Pruning a camellia is not essential to its blooming or to its good health, but it is sometimes necessary to intervene to give it an aesthetic and compact habit. Let's see how to proceed...
When to prune the camellia ?
Wait until flowering is over before pruning your camellia. This plant blooms on the year's shoots. If you prune too late, you risk not seeing your camellia bloom the following year.
You can prune your camellia every year at this time if you want to maintain a compact habit and good branching.
It is possible to recut old subjects that are less floriferous and bald at the base, but this operation remains exceptional.
If a subject has been affected by frost and the leaves have 'burned', do not hesitate to prune as soon as the good weather returns. It will grow again forming eyes in the wood if the stump has not been touched.
Classic maintenance pruning
Prepare your pruning shears by sharpening the blades and disinfecting them with a flame or a cloth soaked in methylated spirits. This simple gesture avoids the propagation of diseases.
The classic maintenance pruning consists in keeping a harmonious silhouette to our camellia. It consists in cutting off the overhanging stems and the faded flowers to give the plant a pleasant shape. At the same time, you can take the opportunity to cut out dead wood and damaged, diseased or crossing stems in the center of the plant.
Shorten slightly the stems that protrude from the sides of the plant to give it a more rounded shape.
Prune any stems that compromise the symmetry of the shrub.
Rejuvenation pruning
Rejuvenation pruning is done on an old subject. The causes can be various:
- It takes up too much space in height;
- It becomes less floriferous with time;
- It is getting thinner at the base, which can be annoying in the case of camellias forming a hedge.
Take a handsaw with a disinfected blade and cut the trunk at about 50 cm from the ground.
Apply a green clay or propolis-based healing putty to sanitize and protect the cut area. Buds will form directly on the trunk as soon as the vegetation starts to grow again. To help this recovery, scratch a mixture of compost, ground horn powder and dried blood at the foot of your camellia. Water it regularly to support the recovery.
