Please diagnose my camellia

Larry (Los Angeles, 10a, Sunset Zone 19)

10 years ago

last modified: 10 years ago

Is this a mite infestation? Iron chlorosis? Both? The plants are growing in a heavy clay alkaline soil with alkaline water and we get very few rainy days to help slightly acidify the soil. I started giving them very light weekly fertilizing with a capful of vinegar with each watering to lower the pH.

Featured Answer

luis_pr

10 years ago

last modified: 10 years ago

With a soil pH problem, the leaves would show the veins still as dark green.

Looking at your zone and some of my leaves, I would say the problem is too much sun.

Sunburn damage looks like your pics and this:

https://www.americancamellias.com/care-culture-resources/insects-and-diseases/sunburn

It can also look like the leaves almost caught fire.
Then spider mite damage would look like this:

https://www.americancamellias.com/care-culture-resources/insects-and-diseases/spider-mites

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Comments (7)

User
10 years ago
I agree with Luis that it looks like sunscald. Not gorgeous, but not dangerous to the plant.

Weekly fertilizing sounds like a lot...

Virginia
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Jean
10 years ago
A capful of vinegar is a waste of time & effort.
Larry (Los Angeles, 10a, Sunset Zone 19)
Original Author
10 years ago
last modified: 10 years ago
Jean, I agree. Though it is useful in situations where your plants are in containers and you want to lower the pH of a liquid fertilizer solution when you're making it with very alkaline city water
User
10 years ago
Are you mixing the vinegar with the fertilizer together in water? I wonder if that's a good idea... can you contact the company that makes the fertilizer to ask about that?

Camellias are not heavy feeders, and weekly fertilizing is almost certainly too much, even for container plants.

Virginia
Larry (Los Angeles, 10a, Sunset Zone 19)
Original Author
10 years ago
Yes, it's a popular method in the container gardening forum. Also, since many on the container gardening forum use soiless mixes like 5-1-1, they have to constantly supply it with nutrients (every watering), but in very weak doses.
S Rodriguez
10 years ago
They need shade.