On 8/30/2008 9:07 PM, Patty Winter wrote [in part]:

David, are you saying that you would recommend those options
instead of a glazed pot? I.e., am I asking for trouble by
having it in a glazed pot? Or would that be okay if I drilled
more holes in it?


Because a glazed pot does not allow moisture through it (which cools the
pot), it can cause roots to cook if the sun shines on the pot. In your
case -- with a camellia -- this should not be a problem because
camellias require shade (bright indirect light but no sun at all).

You might mix some pea gravel with the potting mix or use decomposed
gradate (DG) in place of sand. (The DG should be the consistency of
coarse sand.)

The native environment of camellias is in the foothills of the
Himalayas, in the finer DG that has washed out of the mountains. This
soil has perfect drainage. The area has almost constant cloud cover (no
full sun) with continuous drizzle as the prevailing winds push moist air
from the Indian Ocean up the mountain slopes. The drizzle not only
keeps the gritty soils moist but also leaches away most nutrients.
Further, areas with frequent rain tend to have acidic soils.

To recreate that environment, you need a lean, acidic potting mix that
drains very well. You need to keep the plant in the shade. (This
applies primarily to C. japonica; C. sasanqua can tolerate part-sun.)
And you need to water frequently but lightly. In general, feed the
plant only once a year, right after blooming; use a commercial camellia
food (usually also for azaleas and rhododendrons), which is relatively
low in nitrogen and releases the nutrients very slowly.

Camellias do not need pruning to improve flowering. They only need
pruning for aesthetic reasons (e.g., shape, size). In your case (the
plant in a container), you might also have to prune to keep the foliage
from exceeding the ability of constrained roots to supply moisture; in a
large pot (18 inches or more), however, this might not be needed. If
you do prune, do it right after blooming and before feeding.

If you move a camellia (i.e., repot it), the best time is while it is
blooming. Although it doesn't lose its leaves then, it is actually
dormant when in bloom.

--
David E. Ross
Climate: California Mediterranean
Sunset Zone: 21 -- interior Santa Monica Mountains with some ocean
influence (USDA 10a, very close to Sunset Zone 19)
Gardening pages at http://www.rossde.com/garden/