Camellias Balled - what to do now

4 years ago

last modified: 4 years ago

Very weird winter here. Very warm and then a few weeks of cold. My camellia has tons of buds but is not flowering. I think that the buds did not get open in time before we had some frosts and freezing. I am a newbie, but I think that is called "balling"? What do I do now? Deadhead the buds and see if it will bud again? Something else? Thanks!!!!

Featured Answer

luis_pr

4 years ago

Water deeply the night before, use frost cloth and maintain 3-4" of organic mulch. Green flower buds that have not opened yet may still open when environmental conditions are favorable again. My plants have delayed opening more blooms anywhere from several weeks later to slightly more than two months. Flower buds that turn brown were killed and may either quickly fall down or not. Flower buds that partially turn brown are harder to predict; obviously, the less brown, the better.

Camellia flower buds are damaged at temperatures below +10° to +15°F. Open camellia blossoms normally are damaged at temperatures below +26° to +28°F.

If loss of all flower buds re-occurs every year, you may need to choose cultivars that bloom earlier or much later (like the April Series).

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (7)

floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
4 years ago
last modified: 4 years ago
Can you post a picture? Have the buds simply not opened but are still firm, or are they partially open? Balling is when the buds partially open but then stall, mummify and finally dry up and abort. Dead heading will not produce new buds this year.
Mamaham_NC_Zone7
Original Author
4 years ago
Related Professionals
Flint Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Anchorage Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Tulsa Landscape Contractors · Muncie Landscape Contractors · Norfolk Landscape Contractors · Rolla Carpenters · Bangor Carpenters · Victoria Carpenters · Grand Rapids Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Sanford Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Beatrice Landscape Contractors · Joplin Home Builders · Cape Coral Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Oxnard Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Plymouth Home Builders
gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
4 years ago
Buds that are open enough to show color - like all those in your photos - can be damaged by below freezing temps. Also, plants that have not received sufficient irrigation in late summer and fall (when flower buds are set for the coming season) have a tendency to balling or aborting the flower buds as well.
Mamaham_NC_Zone7 thanked gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
Mamaham_NC_Zone7
Original Author
4 years ago
Thank you. i will check the irrigation for next fall. can i cover the plant if it has buds when we expect a freeze for next season? will that help to prevent this? so sad to lose a whole season of blooms!
UpperBayGardener (zone 7)
4 years ago
last modified: 4 years ago
Camellia flower buds are damaged at temperatures below +10° to +15°F.

is that true of hardy varieties that are fully dormant in winter?

Slightly more than half of my winters go into the single digits, yet I can't remember a spring when I had no camellia blossoms. Maybe you mean the swelling or just opening buds can be damaged at those temps. That I can believe.

One reason I like the C. yuhsienensis derived cultivars around here is they recover from severe winter cold very quickly: https://www.houzz.com/discussions/1782071/any-truly-freeze-resistant-camellia-flowers

my better informed follow-up to myself starts about 2/3 of the way down

for reference: https://xeraplants.com/plants/camellia-x-yume/
Mamaham_NC_Zone7 thanked UpperBayGardener (zone 7)
Mamaham_NC_Zone7
Original Author
4 years ago
well, I am very glad that you didn't let me deadhead this camellia.... It has gone into full bloom. Some didn't open but still I am very happy to have the blooms that did open! I guess I just have to be more patient!!!!!