erect your hand if you ’ve drop to prune your plants before .

My hand ’s nurture , in caseful you were wondering . It ’s one of those things that can easily get away from you .

If you forget to piddle , your plants differentiate you pretty chop-chop that they ’re distressed . But pruning can be neglected for a foresightful time before gardener notice , at least in some causa .

A close up horizontal image of a gardener on the right of the frame holding a pair of pruners trimming a camellia shrub pictured in light sunshine.

Photo by Kristine Lofgren.

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That ’s specially lawful of camellia , which can go for years and yr without cut back and they might still look totally hunky-dory .

Many cultivars keep a pretty dense , clean look without any input from us .

A close up vertical image of a camellia shrub with hot pink flowers growing in the garden. To the top and bottom of the frame is green and white printed text.

But pruning is indispensable for maintaining healthy camelia and encouraging fertile blooming .

The difference between a works muffle in colourful flowers and one that is just ho - hum is often the result of pruning .

come up , we ’re going to talk about when , why , and how to trim your camellias . Here ’s what to watch for :

A close up horizontal image of flower buds on a camellia shrub, growing in the garden pictured on a soft focus background.

What You’ll Learn

Some people fuck to get out there and trim down their plant and some hate it .

I fall into the former camp simply because I wish the horticulture undertaking that give me instant results .

But if you do n’t adore the process , just prompt yourself that you ’ll be rewarded with a healthier plant life and a prettier show next year .

A close up horizontal image of a gardener on the left of the frame trimming branches from a shrub in the garden.

get those shaft ready ? Here we go !

When to Prune Camellias

Pruning is more about whennotto do it rather than whentodo it when it comes to camellia .

What you do n’t want to do is initiate making slash while the bud are take form or you wo n’t have any efflorescence that class .

Depending on the character , most camellias start budding in previous summertime and other fall .

A close up horizontal image of two hands from the left of the frame using a pair of pruners to trim off diseased branches from a camellia shrub.

The safest time to prune is right after all of the flowers have faded .

Keep in nous that if you have to cut off the plant back sternly , you might not have many flower in the following yr , but it ’s necessary for its long - full term wellness .

You ’ll be pay back with more heyday than ever in the issue forth class after that .

A close up horizontal image of a hand from the right of the frame using a pair of pruners to trim new growth from a camellia shrub.

If you see a branchthat count diseased , is break , or is intemperately infested with pests , feel innocent to polish off that at any time of year .

Beyond that , you only take to prune every few years rather than doing so yearly .

Reasons to Prune

Pruning is n’t just about do your works look full , though that ’s part of it . You should also prune to bump off diseased or infested branches , or branches that are dead or dying .

What ’s more , you require to prune to re - invigorate growth and to bear any bush that have become overgrown . Plus , trimming grant more light to move into the interior of the bush .

With each cut you make , you encourage branching and new ontogeny , and that have in mind more flowers and foliation to add up .

A close up horizontal image of two hands from the bottom left of the frame pruning a camellia shrub in bright sunshine.

How to Prune Your Plants

The first step is to verify you ’re starting with clean and sharp tools . You might need to use secateurs , pruner , shears , and saws , count on how overgrown your flora is .

Now , get going cut . Remove any offshoot that stick out from the remainder of the flora .

you’re able to either reduce them back in line with the sleep of the growing or absent them entirely . Remove any scraggly or ugly growth . Any rubbing or crossing branches should be removed , too .

If you have a part of the works that attend thin , reduce a few branches back by a third or so to a point just in front of a leaf to promote branching .

Alternatively , you may prune the new ontogenesis back to the point where the late class ’s growth stop to advance branch .

To subdue the size of a bush , go slowly and do it over several years . In the first year , cut the bush down to the stature you want .

Next class , cut back any new growth to that tallness to produce branching . In the third class , shape the bush so it ’s more aesthetically pleasing overall .

To create a tree , cut off all of the branch from the lowly third but leave the rest of the flora unmoved . In the second year , shape the pennant .

Always cut branch back wealthy with the trunk when you move out them completely . You do n’t need to result a stump .

Cut branch that you ’re partially trimming back to just in front of a leaf bud . That ’s where new growth will emerge .

Pruning Keeps Your Camellias in Good Shape

Despite the fact that camellias are n’t extremely high - maintenance plants , they do need some care to look their absolute good .

It ’s not rare for plants to be infested with pests , scalein particular , if you neglect the pruning .

And those works you ’ve admire with the big , full display ? you’re able to bet that they ’ve been cautiously dress every few years .

So what ’s going on with your plants ? What make for you to this guide ? Did you inherit a few in the yard of a Modern home you purchase , like I did ?

quick tocontinue your camelia journey ? you may have a lot of fun with these plants ! Here are a few more guides to get you start :

pic by Kristine Lofgren © need the Experts , LLC . ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.See our TOSfor more details . Uncredited photos : Shutterstock .

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