Contorted Camelia

[Mellow Mullet]

lol....Well, there were/are loaded with bud(s). I personally don't partake of the plant, have asthma and can't take smoke. The "mellow" part of my handle comes from my characterization of the a fish, the "popeye mullet" that is abundant on the coast here. Their fry make good bait for redfish and speckled trout, and grown ups are good fried up crispy and served with cheese grits. If you have ever watched a school just swim along and see them jumping around, I don't know, they seem just kinda mellow.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

Do you think it is too late to try?

I haven't done Camellia, if the tree is in very active growth, lots of tender green shoots, I would wait until new tender growth has hardened off. If summer looks beastly hot, dry and stressful, wait until cooler weather late August. Other than to avoid high stress time periods, I don't think it matters a lot in your zone, warmer than USDA zone 7a, you can probably ground layer anytime. But avoid the time of year where there is very high water demand. New tender growth, or the beastly hot and dry spells. In the north, cold winter rest areas, I avoid starting an air layer or ground layer when tree is fully dormant. The tree has to form callus, and only after callus has formed, will roots begin to form, so it can be a weeks or months long process, so it would be hard to identify the ideal time to start.

 

[Mellow Mullet]

Mid-Summer Update:

Just a light trim and light wiring. Before:



I will have to be sure to not to trim too much as it is already making flower buds





All Done

 

[Mellow Mullet]

I had a little time to work on trees today and while I was out in the yard I noticed that this one is blooming. I love the shape of these flowers, a little on the large size for bonsai so I am gonna have to shoot for a taller tree. Anyway, here are the flowers:

 

[Carol 83]

I had a little time to work on trees today and while I was out in the yard I noticed that this one is blooming. I love the shape of these flowers, a little on the large size for bonsai so I am gonna have to shoot for a taller tree. Anyway, here are the flowers:

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So nice to see something pretty and flowering, when it's cold and everything outside here looks dead and sad.

 

[Mellow Mullet]

So nice to see something pretty and flowering, when it's cold and everything outside here looks dead and sad.

Thanks!

The camellias are blooming everywhere here, I have a few azaleas throwing out random blooms. My hydrangeas are blooming now too, way out of season. If we don't get some cooler weather, I'm gonna have to start repotting, lol. 70's today, a shorts and flip flop kinda day.

 

[Potawatomi13]

The camellias are blooming everywhere here, I have a few azaleas throwing out random blooms. My hydrangeas are blooming now too, way out of season. If we don't get some cooler weather, I'm gonna have to start repotting, lol. 70's today, a shorts and flip flop kinda day.

Jealous!

 

[Carol 83]

Jealous!

You beat me to it.

 

[Mellow Mullet]

Trimmed and wired this one today:

 

[just.wing.it]

@Mellow Mullet
I acquired a Camellia 'shishigashira' this winter.
I think (and hope) it's more cold hardy than yours.

Also have large blooms.

I was curious about the ground layer.....any progress, or waiting a little longer to check?

 

[Mellow Mullet]

@Mellow Mullet
I acquired a Camellia 'shishigashira' this winter.
I think (and hope) it's more cold hardy than yours.

Also have large blooms.

I was curious about the ground layer.....any progress, or waiting a little longer to check?

Yes, I am gonna check it next month.

 

[Mellow Mullet]

Update:

I spent the last couple of days working on this contorted camellia. This time of the year is when I like to wire and trim it to better show off the flowers. It had a ton of buds and a lot of new growth to pick from.

Before:













After:

 

[Clicio]

I spent the last couple of days working on this contorted camellia.

It looks great! I've got a Sasanqua here in the tropics, smaller than yours, difficult but the flowers are worth the effort to make they look nice as bonsai.
Congrats!

 

[bunjin]

What is your soil mix? I am still experimenting with my camellia mix, but they seem to really like akadama. I have one Corkscrew that is basically incorrigible. I have taken the approach to wire minimally as it is not that really that effective and like azaleas the wires need to taken off quickly or heavily wrapped. Knowing when to pinch back seems to be the most critical element for me.

 

[Potawatomi13]

I hoping to get it into a training pot this year.

Already stuck in Bonsai pot but have to ask do you want decent trunk or not? Not going to happen in dinky pot. Have seen one of these Sasanqua Camellias with single red flowers/yellow stamens flower maybe half as big. Also contorted. Have you seen wonderful Banana Magnolia?

 

[Mellow Mullet]

What is your soil mix? I am still experimenting with my camellia mix, but they seem to really like akadama. I have one Corkscrew that is basically incorrigible. I have taken the approach to wire minimally as it is not that really that effective and like azaleas the wires need to taken off quickly or heavily wrapped. Knowing when to pinch back seems to be the most critical element for me.

Hello bunjin, I use a mixture of lava, pumice, and pine or fir bark, 40/40/20 or there abouts. I also added a layer of larger bark on top right after potting it up, most has washed off now. It seems to love it, I don't use akadama, it doesn't work well here, turns to mush in one season, and it is too expensive. We get a lot of rain in Mobile, Al so I have to have something that drains very well.

I have not seen a corkscrew one, on this cultivar the limbs contort more than circle and the wire is more to fan the branches out than to give movement. You are right, pinching or pruning is key, especially if you want flowers. I prune mine in the Spring right after it flowers and then about this time to shape it up again. I wait this late as I can see the flower buds and can carefully prune to keep some.

I will have to keep an eye out for the corkscrew variety, so you have a picture?

 

[Mellow Mullet]

Already stuck in Bonsai pot but have to ask do you want decent trunk or not? Not going to happen in dinky pot. Have seen one of these Sasanqua Camellias with single red flowers/yellow stamens flower maybe half as big. Also contorted. Have you seen wonderful Banana Magnolia?

Whatever...

 

[Mellow Mullet]

Have you seen wonderful Banana Magnolia?

To which do you refer?

Magnolia figo (michelia figo or used to be called magnolia fiscati), if so, I have one. It is a difficult species to grow as a bonsai, especially a small one, the branching is very coarse.

Magnolia Fiscati

A good ol' southern tree. The flowers have an intense banana like smell. I picked this one up at the local botanical gardens plant sale. There were three plants growing in the pot so I separated them, two of which I planted in the yard and the third I potted up to see if I could make a bonsai...

www.bonsainut.com

Or magnolia macrophylla? It grows wild around here, but is not as common as the southern magnolia. It would not be a good candidate for bonsai, the leaves are sometimes 2 feet long and are very banana like, hence the nickname.

 

[bunjin]

Hello bunjin, I use a mixture of lava, pumice, and pine or fir bark, 40/40/20 or there abouts. I also added a layer of larger bark on top right after potting it up, most has washed off now. It seems to love it, I don't use akadama, it doesn't work well here, turns to mush in one season, and it is too expensive. We get a lot of rain in Mobile, Al so I have to have something that drains very well.

I have not seen a corkscrew one, on this cultivar the limbs contort more than circle and the wire is more to fan the branches out than to give movement. You are right, pinching or pruning is key, especially if you want flowers. I prune mine in the Spring right after it flowers and then about this time to shape it up again. I wait this late as I can see the flower buds and can carefully prune to keep some.

I will have to keep an eye out for the corkscrew variety, so you have a picture?

Your Curly Egao is very similar to Egao Corkscrew, which was originated at Nuccio's: https://internationalcamellia.org/international-camellia-register?camelliaId=5462&state=b
ACS did not list Curly Egao. I am not a camellia expert, so maybe someone can enlighten us on where your hybrid came from?

 

[Mellow Mullet]

Update:

Some flowers are starting to open.