A camellia's flowers are often damaged less by the cold itself than by the sun that follows a frosty night.
Camellias are acid-loving shrubs that need an ericaceous feed and can struggle in ordinary garden soil or a pot without one. Their flowers are surprisingly vulnerable to fast morning thaw after a frosty night, rather than to the cold itself, which is why an east-facing spot can be a poor choice.
Sowing & growing calendar
| J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feed | Feed in April | Feed in May | ||||||||||
| Protect | Protect in February | Protect in March | ||||||||||
| Job | Job in June |
Care details
- Protect February – March
Shield from early-morning sun after a frosty night — it’s the rapid thaw, not the cold itself, that browns the flowers.
- Feed April – May
Feed with an ericaceous feed right after flowering, while next year’s buds are forming.
- Job In June
Water generously during bud formation, or buds can drop before they open.
Growing tips & common problems
- Feed with an ericaceous fertiliser — ordinary feed suits soil that's too alkaline for camellias to use it well.
- Avoid an east-facing spot where morning sun hits frosted buds directly, causing them to brown and drop.
- Water generously while buds are forming; a dry spell at this stage is a common cause of bud drop before opening.
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