Shop Products
Houzz Logo Print
katrina1_gw

Divide a Multi Trunk Potted 'Pink Icicle '

katrina1
17 years ago

Out of the top of a 3 gallon black nursery potted Camellia x 'Pink Icicle,' which I recently purchased 4 main tunks grew. Each were sturdy well hardened off trunks that had relatively nice branching, buds, and blooms.

By taking the rootball out of the pot it became even more clear to see that they had been orginally grown together by twos to a pot, and sometime later two of those pots had been combined to creat the result I saw in this 3 gallon Camellia I purchased. The roots of all those fully intermixed and filled the pot without yet becoming rootbound. I had to use a knife to slice between each trunk and to get the right percentage amount of undisturbed roots for each trunk growing in the pot.

I repotted them in a well mixed 50/50 amount of bagged Miracle Grow potting soil and Miracle Grow Canadian Peat moss; while topping each pot off with 1/4 of the pine bark rich original purchased shrub's potting soil

Is there anything else I need to do for them to reestablish correctly as single tunked camellias? Before planting them outside? I do plan on letting them grow in the pots and keeping them in a well lit, cool, but non freezing environment until after last threat of freeze next Spring.

Planting them next Spring, will spacing one of them 3 or 4 feet away from the corner where a privacy fence meets a house wall be adequate spacing as years down the road the camellia matures to its full potential? If it matters, I also should let you know that at the same time the camellia is growing in that corner, a young Japanese maple will be slowly growing only about 3 or 4 feet just to the Northeast of that camellia.

Comments (6)

  • Embothrium
    17 years ago

    The main thing would be keeping them moist until they recover from the root damage. May even have to be treated like big cuttings, with a covering so they don't dehydrate through their leaves. Depends on the conditions where you have placed them and how much root disturbance and loss there was.

  • katrina1
    Original Author
    17 years ago

    Currently, they either are in the garage at night if a freeze has been forecasted or otherwise they are snugged up against the east wall closest to the north end of my house. For some wind shelter a potted 5 gallon thuja 'Green Giant' is growing immediately north of them, while the house's architecture provides some protection from south wind.

    As of yet, they do not appear shocked from the dividing and repotting. Hopefuly their current healthy appearance indicates I was successfull in my attempting to keep attached as much undisturbed roots along with plenty of undamaged fine feeder roots for each trunk which I divided.

    bboy, thanks for the heads up. Now I know to pay special attention for potential signs of propagation, moisture loss; if found, I should be better prepared and able to, more quickly, begin the steps you advised.

    Is the final planting place and spacing from the fence and house located there, of the one I originally mentioned in my post's planting details, sufficient?

  • Embothrium
    17 years ago

    Big eventually but quite slow and easily pruned, breaking from behind were cut almost anywhere on the stem. Cultural suitability of spot would depend on how much shelter needed in your climate, what sheltering influences like trees or buildings might be nearby, what type of soil is present...in frosty climates camellias may grow well but have flowers marred nearly every year by frost if not in the right exposure. Locations where the flowers will be shaded until after the air temperature warms above freezing work best.

  • katrina1
    Original Author
    17 years ago

    So far so good. My divided and potted 'Pink Icicles' are happy. They are keeping a nice green color in their leaves and even putting on one or two blooms now and then.

    A norther has blown in and I just moved them into the garage. It looks like I will have to open the shade on the large window in the garage for them during the day tomorrow when the temps are still predicted to stay below freezing.

  • jared_sc
    17 years ago

    I would recommend using a better potting soil than Miracle Gro, which, in my experience, seems to form a hard, moisture impenetrable brick when exposed to water. Fafard and Scott's Metro Mix are excellent, porous commercially available potting soils. Unlike brick-forming Miracle Gro, Fafard and Scott's Metro Mix drain well. You'll find those brands available at high quality nurseries, garden centers, and feed-and-seed stores. I don't think the big box retailers carry the better potting mixes. They tend to stock Miracle Gro and other inferior, but low-priced potting mixes. Your camellias will regrow their injured roots more easily in a high quality potting mix.

  • camellias1_roses2
    17 years ago

    I have just read your question and the responses.

    I have a few suggestions to help your camellias survive the winter.

    1.jared_sc was partially correct about the soil mixture. Your mixture will retain far too much water - the Miracle Grow is bad enough without adding 50% peat moss. A proper camellia mixture retains some water but drains rapidly and does not become waterlogged. Yesterday I mixed up a big batch of soil to pot some of my camellias. I use approximately equal amounts of ground up pine lanscaping mix or ground pine bark; sand; top soil or compost (commercially bagged is ok); and milled peat moss. I mix in approximately 1/2 individual amount of perlite. Keep your mix bagged so that it does not dry out.

    2. Your original plant was in a 3 gallon pot. The 4 plants should have been put in 1 gallon plants. Too much soil in too big a pot combined with a small plant with damaged roots = plant death. The soil will retain water too long and become waterlogged. This will cause the roots to rot.

    3.You did not mention how tall the individual plants are, but in all probability their leaves are too much for the damaged roots. 1/3 to 1/2 of the branches and leaves should be cut off to balance the roots. The plants will establish much faster than they would now, if they live. If this seems too extreme, you can cut most of the leaves in 1/2 with scissors. You must limit the amount of moisture released by the leaves. The plants will produce new leaves next year and drop most of these.

    4.Unfortunately non-droping green leaves on camellia plants in the winter is not an indication that they are doing well or even alive. Camellias go dormant in the winter. Even when they flower, they are still basically dormant. I have had plants that looked good all winter outside, start having their leaves dry up and fall as soon as spring arrives. Upon examination, I found that the majority of their roots had been eaten off by voles.

    5. You are doing good protecting them from the drying wind. If the day is above freezing, I would mist the leaves. Don't worry about some ice forming on the leaves, it will not hurt them. Your biggest danger is allowing the plant to discharge more water through it's leaves than the roots can pick up.

    Sorry for the overly long response.
    Oh, by the way, you made a good choice with Pink Icicle. It is a great camellia for your climate and is very hardy - excellent flowers - form & color. Unfortunately the voles or mice got mine last winter.

Sponsored
Franklin County's Custom Kitchen & Bath Designs for Everyday Living
More Discussions