The most beneficial thing you can put around the camellias is a 2 to 4 inch layer of mulch. This can be bark chips, aged wood chips, pine straw, compost, or similiar. This will buffer the soil temperatures, maintain a more even moisture level, cool the roots, and allow for improved percolation of water.

The mulch, alone, might provide such a boost for the plant that you'll find it much improved in the weeks and months to come. Be sure to spread the mulch in as large an area as you can, and never pile it up against the trunk.

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