Camellia Cuttings

	Propagating Camellias from Cuttings
	Advice on rooting cuttings of camellias
(c) 2004 Mississippi Gulf Coast Camellia Society
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Growing camellias from cutting is best done beginning in late June as spring growth hardens off. Not all camellias grown from cuttings perform well, so if you wish to try it yourself you might wish to stick to sasanqua cuttings (always useful later on when grafting) and the more commonly available camellia varieties (camellias sold in garden centers are primarily grown from cuttings). Camellia Professor Charles S. Sargent, for example, does very well on it own roots and, as such, is a good candidate for propagation by cuttings. These instructions describe a simplified method for rooting a limited number of plants.

1. Wait until late June to begin taking cuttings of recent growth that has begun to turn from a slick green stem to a rough brownish-green. Cutting collection can usually continue into September with good results, but late June through July is perhaps best.

2. Several days before collecting cuttings water all camellias that cuttings will be taken from. Avoid collecting cuttings from plants with signs of red spider mite or other problems.

3. Also a day or so before collecting cuttings add 4 to 5 inches of potting mix to your container, water well, and allow mix to return to a slightly damp but not soggy condition.

4. Having watered all plants and prepared the cutting box a day or so earlier, pick an early morning to collect the cuttings. In general cuttings should be of recent growth which in late June will mean that in the case of the Camellia japonica any collected material will ordinarily be about 6-8 inches long.

5. Trim down the collect material into (say) 6 inch lengths with a pair of trimmed leaves and at least one growth bud remaining. Taper the bottom cut to promote root development. See photo of a Professor Sargent cutting.

6. Dip the cutting into rooting hormone and then stick the cutting into the rooting medium. (If you are using a powdered hormone, a small stick of a size similar to the cutting might be used as a dibble to prepare the hole.)

7. Continue adding cuttings spacing them (say) 1 - 2 inches apart. If you are mixing different varieties of camellia in the same cutting box, label or map the different varieties.

8. When a box is complete gentle water the cuttings to improve contact with adjacent rooting medium and spray the cuttings with a fungicide. Move the box to a shady location with no direct sun

10. Briefly remove the plastic covering and lightly mist the cuttings (say) three times a day at 10 a.m., 12 noon and 2 p.m. for the first several weeks. (Cutting leaves should by dry before night fall.) Should you notice a dead cutting remove it from the box. In addition to the light misting, you may need to water the cuttings as well from time to time. But keep in mind the rooting medium must never be allowed to remain soggy.

11. In six to eight weeks you should begin noticing new growth from your remaining cuttings, indicating that rooting has begun. Much less misting will be required by this time and you can acclimate the cuttings by gradually removing the plastic tenting. (If you have included several camellia varieties in a single box, you may need to wait until the last variety has begun rooting to begin the acclimatization.)

12. Once rooted, the cuttings should be transferred to individual 4 inch or smaller pots. This can be done in the early fall or postponed until the following spring. Photo of box of rooted cutting.

Propagating Camellias from Cuttings