How to prune camellia? The timing and steps of pruning are illustrated

Camellia pruning time

Camellia usually blooms in spring every year, and the flowering period lasts for 1-2 months. Around May is the best time for major pruning. During the seedling stage or the growing period, targeted pruning can be carried out according to the growth conditions to promote the growth of side branches, increase plant vitality, and improve the ornamental value.

Camellia pruning method

1. Thinning branches

Camellia grows vigorously, and if its branches and leaves are not trimmed in time, they will become more and more dense, which will affect the ventilation and light transmission inside the plant. Therefore, all dense branches and crossed branches should be thinned out. At the same time, check whether there are dead and diseased branches, and cut them off at the same time to prevent further deterioration.

2. Picking buds

In order to promote vigorous flowering of camellia, it is usually necessary to pick the buds after they appear. The number of buds to be retained is determined according to the strength of the branches. For thin branches, fewer or no buds can be retained, but for thick branches, a few more can be retained. In addition, the buds should be thinned evenly, and do not pick only one side.

3. Plastic surgery

Timely pruning can not only make camellia grow vigorously, but also improve its ornamental value. For upright varieties, they can be pruned from the top. For slow-growing plants, it is necessary to cut off the excessively long branches to make the branches of uniform length. For varieties with larger crowns, it is necessary to trim the crown width.