If you grow camellias now in your greenhouse and you’d like more of them, here are some pointers to keep in mind about propagating them.
I have been growing camellias in my Oregon greenhouse for 10 years, and I have found the following method a good one for propagating the following:
- Camellia saluenensis, a fragrant Southern apple blossom type
- Camellia japonica, a species from which most of our popular varieties have been propagated.
Camellia Cuttings
You can take camellia cuttings from July through February from the new growth, which is barely hardened off.
We have learned that it is best not to cut the leaf and have increased our rooting percentage over a third on some varieties by leaving the leaf intact.
We make a 2”-inch stein cut on an angle with some sharp instruments.
We have found that a cutting that includes one leaf with a live eye is more satisfactory than cuttings with two or three leaves. We can also get more cuttings from a small plant by this method.
Propagating Bench
First, we layer the propagating bench with peat moss to prevent the sand from washing through.
To heat the soil, we place a lead-covered electric cable on the peat in a succession of U’s and inverted U’s about 8” inches apart and 4” inches from the side of the bench.
Then the propagating bench is filled with clean river sand, tamped, and watered in thoroughly to make a firm propagating bed.
Now the sand is sliced to a depth of 2 ½” to 3” inches to prevent injury to the tender bark of the cuttings.
We do this by placing a 2′ x 4′ approximately 3’ feet wide (the width of the average bench) on the edge as a straightedge to guide a knife or trowel in slicing the sand.
Starting The Cuttings
The space between cuttings depends upon the size of the leaf, but 1 ½” inches between each is usually adequate.
Place rill the leaves in one direction. When a row is planted, take the same 2’x 4′ used as a slicing guide and place it firmly against the row of cuttings, tamping the sand tightly.
This prevents air pockets from forming in the sand and washing out of cuttings during watering.
Recording Varieties And Numbers Of Cuttings
To keep a record of varieties and numbers of cuttings, put wooden plant markers at the head of each variety.
Wash them down with a gentle spray from a garden hose when the cuttings are all in.
Set the cable temperature at 70° degrees Fahrenheit and allow it to remain there until the cuttings have established a good healthy root structure. This takes approximately three months.
Care of Cuttings
For watering the camellia cuttings, we rely on an atomizer spray system made up of used oil burner nozzles placed 5 feet apart from a 3/4″ feeder pipeline under the eave in the center of the walkway.
Each nozzle discharges 1 1/2 gallons of water per hour. We turn on the spray system at about 8 A.M. and let it run continuously until 5 P.M.
Keep Their Heads Cool and Feet Warm
On days when the sun is hot and bright, it is necessary to supplement this with some hand watering – at about noon, at 3:30, and again at about 8 P.M.
Camellias like their heads cool and their feet warm.
The outside of our greenhouse is coated with cold-water paint, either white or cream, which prevents the hot sun rays from penetrating the glass and burning the foliage.
By protecting the plants in this way, we have reduced our loss to less than 5% percent. Ventilators are kept closed.
Potting The Plants
When cuttings are rooted, they are carefully taken out of the sand and placed in 2 1/2-inch clay pots.
The potting mixture should include 1/2 peat-moss, 1/3 rich soil (with no lime), and 1/3 sand.
After potting, we set the pots in a water tray so the plants could soak up water from the bottom.
Then we sprinkle a teaspoon of commercial fertilizer on the top of the soil in each pot; I use a 14-teaspoon measure and divide this among four plants.
A Warm Winter Bed
Then the potted plants are brought back into the greenhouse, set on top of the sand and watered gently from the top.
I leave the soil heating cable at 70° degrees Fahrenheit during the winter months to provide a warm bed for the pots, taking care that the greenhouse temperature is not above 50° nor below 35° degrees Fahrenheit during this time.
Burdening Off the Plants
In late March or early April, the young potted plants are transferred from the greenhouse to the cold frame.
Here we plunge the pots in bark sawdust to hold moisture around the plants.
We use a 3/4″ pipe the full length of the cold frame, with small spray nozzle heads set approximately 3 feet apart for easy watering.
May is usually a safe time to transfer the small plants from the cold frame to an open bed in the lath house. Here they are spaced 6 inches apart in peaty soil.
Fertilization Time
At this time, you can fertilize again, but sparingly. Keep the beds weeded and watered.
They are left in this house for one year, then transplanted to another house, where they are set a foot apart and left for another year.
When the plants are 3 to 4 years old, they are set out in the open field during May.
This produces a healthy, compact root system and encourages the plants to bud early. Pinch plants that have become leggy to promote more compact growth.
Watering During Summer Months
Water the plants thoroughly during summer; do not allow the ground to bake.
We use a top-dressing of fir bark sawdust and a high nitrogen content plant food. This offsets the tendency of sawdust to rob nitrogen from the soil.
Pick off all dead blossoms during blooming time. This will not only add to the appearance of your camellia plants but helps eliminate the disease.
44659 by Julius Olsen