A couple of weeks ago, we said that this was a good time to start pruning sasanquas. Well, we still haven’t got to that yet – but it is still a good time to be going it – before the new growth gets going.
We have been doing some grafting. We need information, assistance, tips, whatever, from anyone who has done, or is doing camellia grafts – specifically reticulatas – on a commercial basis. Some people we have spoken with have been very helpful – thanks – and some have not. We will keep trying, because we are constantly being asked for more retics, and supply is short. We are eagerly waiting to see the results. We have had failures, but we will have successes. If anyone is interested, please contact us. At this stage , the numbers we plan to do will be small, but it will, hopefully, make some of these varieties more readily available to the gardening public. We will continue to grow many from cuttings – the ones that we know are successful that way.
We are propagating C. sinensis (tea camellia) from seed, and have been for a number of years. This has been very successful until the last couple of years, when much of the seed has been not viable. Seeds form on the bush, but when ripe, some are watery inside. Anyone have any ideas why? The plants are growing well (we have made lots of tea), have flowered and seeded heavily. We are assuming a deficiency of some kind.
We still have lots of 140mm pots available for sale. We are available by appointment. Contact us. Any plants left will be either held over to next year (for the slower growers) or potted on.
Last December’s cuttings are well into being potted up to 140mm pots, and some – all japonicas – are starting to put on new growth. The sasanquas start putting on new growth later. These will all become next season’s plants.
We start taking new camellia cuttings again in December – that’s for 2012’s plants.
What a great time of the year to be a gardener!
Normally graft retics on either retic seedlings(ones which do not have a decent flower)or on sasanqua kanjiro root stock for best results.
Indeed to know where to get root stock for Camilia and hybiscus .I live in UK as the very red scented Camillia grafted is not available in UK please advice plus grafted eucalyptus and bay leaf
Many thanks
Deva
0044 (0) 208 200 0931
Suggest you direct your enquiries to a local nursery business. We use sasanqua camellia as root stock so that should be readily available. I don’t know what you mean by the ‘very red scented camellia’ – sorry. We cannot help with your other queries – again ask locally. Bay leaf should be available in the UK. Cheers.