Is my camelia doomed?

melanie 568

Last year when i moved into my house the camelia in the garden was blooming wildly and did so for several weeks. This year.... nothing. What should i have done to care for it, and can I get it to bloom again next year? It's looking slightly yellowish on the leaves but it's growing definitely. 

Any advice please!  

Sheleen

Possibly over-fertilizing. If it was due to bud mites, shade, frosts, or over-watering, there would probably still be buds but they would drop off before blooming. Withhold any feeding/fertilizing this year would be a suggestion. This is just a guess - hopefully an expert may be able to answer your question better
I never do anything to my camellia - its well over 30 years old, so I've been told. I flowers profusely every year - though it does get morning sun, and is up against an east wall so gets plenty of shade in the afternoons at the roots.

Buttercupdays

Quite likely the dry weather last year. The flower buds form in late summer, so if it didn't have sufficient water then, it could account for the lack of flowers this year. Make sure it gets enough water this summer/autumn and things should be better next year.

The yellowing leaves could be caused by chlorosis due to lack of iron. Unless your soil is  acid enough the plant will be unable to get access to it. Try feeding with a sequestrated iron product such as Sequestrene (there are other brands available too but I don't remember their names!)

melanie 568

Hi Sheleen, I didn't do anything at all to it last year except take off the flowers when they were looking manky.

I dont know about the soil Buttercupdays so the iron fertiliser sounds a good thing to try. My friend suggested an alkaline feed too, is this the same thing? 

Buttercupdays

No, definitely not, camellias like acid soil, though they may just about cope if it's a bit nearer neutral,  if all other things are right  for them.

Lyn

The plant looks fine to me,  the new leaves on mine are alwys paler, they get darker as they get older and thicker.
The lack of flowers this year was probably cause by last year’s drought, I think the buds start to form early and it could have been too dry. 
It looks like it’s in the ground, so should be fine with all the rain we’ve been having, (or is that just me!) 
If you do get long dry spells you can give it a few gallons of water weekly. 

melanie 568

Buttercupdays said:

No, definitely not, camellias like acid soil, though they may just about cope if it's a bit nearer neutral,  if all other things are right  for them.

Thank goodness I didn't follow that advice then! Thank you!