mixture of sand and peat taken in equal proportions. If reproduction is carried out in summer, the cutting will take root for 50-70 days, in winter - up to 90 days. We recommend not only watering, but also spraying plants.

In order for the planting material to take root faster, it is necessary to place it in a heteroauxin solution. Don't forget to water the plants. When they form roots, transplant into separate containers. Make a soil mixture of peat, sand, leaf and sod soil, taken in the same proportions.

Diseases, pests, possible problems when growing

If a soil mix turns sour, the plant begins to drop buds, and its leaves turn brown. It is important to protect the culture from direct sunlight, otherwise burns will appear on the leaves in the form of brown spots.

Water should be added on time, otherwise the plant will die!

This plant is not susceptible to disease, but if the air is too dry, spider mites attack. Insecticides are used to control pests.

We met very beautiful plant. Care and cultivation at home will not take you much time, but follow important rules. The main thing is to moderately add water and avoid drafts! Provide your home culture with bright, diffused lighting.