Daniellalell, The camellia blooms vary depending on the variety. There are Camellia Japonica which have bigger flowers and leaves and usually bllom in the spring, and then there are Camellia Sasanqua which have smaller leaves and somewhat smaller flowers ( depending on the variety) and usually bloom in the fall. They will start from seed, but most camellias set very little seed and most of the time the seed doesn't come true. They don't grow real fast like some shrubs, but they are kind of moderate. I have several that I can share cuttings from. The best time to take cuttings is in the early summer. They seem to be easy to root, but they take a long time. You have to be patient............. ( not like me!) They like to live in sun/part shade and the sasanquas can take a lot more sun. If you want cuttings in the early summer, let me know. Linda

Dave, I finally got the pictures on my computer. These are 2 of mine that are blooming right now. There are others, but I need better pics. [IMG]http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm98/ibartoo/022.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm98/ibartoo/014-2.jpg[/IMG] The first one is Lemon Glow and the second is Margaret Davis.

I can be wrong, but the leaves look a lot like improper fertilization/fertilizer burn. You said the plant is about 15 year old. Has the plant been repotted in recent years? It looks really small for a japonica at that age. As long as it is still alive, it is quite possible to bring it back to health. It will take 2 or 3 years, if not more, but it can be done. If it is being fertilized at a regular schedule, I would stop any fertilization. If it has not been repotted in recent years, I would repot it in a fresh new mix in fall and give it a slightly bigger container. Good luck.

Hello, Eric. For the best answer to your question, I will defer to the Virginia Camellia Society Members on this link: http://www.genserva.com/vcs/ But be advised, you are not the only one with similar issues. I too get unpredictable weather (cold temps, warmer temps, cold temps again, etc). We just went thru a couple of drops to 13F and 15F that resulted in delayed blooming and also in a few browned out blooms. I currently have no blooming camellias as a result. Does this story sound familiar to you? Ha! I know, I l know. What a pain. My solution has been three fold. (1) do what you planned to do, (2) make sure that the camellias are well mulched aaaaand watered deeply the night before the temps plummet and (3) get ideas from nearby gardens (city gardens or other growers). Most of my camellias are Japonicas which bloom this time of the year. Unless temps plummet and then they either (a) pause and continue blooming later or (b) the flower buds brown out and fall (does not happen often but it does happen). As long as the flower buds have not browned out, you will get bloomage. The longest episode of delayed blooms for me was one that stopped in January and restarted in mid-March. Obviously, sasanquas and the Autumn Series will bloom early and not be often affected by this problem. On the opposite side of the calendar, the April Series, the Winter Series and camellias advertised as blooming "late" or "very late" would be possible choices as well. Note: these shrubs tend to bloom "around" the coldest time of the year, not bloom "right on through" it. After a cold spell that makes your camellias stop blooming, I would head over to the Norfolk Botanical Gardens to see if you find any camellias that are still blooming. Maybe wait 1 week, 2 weeks after the cold spell and then go? Do note that most camellias will have issues blooming in the coldest part of the year. Your location and mine are not locations where they naturally grow. Enjoy Nuccio's Gem. I wanted one but the local nursery ran out and I bought Nuccio's Pearl. Then the dogs helped to kill it so I replaced it with one similar to NG called White by the Gate. Now if I can only convince it that the weather will be warm for the next two weeks.... ;o) Note that there are some people that winter protect camellias (especially potted ones) in the hope of preventing this blooming problem and actual damage to branches. However, your white 6 footer is now getting to be a tad "large"/"big" for that. I sometimes prepare smaller shrubs like hydrangeas for winter but a 6' or taller camellia starts to push the envelope. I am talking about things like layers of horticultural fleece draped over bushes and secured to prevent being blown away... Does this help? Luis