Fight camellia petal blight
Don’t let unsightly brown spots ruin those beautiful blooms.
Photo by L.A. Jackson
For camellia lovers, to corrupt Charles Dickens, ’tis the best of times and possibly the worst of times. Camellias—in particular, Camellia japonica cultivars—will begin to bloom soon. And if the winter is mild, fewer displays will be blemished by heavy frosts or prolonged subfreezing temperatures.
However, there could be trouble in paradise. Instead of enjoying pristine displays of flowers, some camellia gardeners might find blooms tainted with brown spots that grow bigger and eventually turn what could have been minor botanical masterpieces into works that can only be described as junkyard-dog ugly. This common ailment, caused by the fungus Ciborinia camelliae, is camellia petal blight.
An infected blossom turns completely brown within a matter of days, dies and falls to the ground. After death, there is life, but, in this case, it is not necessarily a good thing. At the base of infected flowers, the infringing fungus produces black, hard fruiting bodies called sclerotia that drop to the ground with the blighted blossoms.
This sclerotia can remain dormant in the soil for up to five years, just waiting for the right conditions, which include high humidity, frequent rains and mild temperatures during bloom time—all of which are pretty common in our neck of the woods in late winter and early spring. Once stirred up (aspiring poets take note), sclerotia beget apothecia, which are small, mushroom-like structures that release tiny spores into the garden, the wind and landscapes beyond to do their dastardly damage in later years.
But remedies are available. Fungicides such as Captan or Mancozeb applied this month can be useful against petal blight, but there is also an effective no-cost, earth-friendly option—simply interrupt the life cycle of this funky fungus.
Because development of this blossom-besmirching menace takes place in soil underneath camellias, break up its party by putting metal to the petals. Rake up the spent blooms as they begin to carpet the ground. Don’t compost the fallen flowers. Petal blight spores can be carried up to a mile in the wind. The best way to deal with this pestilence is to bag the petals and toss them in the trash.
In the spring, winter mulch around camellias should likewise be thoroughly raked up, bagged and discarded. Then, add a layer of fresh mulch in its place, which, after it has done its summer duty, should be similarly sent off to the dump and replaced in the late fall.
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January in the garden
• Up for a little exercise on a brisk, wintry day? Turn the soil over in your annual beds. This dirt digging will expose overwintering insects to the killing cold and hungry birds.
• Trouble could be in store for your houseplants if you are watering them straight from the tap this winter. Such chilly water can shock sensitive plants, which could, for many, result in the dropping of leaves. Allow water to warm to room temperature in a container before giving any houseplant a refreshing drink.
• If squirrels have enjoyed digging in your bulb beds during the winter, spread chicken wire as a deterrent over the ground and secure (as well as hide) it with an inch or two of mulch.
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Tip of the month
Dormant bare-root roses, which can be planted in the late winter, will begin to appear at local garden centers and online nurseries this month. Ideally, you should plant such roses as soon as possible, but give their roots a beneficial hydration session in a bucket of water for four to five hours before tucking the pretties-to-be into well-draining, sunny sites. Also, to prevent chemical burn to developing roots, mix into the planting hole a moderate dose of nutrient-rich organic amendments, instead of a catch-all commercial fertilizer such as 8-8-8 or 10-10-10.
L.A. Jackson is the former editor of Carolina Gardener magazine. Contact him at lajackson1@gmail.com.