Return to the Camellia Forum
| Post a Follow-Up
Camellia Tree losing all leaves but still has leaf buds coming
| | |
Posted by notplantsavvy Bay Area CA (My Page) on Tue, Nov 27, 07 at 12:44
| In June we purchased and planted a Camellia tree in a large pot in our front year and 3 Camellia bushes in the backyard. They are all japonica. The tree has been doing fine. However it has started losing leaves and has now shed all of it's leaves. It has leaf buds still appearing at the end of the now barren branches so it appears to still be alive - but it does not look good. It is in an area that gets a bit of sun in the morning and then it is shaded. We bought it because we wanted something that would do well without sun. I am wondering if it is not getting enough sun or if it is something else? We water it regularly and have fertilized it with a fertilizer specifically for Camellia's. Any help at all would be appreciated I think we are losing the tree at this point. The 3 in the back are all doing fine. Thanks again! |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Camellia Tree losing all leaves but still has leaf buds comin
| | |
Can you check the soil moisture around the base of the main trunk, notplantsavvy? It could be that the soil around the root ball has dried out. In cases of soil moisture issues like that, the leaves begin to dry out from the edges and brown out completely. It happened to me two winters ago (shrub was planted in the ground though) due to a sprinkler system that was left turned off too long in the middle of a dry winter. Make sure that the area around the main trunk receives sufficient moisture.
On the other hand, too much water can also cause similar symptoms specially if the soil does not drain well, if the pot has insufficient drainage holes or if the pot is allowed to sit in water. In this case, the roots slowly develop a fungal infections called root rot and are unable to provide the plant above the ground with the amount of moisture that the shrub needs. The plant browns out just as if the plant was not receiving enough water because, in a way, it was not. If you examine the roots of these plants, you will notice that the roots are brown.
I assume that you have no pest issues with this camellia because you reported no damage to the top/bottom of leaves, no damage (cuts, etc) to the trunk and things like that.
Luis |
|
|
|
|
