We have two camellias in our garden – a red one and a pink flowered one.
The red one always flowers first.
If left to their own devices the camellias would outgrow our garden and so every so often they need severely cutting back.
Our pink camellia is due for some pruning but the timing for this is rather tricky.
We don’t want to cut it back yet as it is full of flower buds which are beginning to open.
Ideally, we would cut it back straight after flowering but the problem is that it is a favoured nesting site so once the flowers have faded, birds have often moved in. In order not to disturb the birds we end up cutting back later which often means flowers are sacrificed for the following year.
One time the pink camellia was pruned, I decided to try to take some cuttings. These were popped in a cold frame and to be honest forgotten about until I noticed that the cuttings had produced a flower bud.
One cutting was potted on and placed on the patio. It grew and the year after was potted on again. This year it has a few flower buds. It has one very long stem which I intend to cut back. Maybe I should try rooting it and to create a standard camelia.
The top layer of compost needs weeding and I’ll put a layer of fresh compost around the base just to give it a bit of a boost. Another rooted cutting was planted in my sister’s garden.
Our allotment activity seems to have stalled at the moment as the weather means everywhere is wet and soggy but, on Friday afternoon, we spent some time tidying the garden. One job was to trim a sarcococca that is also growing in a pot on the patio. As I was trimming it, I thought about the camellia cuttings and also some magnolia cuttings that I took some years ago. One of these is now a large tree in my sister’s garden.
What had I to lose? I decided to pop some of the trimmings in a pot. I’ll let you know what happens.
I have a pink and red camellia too. Mine have been slow growing to date. I never would have thought of taking cuttings though, especially of magnolia. I’ll be interested in the results.xxx
I didn’t expect it to work, Dina but thought that I’d have a go
Your camellias are gorgeous. Well done on the cutting, it’s always good to get free plants.
It is, Jo especially ones that are expensive to buy
Sue, I see your experience with cuttings has been successful. I have never tried rooting magnolia cuttings, but hydrangea cuttings root well. Love your red camellia.
I usually try for cuttings when I prune things, Nadezda. That’s why some shrubs end up at the allotment, forsythia, sambucus and buddleias root if you use them as pea sticks
Wow! I didn’t realise camellia could grow so huge – they’re beautiful. Really interesting about the cuttings, I think I need to go for walk with some secateurs in my bag 😊
The only time that I ‘stole’ a cutting it died Belinda and it was a fuchsia which usually roots easily.