Camelia dying?

Hello everyone

earlier this year my daughter gave me a Camilia as a bit present. I’ve put it in a container and everything thing seemed to be going well with plenty of blooms in spring, followed by new growth.

Recently however things have went downhill with brown leaves and an it looks like the plant is dying. I’ve regularly watered it, fed a couple of types of fertiliser/ plant food, moved location to more sheltered spot out of the wind. These haven’t helped and I’ve not been able to turn things around.
I’ve attached some photos too.

would really appreciate any advice and help please

 

Just a guess, but I would say either the original rootball has dried right out at some point, or the opposite, you are watering it too much.

Is it in Ericaceous compost?

 

I’ve tried not to do much with the plant in terms of watering, feeding here and there but that’s it.

it’s a distinct likelihood it’s got too much water with the weather this year.

I’m using general purpose compost

 

Does your pot have drainage holes?

 

Yes, I’ve put a layer of stones at the bottom of the pot to help drainage too so the holes get blocked

 

Ah, I think the compost is the problem. They require acidic (ericaceous) compost to flourish. I think that's why the new leaves are yellow, as the plant can't take in the nutrients needed to make enough chlorophyll from neutral compost. You might save it if you repot it into acid compost and keep it in the shade.

 

In a pot of that size, in the rain shelter of the wall and with that amount of foliage it is very possible that it didn't get sufficient water from the rain.
Potted plants outside generally need more water than you might think.
Another thing is that camellias form next years flower buds around about now and if they get insufficient water then the flower buds don't form.

 

It's virtually impossible to overwater a Camellia in a pot, unless there's no drinage and it's become waterlogged.
Compist alone is no use if it's staying potted, so it would be a good idea to remove it from the pot, and see what the roots and rootball are like, and also the drainage holes. Camellias love moisture but also need adequate drainage. Re pot, if it isn't being planted out, using a soil based compost. There are many types available, but if you have suitable garden soil, that can be used, mixed with a bit of ericaceous compost. Don't keep feeding it until you've got it recovering.
The other factor mentioned - near a wall, will prevent rain getting in, but there's also the site itself. Wind can damage foliage, especially if it was put outside when you got it, and if it was during a cold spell, and had been grown undercover prior to that, as many shrubs often are. Even very, very hardy plants like Camellias can suffer quite quickly with that, so it may have been struggling a bit before you moved it from the initial windier site. Keep it out of full on sun, and for winter and into spring [in particular] keep it out of an east facing site because of frost damage for opening buds, as they can easily be damaged by that. A semi shaded, or even more, is best.

Your location is also a factor. The north east of Scotland is quite different from the south east of England, and they're both very different from the west side of the country, which suits Camellias best due to the wetter, cooler climate. It's why they're popular up here, and in places like Cumbria and Wales.

 

hello everyone - thanks for the advice and help. Ive repotted the plant with new ericaceous compost.

The roots looked OK to my uneducated eye - the drainage holes in the pot where cleared and covered with some stones to help make sure they dont get blocked. Ive moved it away from the wall in to a more open spot, problem is the garden is on a windy site so shelter is difficult so ill keep checking it over time to try and find the best spot.

The garden is also south/southwest facing so trying to find a spot which isnt full sun. Although in Northern Ireland sunshine isnt really a huge problem

Thanks for all the help - will keep you posted how we go