leggy camellia

[Jacquie]

I have recently moved into my house and inherited a camellia. The area around it was seriously overgrown. I have cut all the unwanted growth back on neighbouring trees and I now notice that the camellia is very leggy. My knowledge of gardening is very limited. The tree is beautiful when in flower but it stands approx 12 ft tall and is one single branch that looks unsightly as it is so thin. Is this normal for a camellia? I have read that a camellia is a shrub but mine looks like a tree as it just has the one single leggy branch. I would like to cut it down to hopefully encourage a fuller specimen and would like to know if it's safe to do this and when I should do it.

Thank you - Jacquie

 

[Nerine]

Poor camellia has been light starved hasn't it. They don't really like being pruned either. You could either risk cutting it back and give it a feed and hope for the best - or just feed it and see if it produces any more growth. They are very slow growers, so you may have to wait a long time for anything to happen. I would leave it and just feed to be on the safe side. A nice mulch of ericaceaous sompost must cheer it up too.

 

[Jacquie]

Thank you so much for your help - much appreciated - Jacquie

 

[JohnD]

I have a very scawny Camilla. I would like to cut it down to hopefully encourage a fuller specimen and would like to know if it's safe to do this and when I should do it.

 

[ModernMaterials]

don't be scared of cutting it after it finishes flowering.

this advice applies to Camellia species and cultivars

and also to Camilla Parker Bowles, which is a much uglier and insipid flower...

 

[Trazor]

I have a very scawny Camilla. I would like to cut it down to hopefully encourage a fuller specimen and would like to know if it's safe to do this and when I should do it.

My thoughts exactly when I first saw this thread...........