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My Camellia changii is losing its color and getting this aspects so sad. Is it lack of fertilizer or, conversely, excess? I live in Sintra, Portugal, and the climate is excellent for camellias in general.

Is there anyone who can help me?

Camelia Changii with fertilization issues

The soil is acidic, the fertilizer I am using is NPK 5-6-13 + 4% MgO a tablespoon every 30 days, with good drainage and the watering is drop-by-drop. This year the winter in Portugal was very rainy and mild temperatures, only two or three days with minimum temperatures of 3ºC (37.4 ℉)

J. Chomel
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Maria
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  • Please use the [edit] link underneath your post if you want to update it with extra information; don't post the update as an answer. – Niall C. May 18 '18 at 15:40

2 Answers2

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It might be an issue with the soil ph, see below. There is still little information in regard to this plant What are the growing conditions for Camelia azalea, especially its water needs?

Bamboo
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  • The soil is acidic, the fertilizer I am using is NPK 5-6-13 + 4% MgO a tablespoon every 30 days, with good drainage and the watering is drop-by-drop. This year the winter in Portugal was very rainy and mild temperatures, only two or three days with minimum temperatures of 3ºC (37.4 ℉) – Maria May 21 '18 at 07:50
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Changii camellias have lots of problems: the very first one depends on the sequence: preparation of the plant, delivery from China to elsewhere, repotting of the plant itself. The preparation, unless the delivery implies bare roots, consists on a reduction of the roots in the absence of a reduction of the leafy branches. The strong stress provoked and the time needed for a new rooting can kill the plants. Second point, grafts are made on every kind of japonica and often there is a retarded incompatibility with the camellia used. Changii does not like excess fertilization and watering but likes full sun, the last a condition not appreciated by japonicas. In conclusion, growing well Changii camellias is a true challenge.

kiwoncello
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  • hello Kiwoncello,You do not encourage me a lot. Any case, I have been lowering the the soil pH . Itt was between 6 and 7, higher than I initially assumed. I begin to notice a slight improvement over the coloring of the leaves and already has many new shoots. The flowering during this last summer, went very well. – Maria Nov 22 '18 at 11:55
  • New shoots are a good thing. I have several plants of both subtypes with red flowers and round leaf edges and pink flowers, pointed leaves: grafting them is an easy task (I'm using japonica seedlings) and of course grafted plants survive well in the absence of any delivery and repotting stress. Be optimistic.... – kiwoncello Nov 24 '18 at 07:43