What's wrong with my Winter's fire?

8 years ago

Planted several years ago (don't remember when) at the edge of the woods facing north, so it gets morning sun. Zone 6b, East Tennessee. Soil mix was equal parts store-bought topsoil, mushroom compost, and soil conditioner (shredded wood), then mixed with native soil. I use this mix for other camellias and they are doing fine.

This plant has not bloomed, only lost old leaves and grew new ones. Nearby holly and yew are doing great.

So I dug it up and potted it using the same soil mix, minus native soil. Root ball looked okay and had new small roots.

What to do? Just let it rest in the pot in my "hospital"? Add transplant solution? Anything?

Also, what's the white rolled leaf problem? There are two such leaves. Nothing is inside now, just brownish upper surface of the leaf when unrolled.

Thanks!

Featured Answer

socalnolympia

8 years ago

That soil looks like it might not be the best. You want to use a potting soil that will retain water well and not quickly dry out. Either that or I would suggest a larger container.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (6)

luis_pr
8 years ago
Hello, canishel. I too agree about the potting soil
comment. Also, I could not really tell much from the second photo but I don’t think
an insect caused this. It may be camellia leaf gall which is a fungal
problem... and which usually occurrs during wet spring months... but is not a
big deal (sort of an aesthetic issue). Just remove and destroy the infected
parts in the trash.

I am not sure what to say about the lack of blooms. It is
unclear if the shrub is producing flower buds but the buds are not opening or
if the plant is not developing any flower buds. Can you elaborate a little on
this?

Luis
Related Professionals
Jacksonville Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Newark Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Allentown Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Montréal Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Concord Landscape Contractors · Rapid City Landscape Contractors · Bronx Landscape Contractors · Atlanta Carpenters · Rocky Mount Carpenters · Dayton Carpenters · Georgetown Carpenters · Clarksburg Carpenters · Lincoln Carpenters · Santa Rosa Carpenters · Edmonton Carpenters
canishel
Original Author
8 years ago
Luis,

I don't think it ever produced buds.

I'm thinking that something is the matter with the native soil in the original location: the leaves are paler than the other camellias planted elsewhere and which are thriving, and a leucothoe axillaris struggled until I moved it. Hence, the move to a pot for observation.
luis_pr
8 years ago
I had a camellia that did not produce much blooms several years ago. In this case, it had watering issues (not enough water) from summer through Fall. I observed little flower bud production and worse, only two flowers opened. It was 4-5' high so I suspected something was wrong but it took a while before I found problems with the drip irrigation that were causing the soil to get dry, then wet, then dry again, etc. Not what one wants when flower buds are forming! Is your soil uniformly moist during summer/fall?
canishel
Original Author
8 years ago
Is your soil uniformly moist during summer/fall?

Varies from year to year. I use a garden hose when it's dry.

I'll just keep it in a pot for a while to see if there's any appreciable growth.
Dave in NoVA • N. Virginia • zone 7A
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Morning sun plus zone 6b is the problem. This variety needs winter shade for most of the day, ESPECIALLY mornings in your cold zone

I’d move it to a shadier location and maybe wrap it the first couple winters.
canishel thanked Dave in NoVA • N. Virginia • zone 7A