If you prune a camellia regularly for the first five years, you will encourage the beauty of the flowers to become densely branched. The reward for the skillful construction is a well-formed, flower-rich piece of jewelry that only occasionally requires a shape cut. Read here when and how to properly prune a camellia.
A slight pruning promotes growth and flowering of the camellia
Prune camellia after flowering
Please plan pruning interventions in the growth of a camellia for late spring and early summer. After the end of the lavish bloom, the ideal time window for pruning is open for a few weeks. From the beginning/middle of July camellias activate the budding for next year's blossom symphony. This prohibits a cut at the classic date in late winter, as is common for native shrubs.
Construction cut encourages branching
Prune a camellia regularly for the first five years or to the desired final height. With each cut, you cause a jam of juice below the cutting point, which encourages sluggish buds to sprout. The result is dense branching from root to crown. How to complete the perfect build-up cut:
- Cut back the growth since last year's cut to 5 to 10 cm
- Rule of thumb: the weaker a branch, the harder the pruning
- Scissor blades set at a short distance from a pair of leaves or eyes
In addition to the pruning, repot the camellia every two years. When young, the Asian ornamental shrub grows up to 25 centimeters per year, so that the pot quickly becomes crowded. Adult camellias reduce annual growth to 5 to 10 centimeters. Make a note of the change to fresh substrate and a larger pot every three years, provided the container is fully rooted.
Shape cutting if necessary
If your camellia was granted a planned pruning, the ornamental tree shines with a flowery, bushy, shapely silhouette. From this point on, you only notice a pruning if there is an actual need. Most of the time, overly long branches give reason to use secateurs. How to trim your camellia to perfection:
- Cut back shoots that are protruding or otherwise disturbing
- Cut in a targeted manner at a distance of 3-5 mm from a leaf or easily recognizable eye
- Thin out dead branches
Do you have doubts about whether a camellia branch is still alive or not? Then carry out the vitality test. Scrape off some of the bark with your fingernail or tip of a knife. If brown, dried-up tissue appears, it is deadwood. Bright, green and succulent tissue indicates that the branch is alive with life.
tips
For once, you didn't pay attention to the weather forecast and the ice saints would strike with late frosts. The prematurely cleared camellia atones for the carelessness with frozen back shoots. A well-planned derivation cut eliminates the problem. Cut dead branches back into healthy wood. The ideal point of intersection is the junction to a vital, outward-pointing side shoot.