I have a 4 yo camellia that I would like to transplant from the ground to a large pot as its current position is unsuitable. How should I best pot the camellia? Should I be removing the ground soil from the root ball and back filling with potting mix or leaving the ground soil around the root ball and placing it in the pot and filling the remaining space with potting mix. Also should I use any product to assist in the transplant to reduce plant stress. Any help would be great.

New guy

1. Digging during dormant time late Feb or early March.
2. With some root ball.
3. Trimming the exposed root to "clean cut".
4. Spray fungicide solution.
5. under shady area or under 65% shade cloth.
6. nice moist not prolonged wet soil.
7. You "might" trim off about 50% of the branches and leaves in late Fall ( But I am not very positive about that). It is just my common practice to reduce evaporation later. You need to consult with others. Because their plants in their nursery did not have any small branch or any leaf.

You should have better chance to be successful because your plant is much smaller. They will erect shade cloth with thick bamboo shortly. They also will dig a long trench at either side of the plants to keep the soil not too wet.