| First of all, it's always important to obtain a proper identification of a symptom BEFORE grabbing the chemicals. That saves you time and $, as well as the environmental impact of more pesticides into the environment. I'm not scolding....just a friendly reminder that we ALL need to be aware of as we enter the growing season. The problem with your camellias is not a disease, nor an insect. It's an environmental (physical) issue. Your camellia has what is called Oedema. It's not caused by any pathogen whatsoever, but by overly moist conditions. This can be created by improper watering or irrigation, excessive rain for months on end, poorly drained soils, poor circulation at the planting site, etc. Excessive water cause some of the cells to literally burst, after which they scale over with a corky tissue. Oedema is not fatal to the plant, it just looks terrible. It's also a clear sign that something is wrong with the growing conditions that your plants are residing in. You can never get rid of the existing oedema, but if the reasons why it exists in the first place are improved, all of the new growth is likely to be perfectly healthy. |
