In order for camellias to transform into magnificent, richly branched flower beauties, a pruning sets the course. In later years, cutting care is reduced to an occasional shape and maintenance cut. Read this beginner-friendly guide on when and how to properly prune camellias.

Camellias are cut in early spring

Prune camellias in spring

Camellias are also affectionately called "roses of winter". The loveliest varieties for conservatories, balconies and mild garden locations put on their flowers from February to April/May. Immediately afterwards, the ornamental shrubs sprout fresh and begin to bud for the next flowering period. In this phase, the time window for cutting care is open until the beginning/mid of July. Later pruning measures could already fall victim to buds.

Built-up pruning promotes bushy branching

The very slow growth of a camellia causes the plant to steadily gain height and sparsely branched at the bottom. The reason for the undesired growth behavior is the regularity of the top support, according to which the shoot tips are primarily supplied with nutrients in order to have a nose in front in the race to light. With a targeted build-up cut, you can effectively counteract this striving. How to do it right:

  • Prune camellia every spring for the first three to five years
  • Cut back last year's growth to 5 or 10 cm
  • Incision: a few millimeters above a pair of leaves or an eye

A sap builds up below each interface, which has a revitalizing effect on deeper-lying, previously dormant buds. Reserve substances are now increasingly flowing into the neglected eyes, which are then encouraged to sprout. The result is a camellia with a richly branched base.

Repotting and pruning go hand in hand

If camellias are granted an expert pruning, trimming is no longer part of the care program every year. Due to the leisurely speed of growth, every centimeter of growth is welcomed with joy. Only the withered blossoms should be cleaned out every year so that the plant energy is invested in the sprouting and the budding. Only when the pot is tight and the camellia needs to be repotted is a pruning and maintenance pruning recommended. How to proceed correctly:

  • The best time is at the end of the flowering period
  • Best cutting tool: scissors with a bypass mechanism (ideally rose scissors)
  • Repot the camellia and shake off the old substrate
  • Cut off dead, diseased, bare shoots at the base
  • Cut back the remaining branches by a maximum of one third
  • Cut out stunted, rotten brown roots
  • In the new bucket, create a drainage on the bottom of the pot made of potsherds
  • Plant camellia in fresh rhododendron or bog soil and water

Key to success in pruning camellias is pruning technique on buds. Always choose the starting point for the scissor blades at a short distance from a pair of leaves or an easily recognizable bud. Never cut into the leafless base of the stem. In this area, camellias are stingy with sleeping eyes, so that in the worst case growth comes to a standstill.

tips

It is thanks to global warming that camellias are taking center stage as evergreen flowering hedges in mild regions. In this painterly variant, the care of the cut is limited to a well-planned build-up cut. A finished camellia hedge should occasionally be trimmed after flowering. If overly long shoots stick out of the shape, a selective cut ensures order in the appearance.

Category:

Vegetable garden