Camellia chinese: growing at home

The name "camellia" is heard even among those who have never seen this plant in their lives. Undoubtedly, it is the merit of Alexandre Dumas and his famous novel "The Lady with the Camellias," which perpetuated these beautiful flowers and gave them a halo of romanticism that continues to this day. The name of the flower, although it sounds quite intriguing, but it just happened from the name of the Czech missionary Kamel, who brought this plant to Europe from Manila (Philippines) in the 17th century.

A little botany

The genus "camellia" belongs to the "tea" family and has, according to the latest data, more than two hundred species. The breeders cultivated by the breeds are an order of magnitude larger. Typically, it is shrubs or small trees, evergreen and blooming in winter. Camellia leaves are shiny, dense, elliptical in shape, dark green in color. Their size varies from 3 to 15 cm in length, depending on the type of plant. Camellia - a plant subtropical, and blooms in the coolest time of the year: late autumn, winter and early spring.

Effective flowers of camellia in appearance resemble a rose. The variety amazes them! They are double and semi-double, and are simple, elegantly smooth, very regular in shape, with an average diameter of 3 to 15 cm. In addition to the traditional white and red flowers, camellia petals can be all shades of pink, yellow and even variegated: Impregnations or borders. The smell of flowers of most species of camellia has practically no, with some exceptions. The seeds formed after the flowering are similar to small nuts in a hard shell, which are found in dry capsules. Flowers on the plant last a long time - about a month. In some species, they do not wither, but fall completely, respectively, do not spoil the appearance of the bush.

Camellia Chinese: just tea

For such an elegant name, like a Camellia Chinese (Camellia sinensis), there is nothing like a tea bush. The native land of this plant is Southeast Asia, and it was first cultivated for cultivation in China: the leaves of the camellia of China are the raw material for the most widespread beverage on earth. Next came the camellia to Japan and was extremely popular among the samurai. The first written mention of camellias dates back to the 1st century AD and is associated with Japan.

Much later the plant was brought to Europe. According to various sources, this happened from the 16th to the 18th centuries, but it is quite certain that there the camellia for a long time was considered a valuable and expensive plant, worthy only of the aristocracy. By the end of the 18th century, camellias came to the United States - both as tea bushes and ornamental plants. In Russia, camellias appeared in the 19th century. As objects of gardening, they were very appreciated in high society. At the same time, attempts were made to grow the tea bush, first in the Crimea, and in Soviet times in the Krasnodar Territory.

Appearance

Camellia Chinese tea does not look as spectacular as her decorative brethren, but is worthy of trying to grow her house in a pot. Her white flowers with yellow centers resemble jasmine. They are not very large, but they have a delicate aroma. Generally speaking, any camellia is not a house plant. Too unsuitable for him conditions in urban apartments. Therefore, camellias are considered very whimsical - this despite the fact that in their native climatic zones they grow in the open ground without any problems, literally like weeds, even withstanding small frosts. But if you know the nuances of growing these beauties, then, perhaps, they will long please their patient owners. Camellias grow slowly, but live very long: in the natural environment - hundreds of years.

Caring for the camellia: the main problems

The main enemies of the tea bush in the conditions of modern apartments are excessive dryness of air, drafts and too high temperature in winter. The problem may be too heavy soil, as a result of which the roots rot and, as a result, the death of the plant, as well as the unduly deep planting of the flower. During the flowering of the camellia, the Chinese should be in a cool place - it just needs a proper winter. Providing this in a central heating is not so simple. A warmed balcony on which the temperature does not drop below 5 ° C is the ideal place for it for this period. In a private house a cool terrace is suitable.

Humidity of air is perfectly regulated by spraying, in which it is necessary to avoid moisture directly on the flowers, and pallets with wet claydite. Water should be carefully cautious: at low temperature conditions, water stagnation may occur. However, if the soil for the camellia is matched correctly - pour the flower will be problematic.

Nuances of camellia growing

There is an opinion that during flowering the camellia can not be touched: transplanted, rotated and rearranged. This is not so: the flowering period for this shrub, oddly enough, coincides with the rest period, and so at this time you can do anything with him, even transplant, without fear of ruining your pet. The transplantation is best to be done near the end of the flowering period, when the plant still has flowers.

During the bookmarking of the kidneys - as a rule, it happens in the summer - camellia needs good lighting and moderate watering, as well as a temperature of about 20 ºС or even slightly higher. Direct sunlight is better to exclude, putting a pot of plant on the south-west window. The optimum temperature for maturation of buds is not higher than 15 ºС, and for the flowering period and even less - from 8 to 12 ºС. Water for irrigation must necessarily be soft, you can even slightly acidify it. Camellias do not tolerate excess calcium. If the temperature and humidity regimes do not match the required, the camellia will not bloom and discard the buds.

Requirements for soil

Camellia Chinese needs an acidic loose soil. You can use ready-made mixtures for azaleas or rhododendrons, consisting of peat, leaf earth, perlite and sand. Soil from coniferous forest is also perfect.

Fertilizers for camellia require a minimum amount. It is better to feed plants in spring, during active growth. Suitable soluble complex fertilizers. As for pests, camellias can be affected by aphids or spider mites, but this happens, according to gardeners, very rarely.

Camellia Reproduction

Most often camellia is propagated by apical cuttings with 3-5 developed leaves. Rooting of shoots takes quite a long time, 3-4 months. There is another way: you can try to grow a camellia from fresh seeds. Unfortunately, grades are not preserved. To begin with, the seeds of camellia Chinese are tested for germination, immersing them in water. If the seed has surfaced, it will not rise. Quality seeds should be soaked for several hours in hot water (about 70 ºС), three times changing the water. Thick skin can be stitched.

After all the manipulations, the seeds are placed in a moist soil not too deep - 3-5 cm is enough. For crops, a greenhouse is organized, covering the container with film or glass and setting it in a warm place. Periodically it is necessary to ventilate. Seedlings should appear in 1-2 months. You can transplant them into separate pots after opening two leaves, without burrowing the root collar.

Common types of camellias and their application

In addition to the camellia of China, the following plant species are widely known: mountain, oilseed, net, Japanese, Saluen, goldenfilm, frost resistant Williams hybrids and others.

Camellia Japanese-Chinese bushy is very interested in breeders. In general, their efforts are aimed at bringing out colors of new shades - purple, coral, cream, pearl white, and frost-resistant varieties. This is very important for our country, because the regions where these beautiful flowers can grow without problems in the open ground, are few.

Interestingly, the camellia Japanese-Chinese Evening has found application in medicine. From its young leaves receive essential oil, which is part of antiseptic and anesthetic preparations.