GardenBanter.co.uk - Camellia Debbie

On Sat, 22 Mar 2003 08:38:10 -0000, "Stephen Goodall"
wrote:

I have 10 foot tall camellia Debbie. She is currently in full flower but is
getting too large. When can I prune her and can I propagate from her?

Most camellias will take very hard pruning, but might take a year or
two to recover their flowering ability. I've cut large ones (e.g.
Adolphe Audusson) right down to 18-inch stumps and re-growth was
vigorous. Do it after flowering, when new growth is about to start
anyway. Bare stems take a few weeks before shoots appear and you do
begin to wonder.....

However, light to medium pruning, say taking out one or two stems but
leaving a substantial amount of leaf and smaller growth, will pass
almost un-noticed by the plant.

There are several ways of taking cuttings, but Autumn is the best
time, although I've rooted cuttings at this time of year also. Try
some now, and if they don't root, try again in the Autumn. I've used
both leaf cuttings and conventional stem cuttings. For the latter you
need a short side shoot, about 3 to 4 inches long, from last year's
growth, taken with a heel. Remove most of the leaves, leaving two. You
can cut these across if you like, to reduce transpiration. Root in an
open compost of grit and peat. Rooting powder is optional. Cover and
seal with a polythene bag or place in an inverted coffee jar or
whatever. Stand in a well lit place but out of direct sun, checking
regularly to see the compost is still damp but not wet. Rooting may
take a couple of months.

--
Chris

E-mail: christopher[dot]hogg[at]virgin[dot]net