Kanjiro Camellia is blooming...

Dallas, TX(Zone 8a)

Well a while back I posted my Mrs. Charles Cobb in bloom- only got ONE flower last year and only off that ONE camellia. This year she bloomed really well, and a few days ago I noticed this one starting up! It is Kanjiro. This one had these sickly yellow leaves from the time I bought it and it never bloomed. I started giving it heafty doses of coffee all during last spring/summer and into this fall. It did green up quite a bit, but it still isn't where it should be. So the fact that it is blooming at all, much less this well, really surprised me.

Jamie

Thumbnail by texasgarden
Dallas, TX(Zone 8a)

Another shot of it...

She looks really pitiful in this one! I don't think the bark is supposed to be that white, and the big bare spots are where I had to cut off dead/dying branches. So the shape of the plant is horrible... but I got me some flowers!!!! :)

This message was edited Mar 6, 2005 11:07 AM

Thumbnail by texasgarden
Dallas, TX(Zone 8a)

And one more...

Thumbnail by texasgarden
San Antonio, TX(Zone 8b)

It really is lovely, and in time may take on more of tree rather than a bush shape. Congrats on your success.

Modesto, CA(Zone 8b)

Jamie....do you have it in nice acidic soil? Have you given it any iron or acid fertilizer? I bet that would perk it up. Odd that it's blooming now, they bloom in the fall here! Kanjiro is one of my very favorite sasanquas. Tough plant, very tough. I'm sure this one is grateful that you have rescued it!
Karen :~D

Dallas, TX(Zone 8a)

Thanks Karen-

I have heavy clay soil, so when I planted my camellias 2 years ago, I dug out about 12 inches of soil in that bed they are in and backfilled it with the "azalea mix" from our landscape supply store. They have a soil just for acid loving plants. Then, using that same soil, I raised the bed another foot. You can sort of tell in the pictures that the bed is higher than the edge of the lawn. Anyway, I used the azalea, camellia, rhododendron granuals to feed them all and just feed them as scheduled per the bag's instructions. I also foliage feed them with the Muracid stuff during the growing season. This past spring/summer I took my left over coffee from the pot and poured it on one or the other of them. I diluted whatever was left in the pot from that morning by half and poured it on. I also saved the coffee grounds and about once a month I pulled back the mulch and sprinkled the grounds around the base, then pushed the mulch back. I used pine bark mulch since that is supposedly acidic as it breaks down. All that to say, I thought I had done overkill with the acid boosting, but it looks like it just took some time to "take hold." Ha!

Jamie

Modesto, CA(Zone 8b)

Sounds perfect!

Post a Reply to this Thread

Please or sign up to post.
BACK TO TOP