| MONTH |
FUNCTION |
| January |
Resume Gibbing* Pick up, remove, destroy all dead blooms. Put them is trash bags and then into your trash container. DO NOT put these dead blooms into your compost pile. Prune to control interior growth and plant height, after plant has quit blooming, and before new growth begins. Check pH of soil and add necessary chemicals to keep in the 6.0-7.0 range - sulfur to lower pH (more acid) and dolomatic lime to raise it (more Alkaline). |
| February |
Late in the month is a good time to begin grafting and air-layering. Continue picking up those dead blooms. |
| March |
A prime time for Grafting* and Air-Layering* and pruning plants that have stopped blooming. Also a good time to capture your blooms with a photo! |
| April |
Prune plants that have now stopped blooming. Fertilize with 16-4-8. For a large plant (6ft or higher) sprinkle 1 cup of fertilizer at the drip line. Water in the fertilizer after applying. If scale or insect problems are observed spray plants with dormant oil (Volck) |
| May |
Now, and through the summer, water if two weeks pass without rain. Mulch plants with pine straw 2-4 inches. If you want to root cuttings, May through August is the best time to do it. |
| June |
Follow May instructions if you have not already done those things. |
| July |
Fertilize again with 16-4-8, or use Azalea-Camellia fertilizer 4-8-12 and water it in. It's now to late to prune. You will be cutting off bloom buds for the coming season. Check Air-Layers. If damaged and moss is dry, spray with water and re- wrap. |
| August |
Water during long dry spells. Ground should be moist, not wet! A reliable indicator is if your Azalea leaves are beginning to droop you need to water. |
| September |
Begin Gibbing* early in the month. DO NOT gib more than 4 or 5 bloom buds per plant at a time. Repeat every other week through November. Begin debudding, leaving 1 bud on the terminal end of a branch. |
| October |
Continue Gibbing*. Check Air-Layers*. They can usually be taken off of the mother plant by now. Put them in pots with an appropriate growing medium and leave them in pots for 1 year. Fertilize your landscape plants with 0-0-22. October through December - Now is the best time to plant new Camellias. |
| November |
Continue Gibbing*. Take off Air-Layers* if you have not done so. |
| December |
A good time to spray for scale and insects if problems are observed. Most of all - ENJOY YOUR CAMELLIAS FOR THE HOLIDAYS - OFTEN CALLED THE WINTER ROSE! |