Hi from East Yorks - (Camellia query please)

Hello!
I’m a novice from East Riding with no real gardening knowledge but keen to learn!
I have a Camellia Japonica that has just been removed from an extremely waterlogged pot ( there were no drainage holes). It’s been placed in a larger pot with room around the sides for the soil to hopefully dry out but it’s losing leaves and buds......can it be saved?!
Thank you for any advice!

 

Elooo Claire59 and welcome to Gardeners corner I too are from East Yorks,you've come to the right place All being well you may have saved your Camellia in time I think it's a waiting game to see how it fairs but someone more knowledgeable will come along and put you on the right track.

 

Hello!
Nice to see someone else from the East Riding! Thanks for your reply, I’m definitely crossing my fingers it survives....before it was repotted (badly), it was in such good condition too! ‍♀️

 

Where abouts are you in East Riding Claire?

 

Welcome to the forum!

 

Presume you had to add some more compost? ... Camellias needs "Ericaceous" soil / compost. Blinking gardeners and their terminology, its like the IT guy telling me to reboot my computer instead of telling me to turn it off and back on again ...

Camellias need soil with an acid pH. Regular "multiple purpose" compost may not be acidic ... but you can buy specific "Ericaceous compost". It won't hurt for a while, so time enough to change it if you need to, although if you leave it long the roots will have started venturing into the new compost, but over time Alkaline compost (and feed ... so you need special Ericaceous feed too) will make the leaves go yellow because the plant's chemistry won't be able to extract the minerals it needs if the roots are in an alkaline environment.

 

Thank you for all of your help and the warm welcome! I’m from near Hull
The original soil was ericaceous but it was so sodden I’ve not even filled in the larger pot with any more, hoping it will dry out a little before I fill in.
If it does recover, could you advise how often I should be feeding it please?

 

Good idea. The roots around the edge won't be happy, but that said there is a current vogue is for "root pruning pots" which deliberately have gaps around the pot sides so roots that get to the edge of the pot die and new ones come in their place.

Removing water from an overwatered plant is hard ... time solves it, but the plant has to put up with it, it drops its leaves, needs even less water, and so is drinking even less than it normally would. But plants have had to survive all sorts of turmoil over the millennia, so there is hope

My Ericaceous plants only get a once a year feed of slow release granules. Others may offer more caring and loving advice!

I use Gro-Sure Ericaceous Plant Food

but I can't find that on Amazon ... Amazon do have Miracle Gro Slow Release Azalea, Camellia & Rhododendron Plant Food but that is very expensive. I pay £4.72 for "Gro-Sure" and that Amazon Miracle Gro is £12.25

 

Me too Claire.

 

It’s nice to know I’m in vogue, there’s a first for everything!
Thank you again, I shall have a look for the Gro-Sure and fingers crossed it survives!