Camellias -- older shrub, bud-to-bloom issues

I have a large older Camellia japonica regarding which I have written into the UBC Forum , maybe a year or more ago, and never got a reply, so am trying again... it was not blooming past the large bud stage, the buds were just browning or 1/4-opening... it otherwise looks extremely vigorous. It has been fairly radically pruned by me, in two stages, over the past couple of years.

I fertilized and loosened the soil around it last fall, and have been watering it thoroughly even through some wet spells when passers-by must have thought I was crazy, because it is planted fairly close to the townhouse's concrete foundation-slab [the main trunk is about 3-4 feet out, maybe, but the roof overhang is huge, and the ground there seems to drain superbly. Also there are large Douglas Firs nearby, within a few feet, as Broadmead regards them as protected until they threaten the houses more obviously. They don't really do so at the moment... but they are close by and are large, and the roots must impact the Camellia.

It is in the shade, mostly, but gets some early morning sun and the top of it gets sun later in the morning coming over the lower roof of the house. I went and looked at it yesterday and the many buds seemed huge but tight. I turned on the water yesterday [the water had not been on for it for a couple of weeks] and left a portable small hose-sprayer under it for a considerable time, moving it around through all the drip line... and put it back on this morning. Now this morning I see some of the buds are showing glorious pink, and may possibly open. Would it have been lack of water which prevented bud opening?

If this blooms there will be a celebration in this household.

 

Buds not opening could be a result of available phosphorus. Camellias prefer an acid soil.


http://www.ehow.com/how_5786790_feed-camellias.html

 

Thanks, 1950Greg. I honestly can't remember what I fertilized with, but I believe it was with granular azalea/rhododendron fertilizer scattered over the surface, the soil loosened a little, and well watered, last Fall... and kept as well watered as I could, timewise, since then. I will do some spot soil testing but since it is fairly expensive, I still haven't got that done although I intend to. I was well aware of the acid soil necessity. I just found this website, situated for California, so not sure if there are any major differences with further north, but take a look at:
http://www.occamellias.org/culture.html
Is it true that fertilizing now, while just about to bloom or while blooming, is a no-no? I certainly haven't done so as I believe I have read that elsewhere, also with rhododendrons. Why on earth would an about-to bloom or blooming camellia be considered "dormant", as this site states? Interesting. I also did a little disbudding on this difficult camellia [double "soft-bloom" type blooms, meaning fluffier than the structural more single pink flowers I have seen on other varieties -- I think --] to encourage one major bud to bloom, but did not do all tips, as it was experimental... it will be interesting to see which ones open, if they do open. I have a very successfully-blooming red camellia which had multiple buds on the tips but they have all broken into bloom and I did not disbud it.

 

Another thing to consider is that construction companies throw a lot of discarded building materials around sites before the landscapers come and top dress with soil. Mainly left over cement that is washed out from wheel barrows and tools. This could be affecting the PH of the soil and drainage, just something to consider.

 

Yes, I have been assuming this is the problem or part of it, and that's why I used the azalea and rhododendron fertilizer. I shall have to get the soil tests done in various areas I'd like to know about around my townhouse, then I will have something to work with. Other acid-favouring plants like Skimmia seem reasonably happy nearby, there is a hedge of them about the same distance from the edge of the foundation slab. Someone also planted a few rhododendron varieties there too which have not done well... Forsythia are very happy there, but if the soil is on the neutral to alkaline side they would be fine, I assume. At least I didn't invest in the planting there, they came with the house. Items I planted are in a front garden and back patio surround, further from the foundation slab.

 

March 18th, 2010: I am still observing the reluctant [pink] bloomer/camellia. Buds are bigger and fatter, but not moving very fast if at all to blossom stage [my red camellia's bloom is now almost over]. I have been watering it, as I think the soil it's in drains quickly, but reluctant to fertilize owing to web info not to, at this pre-blooming stage, plus it was fertilized well, earlier. I read 1950 Greg's entry above and checked that website, and actually it recommends a fair amount of fertilizing in spring. I have fertilized in late fall, and was hesitant to fertilize again now. I gave it some additional acid fertilizer just as spring was breaking here, in February. Other shrubs in its area are healthy, such as Pieris and Forsythia.

Our Strata landscaper tells me that there is a blueberry bush fruiting enhancer, a fertilizer of some sort, which works with camellias in that it stimulates healthy buds and blooming... that if I use it as soon as this bloom period is over, the next year may work better. He says he is going to find out for me, but I may not hear for a while or he may not be able to locate the info. Does anyone know what this substance is, what type of fertilizer or treatment?