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Cottage Gardens

How do you root a cutting from a Camellia?

14 years ago

In the "plants your garden would be lost without" thread, foxesearth mentioned rooted cuttings of Camellias. How do you root a cutting? My Grandmother had one in her yard that bloomed in the winter. In January and February, it would just be loaded with deep red, rose-like blooms. We tried burying a limb in the dirt underneath, but it would never take root. Are there certain conditions Camellias like better than others? Hers was on the west side of the house (actually too close to the house). I've always wanted a piece of it - but didn't have a clue as to how to do it. Grandmother loved to garden, she could grow anything. I, unfortunately, didn't inherit her green thumb. Thanks for any advice you can give me!!

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Comments (3)

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Nell Jean
14 years ago
Your grandmother's camellia might be 'Professor Sargeant' -- we'll not talk about the two that used to be here until DH decided to move them. Nevermind.

Burying a limb will work IF you cut into the bark and put a pebble in the cut to hold it open. Sometimes. It works better for azaleas.

I belong to the 'here, take this and stick it in the ground it will root' school of rooting cuttings as taught by Miss Billie Harvey. This brings up a multitude of questions from the person being told to stick a cutting in the ground:
Where in the ground?
How deep in the ground?
Should it be in the shade?
How often to water?
How do I know when it has rooted? -- and on and on.

Green thumbs are developed by trial and error. For every stem that roots, there are some that do not.
Get some cuttings, stick them somewhere and don't let them dry out, but don't agonize over them too much.
Type 'root Camellia' into Google or another search engine. Dozens of how-tos will appear. Here's a likely one with lots of tips, from a reliable source.

Nell

Here is a link that might be useful: Klaus Peper Tells How to Root Camellias
token28001
14 years ago
Nell, That is exactly the kind of advice my grandmother would have given me. Here, take this 'yellerbell' and stick over yonder in the ground. Make sure you stick it in the shade. Don't forget to dig it up before next spring or you won't get it out.

I've done that a lot this winter with forsythia, mock orange, and a few unknown items. They all seem to be developing buds, some even have leaves.
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Even it is off the timing. Let's try a simple, least cost method, yet still scientific, to start it right now. You are not likely to loose arm and leg! 1. Cut 5 or 8 of last year's fresh branches, about 4 inches. Keep about 2-3 leaves on each branch. Cut the large leaves at 1/2 size. Mix tape water and laudry bleach(at 5% of the total volume) and let the branches submerged in the solution for 20 min. Pour off the bleach water and use a bottle of drinking water( small amount each time in the basin) to rain off the residue amonut of bleach on the branches for a few times. 2. Make a 1/2" slant cut at bottom of each branch, dip it into rooting power. 3. Pre-prepared rooting medim: A new mall plastic pot container filled with wet new perlite about 4 inch deep. enclsed it with a transparent poly bag. Microve the whole unit to very hot temperature, about like boiling. You can replace a new poly bag if it is nessary. leave it till to room temperature. 4. poke a hole to the mist( not too wet) perlite and insert the branch with rooting powder at 45 degrees angle. gently tap it. 5. You need to find a warm place by the window with light at about 70 degreed F. Use wire cloth hanger as a support to make a mini tent. Use a cloth pin to enclose the poly bag at top. Leave it and forget about it. 6. After one month, if any branch or leaf is dead, pick it out. If the branch is still green, you have a good chance. 7 After 2 months, you can gently pull up the branch, if there is any resistance. Stop!( sounds like filing income tax) Likely there is root down there. Warning: There is no guarantee to return your rooting investment.
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"also one friend is willing to give me the whole tree but i wonder what damage i could do." How big is it? If not too big then Id just dig around it getting as much as the root ball as possible then drop it into a 5-10 gallon container and take her home. She's probably dormant by now?
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I am afraid Jasmines can't make it outside in our area at all, with temperatures below 30 degrees at night and only 60 degrees during the day. Mine are making due on my front porch with a space heater and humidifier to enhance the growing environment. I expect they will be outside next month. I have extra room in my seedling trays since it is time to plant my Tomato and watermelon seeds.
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You will have to harden them off and get them used to the UV light. That takes at least a week. If the weather is fine set them outside in a shady place. The north side of your house is fine. The next day move them to a place with dappled shade--like under a tree or where they have morning sun and are shaded the rest of the day. Every day move them a little more into the sun until they are in the sun all day. Then you can plant them
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blueberryhills
Original Author
14 years ago
Nell, thank you. I now have several cuttings (in a jar at the moment) and I'll try sticking them in the ground. I figured while I was there, I'd also try part of her lilac and rose bushes. We shall see ......

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