Old camellia dying - Ask Extension
I am desperately trying to save my 40 yr. old, large (12-15 ft tall) camillia. Leaves top to bottom are bronzed, some already dead, some have whitish ...
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Old camellia dying #445917
Asked April 02, 2018, 1:36 PM EDT
I am desperately trying to save my 40 yr. old, large (12-15 ft tall) camillia. Leaves top to bottom are bronzed, some already dead, some have whitish spots on them. It now has blooms but many fewer than in past years.
The leaves on a 25 yr. old camillia close by are starting to bronze plus its blossoms have brown spots, appear to have petal blight.
My guess is they have mites, but I fear something worse. Last year I sprayed both with Organocide 3-in-1 Garden Spray recommended by the nearby nursery.
Recommendations? Thank you for any help you can give me.
PS The bark looks fine. No evidence of insects visible with naked eye, some black specks on underside of leaves but not extensive.
PS The bark looks fine. No evidence of insects visible with naked eye, some black specks on underside of leaves but not extensive.
Montgomery County Maryland
Expert Response
This is a big spring for
winter damage. Not only did we have severe
cold, but it was a dry fall and, until recently, a dry winter. Dry soil in winter is tough on
plants--especially on evergreens, and broad-leaved evergreens most of all. That’s because evergreens continue to lose
moisture through leaves and needles all winter, then suffer when they can’t replace
this moisture from dry frozen soil. Don’t let your evergreens enter winter in
dry soil. Winter damage produces brown margins, centers,
or whole leaves, but the vast majority of these plants are not dead!
Winter-damaged leaves will fall off and be replaced with new growth. Trying to prune off dead leave often damages the new growth coming in. Be patient. Give them plenty of time to be sure they are dead before pruning. One test: scrape a bit of bark and look for green underneath, a sign of life. Leaf portions may fall off and look like insects have been feeding. Don’t be fooled. Insects (including scale) are not active in cold weather.
The white-gray portion of the leaves on your camillia is also winter damage, where the leaf's epidermis is separated from the leaf body.
To keep your camillia healthy, keep in mind that they prefer rich organic soil. Spread an organic compost around the base each fall (but not piled on the trunk.) Keep all mulch no more than 1-2" deep and away from the trunk. Also, camillias need sunlight to produce flowers. Though they like partial shade, too much shade will reduce flowering.
Also, they like acid soil. Be sure lime is not applied near them.
If you want to thicken up the growth habit, you can do some pruning, but do not remove more than 1/3 of the shrub a year.
Be sure to water during summer droughts. Camillias are long-lived shrubs and you may see many more beautiful years.
ECN
Winter-damaged leaves will fall off and be replaced with new growth. Trying to prune off dead leave often damages the new growth coming in. Be patient. Give them plenty of time to be sure they are dead before pruning. One test: scrape a bit of bark and look for green underneath, a sign of life. Leaf portions may fall off and look like insects have been feeding. Don’t be fooled. Insects (including scale) are not active in cold weather.
The white-gray portion of the leaves on your camillia is also winter damage, where the leaf's epidermis is separated from the leaf body.
To keep your camillia healthy, keep in mind that they prefer rich organic soil. Spread an organic compost around the base each fall (but not piled on the trunk.) Keep all mulch no more than 1-2" deep and away from the trunk. Also, camillias need sunlight to produce flowers. Though they like partial shade, too much shade will reduce flowering.
Also, they like acid soil. Be sure lime is not applied near them.
If you want to thicken up the growth habit, you can do some pruning, but do not remove more than 1/3 of the shrub a year.
Be sure to water during summer droughts. Camillias are long-lived shrubs and you may see many more beautiful years.
ECN
Many thanks. This is a great service!
