Growing Camellias

Camellia Home Study Course

• Learn to Grow and propagate Camellias
• Learn to identify different Camellias
• Learn to use Camellias, as landscape plants, hedges, tub plants, topiary, etc
• Work in a camellia nursery or garden; start your own business or improve your employment opportunities

• Camellia japonica mainly bred varieties from the original, smaller flowered species.
• Camellia sasanqua species from Japan, smaller flowers than C. japonica.
• Camellia reticulata species from China.

Lesson Structure

There are 8 lessons in this course:

1. Introduction
   • Review of the system of plant identification
   • General characteristics of the group
   • Information contacts (ie: nurseries, seed, clubs etc)
   • What is more commonly grown?
2. Culture
   • Planting
   • Staking
   • Mulching
   • Watering
   • Pest & disease
   • Feeding
   • Pruning
   • Protection from wind, salt air etc.
3. Propagation
   • Methods of propagating camellias
4. Using Camellias
   • Woodland planting
   • Garden beds
   • Specimins, ground cover, shade plantings
   • Topiary
   • Hedging
   • Pleaching
   • Espaliers
5. The most Commonly Grown Varieties
   • Selected C. japonica varieties reviewed
6. Other important Groups
   • Camellia sasanqua & varieties
   • Camelia reticulata and varieties
   • Camellia sinensis and varieties
7. The Lesser Grown Varieties
   • Review of other species
8. Special Assignment - On one selected plant or group.

Each lesson culminates in an assignment which is submitted to the school, marked by the school's tutors and returned to you with any relevant suggestions, comments, and if necessary, extra reading.

Aims

• Identify different camellias.
• Describe the cultural requirements common to most, if not all, camellias.
• Propagate camellias
• Determine and describe different ways of using Camellias.
• Describe the identification and culture of most commonly cultivated camellias.
• Describe the identification and culture of sasanqua and reticulata camellias.
• Discuss a range of lesser grown species and cultivars of Camellia.
• Discuss a specialist camellia related topic in depth

Where Can You Grow Camellias?

Camellias are normally grown as ornamental shrubs in temperate climates, in fertile soils, where annual rainfall is perhaps 25 inches or better. Ideal places are found in parts of Europe, England, North America, Cental Asia, Southern Australia and New Zealand. With appropriate management techniques and the use of more suitable varieties though; the genus Camellia can be cultivated successfully across a much wider range of locations.

Example: Growing Camellias in a Warmer Climate

Though best suited to temperate climates, many camellias will grow successfully in sub tropical climates such as Brisbane. Grows well in cooler inland areas of Hawaii. Roots must remain cool and moist, but avoid waterlogging. Organic acid soil. Protect from wind. Filtered sun or mild shade.

Camellias respond to feeding, mulching and during dry periods, watering.

In a temperate climate there are relatively few major problems, occasional aphids, scale, nematodes, and some leaf eating insects. Scale and thrips tend to be major problems in Hawaii.

What Species & Varieties to Grow

There are four main species grown, and many cultivars within these species.

C. japonica -The most popular group, with thousands of named cultivars, some being suited to warm climates, and others not.

C. reticulata -Taller plants with larger flowers, less suited to hot places than other species

C. sasanqua -Smaller leaves, earlier flowering than other species, less cold tolerant than reticulatas, better in full sun than japonicas. Well adapted to subtropics.