Some camellias bloom in the fall, while others bloom in the winter, and yet others bloom in the spring. Fall and winter bloomers should be pruned as soon as they flower in early March, and spring bloomers should be pruned as soon as they flower in late March or early April.
When to prune camellias?
- It is advisable to begin trimming overgrown Camellias in late winter or early spring to avoid damaging the plant.
- For overgrown Camellias, it is necessary to prune them back even further, leaving the blossom barely 12-15 inches (5cm – 6cm) away from the ground.
- You will need to remove the majority of the branches and leaves from the Camellia bush.
- The second step is to start early or midsummer.
When is the best time to prune in Georgia?
- The optimal time to prune severely is when new growth begins in the spring, which is about the middle of March in north Georgia and the middle of February in south Georgia.
- Pruning in the late fall or mid-winter may foster new growth that is susceptible to damage from the cold, so be cautious.
- By the middle of summer, significant new growth should have resulted from the renewal trimming (Figure 9).
When do camellia flowers open?
Flowers often bloom in the late summer, early fall, and early winter months. Pruning is similar to that of a regular camellia, and should be done as soon as the last blooms fade. Without regular pruning, the common camellia develops into a massive, thick blob that is difficult to accommodate into tiny, residential landscapes.
What tools should I use when pruning camellias?
- Camellia pruning should always be done with sharp instruments, as this will provide the best results.
- Knives, hand cutters, saws, and shears should all be sharpened before pruning any camellias, unless they are specifically designed for this purpose.
- Cutting with a sharp edge will heal more quickly than cutting with a jagged edge, and this will reduce the possibility of disease infiltrating a cut during pruning.