How to Prune Camellias (Without Losing Next Year's Flowers), by Garden Ninja: Lee Burkhill on YouTube. 8 min 12 s.
- Video length
- 8 min 12 s
- Time to do it
- 30 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 8
What you need
Steps
Prune straight after flowering ends, usually late April to May in the UK. Next year's buds start forming in late summer, so any cut after that removes flowers.
Put on gloves and walk around the bush first. Look for dead, damaged and crossing stems before you make a single cut.
Cut dead and damaged wood back to healthy growth, just above a leaf node. Make a clean, angled cut so water runs off the wound.
Thin out crowded stems by cutting the oldest ones low down. This lets light and air reach the middle of the bush.
Use bypass secateurs on stems up to about 1cm thick. Switch to a pruning saw or loppers for anything thicker so the wood is not crushed.
Remove no more than a third of the growth in one year. Camellias recover slowly and heavy cuts cost you flowers.
For a badly overgrown camellia, spread the job over two or three years. Expect a thinner show of flowers while it grows back.
Clear the clippings and mulch around the base with leaf mould or ericaceous compost. Water well during dry spells.
Tips and common mistakes
Never prune in autumn or winter, as you will cut off the buds that would have opened in spring.
Try not to cut into thick, old, bare wood, because camellias shoot back from it very slowly.
Wipe your blades with methylated spirit between bushes to avoid spreading disease.
If a camellia has plenty of leaves but no flowers, check for deep shade, dry roots and a lack of ericaceous feed.
Questions
When is the best time to prune a camellia?
Right after it finishes flowering, usually late April to May in the UK. That gives the bush the whole season to make new buds for next spring.
Can I cut an overgrown camellia right back?
You can, but do it over two or three years rather than in one go. A hard cut is a shock to the plant and you may lose a year or two of flowers.
Why is my camellia not flowering?
The usual causes are pruning at the wrong time, deep shade, dry soil at the roots, or buds caught by hard frost. Fix those before you feed it more.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
