Cjr Contorted Camellia from Mellow Mullet

[Cajunrider]

@Mellow Mullet gave me a cutting of contorted Camellia. It survived the hurricanes but was just a tiny stick. Today I moved it to a flat. It is gorgeous now.
Thanks John

 

[Carol 83]

My Camellias are setting buds, pretty exciting. Looks like yours is as well!

 

[just.wing.it]

Mine both died.....
Hopefully you can do better than I did!

 

[vp999]

I have a huge camellia that I want to turn into a bonsai, is this a good time to do major prunning/ repotting ?

 

[Carol 83]

Mine both died.....
Hopefully you can do better than I did!

Curious as to why. What did you do with them in the winter? I got my first one in January last year, in bloom. I kept it inside under the lights until it was safe to go outside. They are not hardy here, the Botanical Garden in St. Louis keeps theirs in a greenhouse.

 

[Cajunrider]

I have a huge camellia that I want to turn into a bonsai, is this a good time to do major prunning/ repotti

I have a huge camellia that I want to turn into a bonsai, is this a good time to do major prunning/ repotting ?

You are in the DC area, now is not a good time. Wait until after the flowers. I moved mine to a growing flat with minimal root disturbance plus I am in a much warmer zone.

 

[Esolin]

I have a huge camellia that I want to turn into a bonsai, is this a good time to do major prunning/ repotting ?

Be careful when digging up camelias from the ground. They hate heavy rootwork, and if done carelessly it can kill them. I wouldn't dig one up until Spring, but what you could do now is trench around it to cut some of it's reaching radial roots and encourage it to grow new feeder roots closer in toward its trunk. If it has lots of feeder roots close in to the trunk that come with it when you cut the tap roots and pull it out, you'll greatly increase its survival chances. And of course, keep it mostly in shade while it recovers from the operation.

 

[vp999]

Be careful when digging up camelias from the ground. They hate heavy rootwork, and if done carelessly it can kill them. I wouldn't dig one up until Spring, but what you could do now is trench around it to cut some of it's reaching radial roots and encourage it to grow new feeder roots closer in toward its trunk. If it has lots of feeder roots close in to the trunk that come with it when you cut the tap roots and pull it out, you'll greatly increase its survival chances. And of course, keep it mostly in shade while it recovers from the operation.

Thanks... but mine is in a pot, I bought it as a pre bonsai tree but it found it to be too tall and big so I just been keeping it as a tree in a pot outside.

 

[Mellow Mullet]

Awesome! It looks like it has a lot of flower buds too. I still have some satsuki if you want them.

 

[just.wing.it]

Curious as to why. What did you do with them in the winter? I got my first one in January last year, in bloom. I kept it inside under the lights until it was safe to go outside. They are not hardy here, the Botanical Garden in St. Louis keeps theirs in a greenhouse.

I think they got too dry over last winter....I lost a few in the smaller containers last winter...my own dumb fault.

 

[Cajunrider]

The tree grew well but there was a 5 branch whorl that was forming a reverse taper. I pruned away 3. Will try to propagate them.