I live in Toronto and we have really cold winters, so it cannot be grown outside. My plan was to move it outside once it warms up enough. A lot of leaves still keep falling, even the nice looking ones without any brown spots (old and new leave). The plant is going to be bald soon if it continues like this. So heartbreaking.

I normally do not plant them in pots indoors because the inside of the house is not humid and the potting soil dries out quickly. Specially in the winter months. When I had a recently purchased one as well, I kept it in the garage but had to water more often than once a week.

To see if it needs water, try inserting a finger into the top soil to a depth of about 2" / 5cm and water if it feels dry or almost dry. Move the pot away from drafty locations and places where a heater might blow hot air towards it. And make sure that the water can exit thru the potting holes.

Any way that you can check air humidity in that room? Perhaps add a humidifier if it is very low?

Camellias also shed a few old leaves in the late Spring months but I think it may be early to see that in Toronto now. It is something that you might see around May-ish... And apparently you should not see as many leaves falling as you describe.

I would also see about adding a source of light. I normally provide some light during the daytime in winter if it is not freezing (I leave the garage open). Bright but full shade conditions is the way I would describe it.

Obviously, the plant must be stressed. Maintain your fertilizer and amendment programs but do not fertilize too much. Since you just bought it, the plant is semi dormant to non dormant. If you get the need to fertilize but that seems too much, you could add liquid seaweed or liquid fish to the water. They are weak fertilizers but they contain a good supply of secondary nutrients that probably wash away with the frequent waterings.

Based on my 3 years of experience trying to keep camellias indoors also here in Toronto, the biggest issue is usually the lack of light. Without enough light, you will see the shrub dropping leaves like crazy, exactly the symptom you describe here.

Camellias are outdoor plants, and they need as much sun light as possible when kept inside. Also, the partial shade recommendation commonly given to these shrubs is not applicable here in Toronto. My pot-grown camellias, including japonicas, are moved outside in the summer to enjoy full sun exposure. As long as the increase to full sun is gradual, leaves won’t be burned.

Therefore, you have made the right choice by moving it to a south-facing window. Make sure it does indeed get a few hours (4 or more) of direct sun shine. If not, you may need to supplement with some artificial light. My camellias are near a west-facing window with grow lights on 8 hours a day.

In my experience, humidity is not that big of a problem. I have seen it as low as 30%, and my camellias still do fine. Watering deeply once a week also sounds fine. In fact, camellias sold here that I have seen are usually grown in soil mixes quite tolerant to varying conditions. You can water as frequently as you want or as infrequently, as long as the excess gets drained and the soil does not get too dry.

Hope this helps. Good luck!

Thank you for your input, luis_pr. With watering once at week, the soil maintains nice and moist, it doesn't get too dry. In fact, I'm afraid I've been watering it a tad too much, and am trying to water it once every 8-9 days. I'll keep paying attention to the moisture level of the soil. Thanks for the suggestion of more lighting and seaweed fertilizer, I'll give them a try :)

Hi vvasabi, great to hear that you're from Toronto as well! I really hope now that I've moved it to more lights, it will stop dropping leaves and bounce back. Right now, it's looking really sad. Originally I was afraid to give it too much light because the tag says they like partial shade. I do have a grow lamp, so if necessary, I'll use it on the Camellia. I hope to move it outdoors when the weather gets warm enough. Fingers crossed that it'll survive and new growths will show. Thank you for taking the time to share your experience!

Kim, do you have a very cool, sunny room in your home. Camellia are very happy in an unheated room if made to live inside.

Hi rhizo, unfortunately I don't have an unheated but sunny room. The camellia was originally in a slightly cooler room, but that room gets no sun - and it has proven it's not the right spot for the plant.

Just an update: most of the leaves are gone now except for two branches that still have some leaves. The two buds have turned yellow and I'm sure they'll fall off soon. Should I trim back the the bald branches to encourage growth? Thanks for any advise in advance!

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