Camellia Disease and Leaf Problem

	Leaf Problems & Diseases of Camellias
	Suggestions for common pests and diseases on the Gulf Coast
(c) 2004 Mississippi Gulf Coast Camellia Society
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Below are suggestions for the most common camellia problems found of the gulf coast.

Symptom -- Paprika-like spots develop along the central veins of the leaf. In time leaf develops a dull olive green appearance.

Suggestions -- Spraying with malathon is the typical suggested treatment. (If you are dealing with a very large camellia some pruning may be required to make practical the spraying.) Red spider seems more likely to appear on already stressed plants so consider indirect causes such as excessive sun and insufficient watering.

Red spider mite may also be on nearby azaleas which also require spraying to prevent their return to your camellias.

Symptom -- the tip of the leafs at the end of a stem turns brown then eventually the entire leaf dies.

Suggestions -- Often this is a watering problem. If the problem is toward the top of the plant on new growth it may indicate too little watering. If the problem is lower down the plant it often means too much water (in which case check for drainage issues also). Root death due to the build up of too much fertilizer salts can also be cause these symptoms.

Symptom -- White, often cottony, substance on the leaf underside with a yellowing of the leaf's top side opposite the substance.

Suggestions -- Light infestations may possibly be washed off with a jet of water from the hose, or smother with a dormant oil applied in cool weather. Cygon is the typically recommend chemical spray alternative. To discourage re-occurrence prune out branches in the bottom 18 inches of larger camellias, and open up the camellia's overall canopy to more light by pruning.

Symptom -- Beginning in mid January as a rule, blooms develop brown spots and eventually mushy.

Suggestions -- Petal blight is caused by wind-born spores and is strictly an aesthetic issue, the plant itself is not harmed. Picking up fallen petals and removing and replacing the mulch beneath your camellias (say in early March as you prepare to fertilize) will reduce, but probably not eliminate, the problem.

Select early-blooming-only varieties of camellias (that is ones that finish their blooming by January) will eliminate your problem. The publication Camellia Nomenclature (an encyclopedia of camellia varieties which is available through most local camellia societies) list whether a particular variety is an early bloomer.

Symptom -- a branch suddenly dies back, lesions perhaps noticeable on dead branch.

Suggestions -- Prune out (and discard) the dead or dying branch. Consider whether the plant is in a soggy location, or is getting too much fertilizer. (Excess fertilizer may be encouraging too much growth at the expense of the plant's defense system.) In addition certain varieties of camellia may be more subject to die back.

Symptom -- Flower bud develops but fails to open (or only partly opens) before eventually falling to the ground.

Suggestions -- Sometimes this is merely a sporadic problem occurring in some years but not other years, and may be weather- related.

If it is a recurring problem consider whether you are watering and fertilizing adequately. Also if your camellia is a variety that naturally blooms late in the season it is more likely to have this problem, so replacing the plant with an earlier bloom variety may solve the problem.

Symptom -- New leaf growth appears to be scorch by the sun and a hole in the leaf eventually develops especially in newly planted or transplanted camellia that have been moved from a shady to sunny location.

Suggestions -- This tends to be a problem of adaptation that occurs only in the first year after planting. Some temporary screening or extra watering may be in order. If the problem persists in later years it is probably best to move the plant to a more sheltered location.

Symptom -- Unlike a scorch-related hole the whole has a more mechanical appearance. Falling pine needles can cause small round holes. Irregular holes that seem to have been cut by some leaf-eating creature are typically caused by a night-feeding beetle.

Leaf Problems & Diseases of Camellias