Southern California Camellia Society

by Ray Bond – Part 1: Genetic VariegationOne of the factors that makes camellias so eye-catching is the variegation that the plants show in their blooms. Other families and species of plants can display signs of variegation, but this will be about camellias. You can probably think of other kinds of plants with variegation after reading this article. There are ... Read More »

by Hal Vanis – Grafting is probably the best way to increase your camellia collection, whether from your favorite plant or a new hard to get variety. Cuttings can be bought form different sources, but most camellia growers will gladly share “wood” with you. A few years ago, Jim Peninger showed me how to graft using the cleft-graft (“stump-cutting”) method ... Read More »

by Ray Bond, TX – At Bond Nursery Corp., we have spent a lot of time and money on research and development, particularly in the area of camellia propagation, i.e., rooting cuttings. We have had outstanding success and our average loss rate is now less than 30%. Many have asked what our “secrets” are and we have been hesitant to ... Read More »

By Bradford King – Camellias can be propagated in numerous ways: seeds, cuttings, grafting and air layering. Camellias grown from seed will vary from the parent therefore they will not be discussed here. (Check out the article “Growing Camellias from Seed”) CUTTINGS: Camellia cuttings are taken from the plant the grower wishes to reproduce. The cutting needs to be four ... Read More »

Kristina Hooper – Although you don’t have to fertilize your camellia for it to bloom, it will produce stronger growth and larger more colorful blooms when fertilized. This section will cover fertilization during the growing season, which is when plants first begin new growth (March or April depending on your area and variety) to late summer. Be careful not to ... Read More »

by T. Savige, Australia – The practice of disbudding (removing surplus flower buds from plants) is as old as horticulture itself and based upon the simple mathematical principle that the fewer divisions made in any substance, the larger each will be. Theoretically, it presupposes that a plant can produce only a certain total quantity of blooms satisfactorily; consequently, if better ... Read More »

by Marilee Gray – Camellias are the jewels of the shade garden that brighten the winter months with blooms of incredible variation and beauty.  It is unfortunate, however, that many people consider camellias difficult to grow, when, in fact, they are very easy to grow once their needs are understood and met.  Most camellias don’t just die; they are killed ... Read More »

by Harold L. Paige, Lafayette, CA & C. Norwood Hastie, Jr., Charleston, SC –   Careful and scientific pruning of camellias has now become an accepted part of their culture and care, although proper pruning is perhaps the most neglected phase of camellia culture today. Perhaps the practice would be more freely employed if the grower gave more thought to ... Read More »

by Marilee Gray, Claremont, CA — Camellias are so easy to grow that many people claim that their camellias are beautiful and productive even though they receive no special attention except watering through the dry seasons. Yet others, who are in the conscientious, attentive gardener classification, despair because camellias are so difficult to grow. Their dead and dying camellias attest ... Read More »

By Brad King — Camellias prefer a well-drained soil that is high in humus and slightly acid. A PH of 7 or less is acceptable but 5.5 to 6.5 are ideal. The use of coarse peat moss or oak leaf mold provides humus and the acid condition. When either is mixed in equal parts with “sharp” or “potting” sand a ... Read More »