New April Dawn

9 years ago

I purchased a nice healthy plant from Logee's yesterday. (At least right now it's healthy). The exposure I am thinking of is on the south side against my house. It will get some mid day sun and late afternoon sun - I plan on putting a shade cloth over it for those times. Also, I have a maple which should be tall enough to give it some shade for the mid day sun. I think it should do well there for the winter months as it will be protected from the winter winds out of the north. I can protect it in the summer but not the winter if I don't take advantage of the house, etc. As far as other exposure areas go, the east is my front yard - not good for lots of reasons and the west is the back yard - way too much sun and cannot put near the house for protection.

The Logee's guy said not to plant it outside for a year - we'll see how well I do keeping it in my house over the winter season. Fortunately, I run my house cool. They don't like hot houses! Here is a photo. Thanks for any thoughts on the above --

Featured Answer

vvasabi

9 years ago

I came from the subtropics before I moved to Toronto, so I can certainly share the emotion about having a camellia in the yard. If you are like me, who is willing to do anything in order to keep a camellia alive outside, then applying some protection to help it survive the winter is certainly an option.

In summer, if you already have a deciduous tree that can provide shade, then you don't need to provide more. A camellia japonica can, surprisingly, take a lot of sun during summer here in the north, provided it is given water when necessary. My pot grown japonicas and sasanquas get 5 hours of sun on a southwest facing balcony without an issue.

In winter, build a small tent for your camellia by using a few stakes, a sheet of burlap and some twines, and that should be all you need to do. Maybe put some rocks or bricks on the burlap to make sure this setup doesn't get blown away by strong wind. The tent will shield your camellia from winter sun and freezing wind, the two main causes of winter damage of a broadleaf evergreen plant.

There are people on GardenWeb who have successfully grown hardy camellias, without any protection, outside in coastal New England. Though, when there is a bad winter, like what happened in February, 2016, an unprotected camellia can be killed to the ground. While it can likely resprout in spring, you probably want to apply some protection and avoid such a heartbreaking risk.

I also would like to recommend William Ackerman's book, Beyond the Camellia Belt. It has lots of useful information on how to successfully grow a camellia here in the north.

Good luck.

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Comments (8)

vvasabi
9 years ago
For your zone, it is usually recommended to plant a camellia at a spot where there is no sun exposure early in the day in winter, or none at all. The reason is that early morning sun can raise foliage temperature too much, resulting in fast water evaporation from the leaves. If the roots, in frozen ground, cannot replenish moisture fast enough, leaf desiccation will occur. Therefore, to plant on the south side, you will need to make sure there will be other evergreens providing shade in winter. Otherwise, maybe do it on the northwest or north side of the house.

Keeping your young specimen indoor for the first winter is a good idea. A camellia doesn't reach its full hardiness potential until it grows bigger and becomes established in the ground. When you do plant it, do so in the early spring, allowing your camellia to have a full growth season to establish nicely.

April Dawn is a really nice looking cultivar. Enjoy!
Pv Picotte
Original Author
9 years ago
Oh dear - that is not good news for me-- I live in a mobile home park and my home is situated on a long narrow lot. Lots of room on the south side - not much on the north and it is not really a good viewable area as well. I was hoping to put it where I can see it and enjoy it. Also, some room on the west but would be exposed to north winds coming across the lot.

Keeping the sun off in the winter is the main problem, right? If I can put it in the sheltered spot as I envisioned, can I affix a shade cloth and have that protect it from the sun? I have this thing about camellias. I grew up in northern California and my family always had them in our yard. I truly love them. I tried unsuccessfully to grow them outside in Mass and thought now that I’m in a warmer zone I should be able to grow them successfully. Hmmm. Maybe not.

I will have to observe how the sun hits the area I am looking at during the entire day-- all winter. Also, I am in Rhode Island and zone 6 - I see that you are in Toronto - also zone 6. How can that be. Just curious. Thanks so much for your thoughts. I really appreciate your time.
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Pv Picotte
Original Author
9 years ago
I appreciate all the good and helpful suggestions from you. Thank you once again. This forum is terrific due to its members really taking their gardening seriously!! And passing along their experiences and knowledge. I will take a look at Ackerman's book - I need all the help I can get! I'm still confused about Toronto Z6. Maybe you are in a sub-tropics state of mind. Thanks again so much. I'll let you know how we (me and my camellia make out) Good gardening, PV
vvasabi
9 years ago
We are Zone 6A here in Toronto, Ontario. How can that be? Well, the Great Lakes buffer temperature fluctuations, so it is not as cold as it would otherwise be. :)
Pv Picotte thanked vvasabi
Pv Picotte
Original Author
9 years ago
That is so interesting -- and amazing the effect that water has on air temps. Good deal i'd say. Since you are so knowledgeable about camellia growing, should I give this young one a little food before going into winter? I don't think they are heavy feeders to begin with so not too sure about it at this stage, especially. I think they like acid as I recall. Thanks again for all your thoughts and input.
vvasabi
9 years ago
You are right camellias aren't really heavy feeders and require acidic soil. The reason why it is not advisable to feed in late summer is the fear that late growth, stimulated by fertilization, can be prone to frost damage. Since your camellia will overwinter indoors anyways, feeding a little bit of organic fertilizer now shouldn't hurt. You can, for example, sprinkle about a tablespoon of used coffee grounds, which are acidic, and that should be enough to last until the next spring.
Pv Picotte thanked vvasabi
Pv Picotte
Original Author
9 years ago
Terrific. Thanks again.