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Sickly Camellia

I have two camellias in my garden. Both inherited and well established. One is in fab condition - shiny green leaves, loads of flowers. The other is not! Yellowy leaves with some brown patches. They have both had the same treatment (fed with ericaceous feed and some sequestering iron, watered with some tap, some rain water). The unhealthier one is in a sunnier spot and is fairly near to a large tree, so could this be the problem, or is there possibly something else going on? There's no evidence of bugs. I'm a very novice gardener so would really appreciate some tips! Thanks

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  • punkdocpunkdoc Posts: 15,039

    Camelias do like to be kept fairly moist, so although they are woodland plants it is possible the tree is starving it of moisture. They prefer dappled shade like most woodlanders so it could be too much sun.

    How can you lie there and think of England
    When you don't even know who's in the team

    S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
  • chickychicky Posts: 10,409

    Sequestered iron really perked mine up this year - but you sound like you are already giving them that.  Epsom salts sprayed on the leaves was another recommendation i had.

  • Yellowing of the leaves with brown spots does point to either magnesium or iron defficiencies. Espom salts diluted in water sprayed on the leaves work for magnesium defficiency in the short term and if it perks up you will need a long term solution..  

  • sounds like you need to wash the surrounding area in soapy water and clean the leaves with milk or water .Camillias like to be watered but not over (let it dry out) must be ericasuious(cant spell that but you get idea)image soil and with plenty of ventillation  not central heating.

  • MunzleMunzle Posts: 15

    Thank you - will see how it fares over the autumn image

  • Novice23Novice23 Posts: 200

    My camillia was very poorly a couple of years ago, but constant feeding with a specific feed for ericacious (I can';t spell it either) plants, azaleas and camillias and gallons of water in the summer seems to have brought it back to life.  |It looked healthy this year but only a few flowers, but now it is covered with buds.  It lives next to a confer which shades it from the morning sun, I also deadhead very regularly when it does have flowers.

     

    Good luck

  • KT53KT53 Posts: 9,012

    Get Boy George to come and have a look at it.  You could then have a Calmer Camellia.

     

    Sorry, couldn't resist image

  • MunzleMunzle Posts: 15

    It's not a sycamore - it's some kind of evergreen with fir cones, and it's not directly under the tree, but the tree does take a lot of water as the lawn under it is always very dry. It may have already been moved when we had the garden done in May (I can't quite remember), so maybe it's just a bit stressed (although it was always the least healthy of the two). 

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