If you repot your camellias in good time, they can enjoy their blooms in winter. Japanese camellias are particularly beautiful.
In the garden you can usually admire the Christmas rose in winter and from January often - depending on the weather - the first snowdrops or crocuses. And inside? It doesn't bloom that much in winter either. Perhaps you would like to put a fresh bouquet of flowers in front of you - but even these are no longer attractive after a few days. The Japanese camellia can help here. It is a floral wonder that opens its flowers under glass and delights you with wonderful colors in the winter months.
When do camellias need to be repotted?
In order for the camellia to have enough vigor for a rich bloom, it needs a sufficiently large pot. A pot that is too small ensures that the supply of the plant is no longer guaranteed, despite regular watering and fertilizing. This can be seen in the fact that the roots are visible on the surface.
Young plants grow faster than older ones, so they need to be repotted more often - about every two to three years. The best time for this is autumn - around the beginning of October. Because after a period of rest in August and September, they start a new flowering season in autumn with a new growth spurt.
What should the planter be like?
Camellias may not develop deep roots, but a large volume of soil facilitates an even water supply. The new planter should therefore be about five centimeters larger in diameter than the old one. In addition, it should be at least as deep as it is wide. Also make sure that the new pot has enough drainage holes. You can add more holes if needed.
What substrate does the camellia need?
Camellias have similar soil requirements to rhododendrons. Therefore, rhododendron earth is the suitable substrate for camellias. Ideally, this is low in lime, acidic, rich in humus and well drained.
Tip: Planting soil for outdoor rhododendrons should be upgraded to three parts of the planting soil with one part of coarse building sand or lava grit. In this way you achieve higher permeability and stability.
How to repot the camellia correctly
Gently pull the camellia out of the old planter by the branch base. This is usually quite easy to do as camellia root systems are not very stubborn. If the camellia is difficult to get out of the pot, water it thoroughly and wait an hour. Then it can be easily removed from the pot.
Fill the bottom quarter of the new planter with expanded clay drainage. This will prevent waterlogging from forming in the container.
Place the camellia in the new planter. The surface of the root ball should reach about one to two fingers below the edge of the pot. You may have to fill in some substrate and put the plant back in the container.
Tip: Do not fluff up the root ball with your fingers as this would cause too much stress for the plant.