Camellias in the Front Yard

The camellias in the front yard are blooming. The white camellias on the left are "Silver Chalice". The large red ones are "Dr. Clifford Parks" and the lower pink one is "Tiffany" (close up below).

Leaf growth buds are "feathering" on plants that are done flowering.

Where were you last week?

Now that the camellia shows are over, my shy camellias are blooming so prettily. There are 26 "Prima Ballerinas" out there today. I don't have the heart to tell them they missed the curtain call.

The graft 4 months later...

After four months, the new graft is as tall as the older branch.
(See original photos)



A close up of the graft shows a nicely healed wound.

Camellias: Hybrid grafting

Sometimes grafts don't take.

When the rootstalk sends out a new shoot, don't cut it off. It has given you a new opportunity for grafting. This article will describe how to graft onto the new growth.

Wait until the shoot has three leaves. The third leaf still unopened.



With a sharp exacto knife, cut off the leaves.



Carefully cut the soft stem vertically about 1/2 inch.



The scion for grafting should be green new growth. With the exacto knife, cut a long wedge for inserting into the split shoot.



Cut a 1/2" strip of aluminum foil and wrap the graft. With a fan fold, the foil will be snug but able to expand with growth. Either before or after the graft, trim the scion's leaves to about 1/3 the orginal size. I used little scissors after the graft was complete.



To keep the graft humid while the leaf bud sprouts, put a baggie over it.



Once the bud starts to grow, I'll add more photos.