Camellia Cutting

[tearinghair]

My lovely former next-door neighbour has brought me a cutting of the camellia that was in my garden, the height of the house before the new owners removed it. It has always done very well left to itself, but it may need some extra TLC now and I really need to keep it as it was my mother's (bought in 2002). It will be living on a small patio, in a large pot for the moment. Any hints, please? And if I need to spray it, will a general purpose spray be OK?

[pastafreak]

I know nothing about Camellias...but this article might be helpful. At least until a knowledgeable gardener comes along.

https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/camellia/growing-guide

[tearinghair]

Thank you, pastafreak. It seems that I've put the pot in a good place, but I couldn't get the right compost yesterday (it needs to be right for heather as well) because I couldn't carry the larger bags home. I will have one delivered and replant, in the hope that talking nicely to it will help.

[pastafreak]

Good luck...they are very pretty when in flower.

[Atheist]

Is the cutting a twig that needs to be planted into some soil, or is it already growing in a pot?

Why would you need to spray it? I've never heard of general purpose spray.

[tearinghair]

It's been planted in a pot. I think it has taken as there are buds on it. If I have to spray roses for blackspot I use a dedicated rose spray, but I think there are products that will work on different sorts of plants. I just want to be prepared in case it starts to look poorly after its transplant.

[Atheist]

If it looks poorly, then it's unlikely that a spray will help. It could be under or over watered.

Maybe plant it out in the open ground. If it was originally high as the house, then maybe it should be grown in a similar spot. Is it indoors? How big is the pot?

[tearinghair]

I have no similar spot at my new flat. It's a small cutting and has plenty of room in its current pot outside on the patio. I think most outside plants have been overwatered  this last year. It isn't looking poorly, I'm just trying to anticipate problems as I'm not much of a gardener.

[Smowball]

As tall as the house?? Good grief! I didn't think they got that tall.

[tearinghair]

Neither did we when we transplanted it 22 years ago! I'd post a picture but I don't know how to put it on answerbank.

[Smowball]

That's incredible!