Camellia not flowering

Barn Field

I have a Camelia which has happily flowered well over the last few years. This year after it set buds over the winter months and looked all set for another good show we were struck by the beast from the east. Sadly this year there are no flowers and a lot of it’s leaves are brown. My question is will it recover and is there anything that should be done to help?

Borderline

Most Camellias are hardy but there are a handful that are not as hardy, so may need some wall protection or shelter from the cold and the cold winds. Sounds like your shrub has suffered frost damage. It's hard to advise on whether you need to prune or leave without seeing a picture of it now. My gut feeling is, you will need to prune away the brown leaves eventually if they cling on and don't dry off.

Lightly prune anytime now will be fine. Hopefully, the shrub will bounce back over the next few months. Make sure you water it well with rain water especially if grown in a pot or when it has been quite dry in the hot months. 

Barn Field

Thanks for the advice Borderline. Attached are 2 photos of what it looks like roughly on either side. If you think I should lightly prune it please let me know or should I just let Nature take it’s course? I will protect it with garden fleece next winter I hate seeing it in this sad condition 

2oaktrees

You forgot the pictures @Barn Field

Barn Field

Borderline

Thanks for taking some photos. The leaves are scorched by the cold, so will need to be pruned out soon. Just lightly prune away some of the curled and darkened leaves and then check the branches to see if you want to prune further in, this will not damage your shrub. Also, feed the shrub afterwards, and maybe look into adding a new layer of mulch on top to lock moisture in the soil.

Fairygirl

I'd clear the area round it properly too. It's just competition for water and nutrients. They need plenty of water in late summer/early autumn for buds to form properly [that's when they start forming]  so if you're in a drier part of the country, make sure it has plenty at that time of year 

Barn Field

Thank you both. What should I feed it with? When it was in a pot I used to top it up with ericaceous compost and Camelia fertiliser with it in the autumn.  Should I continue to do this now it’s in the ground?

Borderline

You should continue with it for now, your shrub has suffered a bit over the year. You will not need ericaceous compost unless the soil has been tested as neutral to alkaline. In that case, you will need the ericaceous compost.