Poorly Camilia

joliver

advice please. Dry brown leaves but felt I had overwatered during the winter. Did some research and seemed I might have rotten roots, can’t take up water so appears dry. 
Taken out of the pot today, yes it’s a bit wet but the roots seem ok, not rotten. 
Worms but no obvious pests. 

Borderline

When did you notice brown dried up leaves? They may be the result of harsh drying winds. There was milder weather in February, followed by very cold nights.

Extremes in the weather can cause shrubs to look similar to yours. If your drainage holes are not blocked, don’t worry about over watering. Camellias prefer moist soil in a semi shaded position. West facing would be perfect.

Make sure you use ericaceous soil and collect rain water for watering. The remaining leaves look very pale. A sign of chlorosis. 

joliver

Thank you. It’s in a sheltered walled garden. But yes it could of been the extremes of temp early in the year. I do have drainage holes but the saucer was full of water which I didn’t notice for a bit. Usually take the saucer away in winter. 
What is chlorosis ?
do you think the pot is too big ?
it was blowing over so went for larger pot 

Borderline

I don’t think the pot is too big. Chlorosis happens when your soil may be compacted due to poor drainage, and your soil ph is too alkaline. Look for products in the garden centre selling products for acidic loving plants. Iron Sequestrene are examples but plenty to choose from. 

joliver

Thankyou. Will report, check drainage and get some Iron. 

Fairygirl

I think the damage to that camellia was done a lot earlier. 
The rootball's very small for the size of the  shrub, and I bet it got very dehydrated last year. Once that happens, you need to submerge the entire pot until bubbles cease, and the whole thing is then completely rehydrated. Then maintain correct watering to prevent it happening again.
Sitting pots in saucers for any length of time is never a good idea - only until a dehydrated plant is rehydrated. It should then be removed. The pot should be kept up off the ground too, or you prevent good drainage. That's particularly important if it's on paving. Even plants which enjoy moisture don't like sittingin permamently wet conditions.
Watering shouldn't be required over winter either, and it's compounding the problem when it's in a saucer.
Cold or fluctuating weather over winter and earlier in the year shouldn't cause that amount of damage to a healthy plant, so I think that could just be a final straw. 
If it was mine, I'd prune it back, pot it up in suitable soil/compost,  and get it into a shady position, off the ground, and see if it recovers in the next month or two. If it has no new growth by July/August, it's time to get a new one. 

joliver

Thank you fairy girl. Noted.