Question:
We recently replaced some sewer pipes, and the plumber had to remove one of our forty-year-old Camellias. I'm wondering if I could start a new one using a cutting from one of the remaining camellias, or would it be best to get one from a nursery?Answer:
- Sure, either option is doable, but ultimately, it's a judgment call on your part as to which one you choose.
- Purchasing a new plant is by far the easiest and quickest solution.
- Camellia cuttings are taken in the late spring or early fall. It would help if you took more cuttings than you need.
- You can then select the most vigorous one and discard the rest.
- The cuttings should be five or six leaves long, and you remove all the leaves except for the top three. The cutting should be cut at the bottom on a slant just below where a leaf attaches to the stem.
- Next, dip the cuttings in a rooting hormone powder and stick them in a pre-moistened, six-inch container of potting soil. You use a pencil to make the holes, and the cuttings are placed close to one another.
- The top of the pot is then covered with a plastic baggie to form a mini greenhouse, trapping the humidity and placing it outdoors where it gets morning sun.
- Every two weeks until Thanksgiving, mist the cuttings and remove any that have turned brown. The cuttings should have roots in eight to twelve weeks.
- The most vigorous cuttings are transplanted into individual pots and then transplanted in the landscape when they are big enough.
- It might be fun to try rooting some cuttings now and see how successful that is. Then, in the spring, decide whether to continue growing on the cuttings or plant a more established plant from your favorite garden center.
Question:
Last year, I bought a blooming Gardenia at the grocery store. I have it growing indoors where it gets morning sun and lots of light. This year, I've only had two blooms. All the other buds have turned black and dropped off. What can I do to keep the blooms from falling off?Answer:
- Gardenias are forced into bloom as flowering potted plants in a controlled environment.
- They are not the easiest plants to get to bloom. It's not unusual for gardeners to have issues with the buds turning black and falling off indoors and out in the landscape.
- The primary cause for bud drop is nighttime temperatures below sixty degrees.
- With outdoor plants, September through early November is the best blooming period. You have shorter days and warmer nights, along with some humidity.
- Indoors, you have better control of the temperature, but it can dry.
- So, you might want to place it on a saucer with pebbles and add a little water to raise the humidity. The water line should be below the bottom of the pot.
- Gardenias do not like to be disturbed, which can be another reason for bud drop. So, with container plants, please keep them in one location and move them as little as possible.
- This helps increase the number of open buds; however, many still turn black.