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January camellia care tips for the Camellia City


Early-flowering Christmas camellias may be pruned and fertilized after they finish blooming. (Photo: Debbie Arrington)
Wait until after bloom for pruning or feeding

In the Camellia City, camellias are taking center stage.

These popular winter bloomers add color (and sometimes a little fragrance) to often gray days. It’s no wonder why we love them.

First to open are the Christmas camellias, which – true to their nickname – flowered throughout December and are still blooming now.

Next come the Japonica camellias, the pride of Sacramento and stars of the late winter garden. They tend to open in February.

Knowing which is which is important when it comes to camellia care.

As they finish flowering, prune Christmas camellias (Camellia sasanqua), the early-flowering varieties. They don’t need much, but selective pruning can promote bushiness, upright growth and more bloom next winter.

Feed with an acid-type fertilizer formulated for camellias, which prefer slightly acid soils.

But don’t feed your Japonica camellias until after they finish blooming in early March. Feeding while camellias are in bloom may cause them to drop unopened buds.

April is the best time to shape Japonica camellias, after they’ve finished their bloom cycle. Like the Sasanqua, the Japonicas need little if any trimming. They grow very slowly – and for a very long time. Healthy camellias can live for several decades.

Got some stunning camellia varieties in your garden? The 96th annual Sacramento Camellia Show will be held March 7 and 8 at the Elks Lodge, 6446 Riverside Blvd., Sacramento.

To learn more about the show and camellias, contact the Camellia Society of Sacramento.

Details:
www.camelliasocietyofsacramento.org .

-- Debbie Arrington

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Garden Checklist for week of Feb. 2

During this stormy week, let the rain soak in while making plans for all the things you’re going to plant soon:

* During rainy weather, turn off the sprinklers. After a good soaking from winter storms, lawns can go at least a week without sprinklers, according to irrigation experts. For an average California home, that week off from watering can save 800 gallons.

* February serves as a wake-up call to gardeners. This month, you can transplant or direct-seed several flowers, including snapdragon, candytuft, lilies, astilbe, larkspur, Shasta and painted daisies, stocks, bleeding heart and coral bells.

* In the vegetable garden, plant Jerusalem artichoke tubers, and strawberry and rhubarb roots.

* Transplant cabbage and its close cousins – broccoli, kale and Brussels sprouts – as well as lettuce (both loose leaf and head).

* Indoors, start peppers, tomatoes and eggplant from seed.

* Plant artichokes, asparagus and horseradish from root divisions.

* Plant potatoes from tubers and onions from sets (small bulbs). The onions will sprout quickly and can be used as green onions in March.

* From seed, plant beets, chard, lettuce, mustard, peas, radishes and turnips.

* Annuals are showing up in nurseries, but wait until the weather warms up a bit before planting. Instead, set out flowering perennials such as columbine and delphinium.

* Plant summer-flowering bulbs including cannas, calla lilies and gladiolus.

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