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Camellia murderer
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Posted by helenawall 9b(valley center,ca) (My Page) on Thu, Jan 28, 10 at 11:56
| I can not believe I did it but it's true I was given the opportunity to dig up two perfectly healthy camellias with buds and all.
I dug out a nice over-sized root ball it was late September here in north county and it was a hot day like 80ish my car was super hot and with several irises rose bushes and perennials I thought perhaps air the car out a bit but with a one year old and wanting to beat traffic I decided to just go real quick...Well it's only a 20 min drive so they fried.
I do not think it's my planting I am good with that amending soil, site is north facing with a wall to the south ( my house)but now they gone brown most buds have dried up on the smaller plant.
How can I best help them now that they are reduced to emergency patients I don't want it to become a hospice situation where I just watch them die in their beds.
It's hard to tell if there is any new growth or if it's just
dying back slowly. |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Camellia murderer
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| Did you cut them back??? Any time you sever roots you better cut them back. Here is what you should have done-- Prior to the actual move, you should have "root pruned" them. A lot of that depends on the size of the plant and your time to move them. If you have a lot of time do this, for a camellia with a trunk diam. of 2" or less. go out about a foot from the trunk & cut down thru the roots all the way around (& you can do this any time of the year), then stick something like slats or even cut up an old nursery pot & slide it into where you just cut, leave that till next fall then dig it up all the way & transplant it in the new area, water regularly for a few weeks & it will be O.K. If you dont have as much time start with the above process but dont stick nothing in where you cut, leave for 2 months then dig up the rest of the way, must be done in the fall though, cut back aprox 1/3 of the plant, paint cuts, and leave garden hose trickle on for about 3 weeks 24 / 7. Plant should be O.K. If you have no time-- cut plant back AT LEAST 1/2 way back, plant in the shade , water with garden hose on trickle for a month 24 / 7 & hope for the best. Good Luck!!!!! |
RE: Camellia murderer
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pictures of the two victims tree first images is NW shrub it's doing better than the NE and it's leaning to the ligth/west
perhaps the other one will recover better once spring will give it more sun |
Here is a link that might be useful: pictures on my facebook album of the camellias
dying camellias/murder
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This was a dig out get the free plant so it's not a root pruning situation..I got about foot however I did not want to prune away when they had buds set on them and I believe pruning season is after bloom in camellias and yes north is shade with my house being the wall behind the to the south.
I think heat shock is what got them question is what can I do now to help them live |
RE: Camellia murderer
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| I never think any amount of blooms on a plant is worth risking its life- to me missing 1 years worth of blooms is not worth it , I am in it for the long haul-- I guess you plan to trash them after they bloom???? It takes energy for a plant to bloom and when you just practically murdered them as you yourself claim( not my words) severing the root system you hurt their chances of survival. I just gave you valuable info on how to save plants-- go ahead and disregard my previous post, especially the part about pruning- wait till after they bloom--- Enjoy those blooms this year!!!!!!!! |
RE: Camellia murderer
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| The outside temperatures (80s) that you describe should not be a problem but there is no telling how high the inside of the car got. Plant leaves also tend to wilt (non-camellia shrubs) or dry out if exposed to wind when you are moving them in a car with the windows open or in the bed of a pickup truck (cover them with a tarp). Camellia flower buds will respond to temperature swings, sudden lack of moisture or to the cutting of the root system (transplant shock) by browning out and dropping. Do not despair if you loose all the buds as the plants should go back to normal next year, all things being equal. Do not fertilize them until Spring arrives but maintain the soil constantly moist (not wet) with a fair amount of mulch (3-4"). That is especially important in the summer. Stake them if the area is windy and/or if there is a chance that they may fall. Good luck, helenawall! PS - I could not see the pictures on your link; was asked for a password. |
RE: Camellia murderer
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| The practical thing for you to do is learn from this experience. September is not an appropriate month in Zone 9b to move an evergreen shrub because it is not dormant. Late November, December, and January are the appropriate planting months in a relatively hot climate. Be merciful and let those camellias die. Then, replace them with healthy, vigorous specimens; and only plant them when fully dormant. |
RE: Camellia murderer
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Helena,
They don't look that bad.
Go outside and make sure you didn't plant them too deep.
Pull the plant up a little bit to see if it is rooting in the spot you planted it in.
Put some pine mulch lightly around the camellia but not right next to the trunk. (many people plant these trees too deep and kill them).
Water them. Even in the winter. Are you giving them a good water at least every 10 days if it doesn't rain?
Then, after you have done that, go to any Walmart or home center store and buy Superthrive.
Read the directions on the bottle, and give that to them.
They aren't heavy feeders, but they will love this. You can use it with your regular fertilizer.
I think they have a good chance. Don't throw them away.
Good Luck! |
RE: Camellia murderer
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- Posted by bboy USDA 8 Sunset 5 WA (My Page) on
Fri, Feb 12, 10 at 19:14
| Do not non-selectively top prune at planting time or amend planting hole backfill, neither is beneficial to establishment and actually has some detrimental aspects. Energy stored in shrub and tree tops is used to grow new roots after re-planting. The more top, the more root growth. Pockets of amended planting hole backfill surrounded by unmodified soil are liable to attract and retain water during wet conditions and shed it during dry. In trials going back many years using various amendments on various soils and various kinds of trees and shrubs a consistent pattern of control plants not given amended backfill growing more after planting than those in amended holes was seen. |
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