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How much to prune to restore spindly plants
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Posted by mljan z10CA (My Page) on Sun, Jul 8, 07 at 19:53
| My niece moved into a house last week with a neglected old garden and several camellias that need help. They're 5 to 6 feet tall, and most of the branches are long and bare except for a cluster of leaves on the very tip, surrounding an unopen bud that has dried to a crisp. I think the homeowner hadn't watered much for a while, but tried to pretty things up to sell.
How severely should they be pruned? I'm inclined to cut each branch back within a 2 or 3 leaf nodes of the trunk, and maybe to reduce the height by a foot or so. Is this so drastic that it'll shock the plant? This is in zone 10, Los Angeles, so we have a long growing season ahead.
I've been gardening in Southern California for a long time, but my soil is too alkaline for camellias and azaleas, so I have no experience with them.
Thanks for your help.
Maureen |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: How much to prune to restore spindly plants
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| i'VE READ IN SOME ARTICLE ON PRUNING THAT YOU SHOULD REMOVE NO MORE THAN 1/3 OF THE PLANT. I'VE NOT DONE A LOT OF PRUNING MYSELF. |
RE: How much to prune to restore spindly plants
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- Posted by cdjr z6 OH (My Page) on
Mon, Jul 9, 07 at 13:09
I just planted my first camellia. Hopefully, with TLC, it will survive our winters. I can't offer first hand experience but here are a few links from a Goggle search.
As with most gardening advice there are a variety of opinions. But, with a plant such as you described. I wouldn't hesitate to go with some drastic pruning. http://members.cox.net/vacs/pruning.htm
http://pubs.caes.uga.edu/caespubs/pubcd/B813-w.htm
http://www.abc.net.au/gardening/stories/s1724266.htm |
RE: How much to prune to restore spindly plants
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| Camellia's like a moist well drained soil with plenty of peat and organic material. They are typical when it comes to shade plants, in that they have a lot of surface roots. This time of year here in So. Cal. Camellias are starting to set buds which means they will be going dormat soon. Camellias bloom while they are dormat. Loosening the soil and adding peat and other organic material will help greatly. As of prunning, I would wait until next April and yes remove about 1/3 at first. Try to invision what you want the plant to look like in 5 years and prune accordingly. Make sure you remove all dead wood first followed by crossing branches. Try to open the middle up a bit to allow air flow and some sun light to penetrate. Prune to a leaf node wheter there is a leaf or not. This is where the new growth will start. It may take a couple of years for the plant to recover but it will be worth it. |
RE: How much to prune to restore spindly plants
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| I seem to have a similar problem as yours. I have posted pictures in http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/camellia/msg0822465929240.html?1 thread. Please check it out and let me know if yours look similar. I'm out of my wits whether to water more or water less. Picture here too:
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/camellia/msg0822465929240.html?1 |
RE: How much to prune to restore spindly plants
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Hello, gwguest. I could not see your picture. Everytime that I pasted your link, it took me to http://s186.photobucket.com for whatever reason.
If you are having a watering problem (defined as not enough water), the edges of the leaves will turn brown and -eventually- the rest of the leaf will too. Camellias should be mulched heavily with about 4 inches of acidic mulch up to or past the drip line. To determine if you need to water, use this method daily.... Move aside the mulch and insert a finger to a depth of four inches. Choose a spot between the main trunk and the drip line. Than determine if the soil at that depth feels dry, moist or wet. If it feels dry or almost dry, water. If it feels moist, do not water. If it feels wet, determine why it is wet and take appropriate corrective action (if any is needed).
After a while, you will notice that you water on a certain frequency, such as every two/three/etc days. At that point, stop checking manually and set the sprinkler to water on the same frequency and to deliver the same approx amopunt of water that you now apply. Check daily again if the temperatures change between 10-15 degrees and stay there. In the fall, you will need to water less. And in winter, watering once a week should do it.
Does that help you?
Luis |
RE: How much to prune to restore spindly plants
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Hi Luis,
Thanks for your reply. I will follow the procedure that you have prescribed. My plants were not mulched but I have added a 2-3 inch layer of much to it last week. Here are the pictures. 
If you notice anything new, please let me know. The pictures were taken before I laid the new mulch around the plant. Would Coffee grounds help to make the soil more acidic? Would it be OK to mix some within the soil right now? Thanks,
Kev |
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