How to grow camellias

If you want a glorious plant that will flower year in, year out, and flourish with little attention, then you can't go past the Camellia.

Many a garden is adorned with the delightful and perfect shaped flowers of the Camellia, and the sasanquas are a wonderful variety for the home garden. The Camellia sasanqua is well adapted to the hotter climate in Queensland and can tolerate direct sunlight, but will also do very well planted on the southern side of homes in semi-shade.

Camellia sasanquas are one of the easiest to grow of Camellias and produce wonderful displays of flowers in autumn, winter and spring. They come in many shades of colours, from brilliant clean whites; to light pinks through to reds. They look delightful when planted in groupings and especially in screens or hedgerows.

All Camellias love a slightly acid soil with pH of around 5.5 to 6. When planting Camellias, improve the soil with Searles Azalea & Camellia Mix and Searles Premium Organic Compost. The other important factor is to make sure they are in a well drained position, as they don't like soggy conditions.

Once established, Camellias grow well with regular watering, about once to twice a week. In dry conditions, where they are left to fend for themselves, they won't grow or flower so well.

Camellias will flower best when fertilised regularly. As camellias are acid loving plants, they need and love good quantities of available iron. The best way to add iron is when fertilising in soluble form, by using Iron Chelate. Searles Flourish Azalea, Camellia & Gardenia Liquid Plant Food is a specially formulated fertiliser for these wonderful acid-loving plants, and contains high levels of soluble iron in chelate form. By regularly applying Searles Flourish Azalea, Camellia & Gardenia Liquid Plant Food every 3-4 weeks, you will ensure good strong healthy growth with lovely deep green leaves.

As they are slow growing, Camellias do not need much pruning, but an occasional tip prune will help keep them in shape.

By growing Camellia sasanqua in your garden, you will be delighted with the wonderful clean look and the brilliantly delightful flowers, year in and year out.