Suddenly, the leaves of your camellia droop, turn yellow or brown, and then fall off. No wonder you're worried now. After all, this attractive plant should soon bloom profusely and delight you with its blaze of colour.

If the camellia loses just a few leaves, there is no need to worry

Is some leaf loss normal?

Even evergreen plants like the camellia lose a few leaves from time to time, but sprout about the same amount again. This "exchange" is important because camellias can get very old. So you don't have to worry as long as the plant doesn't wilt and at least as many leaves grow back as fall off.

What are the causes of excessive leaf loss?

Excessive shedding of leaves can have very different causes, but most of them are related to mistakes in care. Waterlogging can be responsible for this, but also the opposite, namely a dried-up root ball. Waterlogging quite often leads to rotting of the roots, then they can absorb neither moisture nor nutrients from the soil.

Too low humidity can also lead to excessive leaf loss, even if it has been for a while. Therefore, a quick reaction is required here, which also applies to possible frost damage to the roots or an incorrect pH value due to unsuitable fertilizer. Occasionally, an infestation with vine weevils or their larvae causes problems for a camellia.

Various causes of excessive leaf loss:

  • Too low humidity in the winter quarters (required: at least 60%)
  • dried out root ball (may well be some time ago)
  • Frost damage to the root ball
  • Soil not acidic enough, possibly due to wrong fertilizer
  • waterlogging
  • Vine weevil larvae

Can I still save a leafless camellia?

You can definitely try to save your camellia. Increase the humidity to at least 60 percent and water the plant regularly. If it has not been fertilized for a long time, then give your camellia a small portion of rhododendron fertilizer. But then your patience is required, because it can take a whole year for your camellia to fully leaf again.

tips

Acting quickly will greatly increase your camellia's chances of survival.

Category:

Vegetable garden