One of my tall camellia bushes has a problem. It flowered fine last year. This year, so far, only flowers at the top. The lower trunks and branches have a grey green mould on them in circles, looks like mould found on old bread. Leaves look fine.
Any thoughts and help you can give would be very much appreciated.
Got a credit card? use our Credit Card & Finance Calculators
Thanks to bruncher,niord,gvonge,Shelford,GrahamPlatt, for Donating to support the site
Camellia branch problem
-
- Lemon Quarter
- Posts: 3153
- Joined: November 4th, 2016, 11:12 am
- Has thanked: 3689 times
- Been thanked: 1530 times
Re: Camellia branch problem
Arizona11 wrote:One of my tall camellia bushes has a problem. It flowered fine last year. This year, so far, only flowers at the top. The lower trunks and branches have a grey green mould on them in circles, looks like mould found on old bread. Leaves look fine.
Any thoughts and help you can give would be very much appreciated.
Sooty mould?
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/camellia/sooty-mold-on-camellia.htm
RC
-
- Lemon Quarter
- Posts: 2500
- Joined: November 18th, 2021, 11:57 am
- Has thanked: 2020 times
- Been thanked: 1223 times
Re: Camellia branch problem
So far our one Camelia is really suffering to get over frost damage. We had four days and nights in a row at minus ten celcius here. Never had that before and I have lost more shrubs last winter than in previous thirty years combined. Hopefully the Camelia will recover. But it's struggling.
-
- Lemon Half
- Posts: 8362
- Joined: November 4th, 2016, 11:20 am
- Has thanked: 926 times
- Been thanked: 4207 times
Re: Camellia branch problem
The problem in our area with shrubs seems to be honey fungus. They look fine in have an off year and then succumb. I had a camellia many years ago, but it didn't like my soil. There are plenty around, though.
TJH
TJH
-
- Lemon Half
- Posts: 6704
- Joined: November 4th, 2016, 6:10 pm
- Has thanked: 1023 times
- Been thanked: 2391 times
Re: Camellia branch problem
I thought Camelias were pretty hardy, though of course the flowers go brown at the slightest hint of a frost - particularly if they then get caught by the morning sun. My Camelia is very large and grows mainly under the cover of tall oak trees which give it some protection. It is also a williamsii x which means (I think) that it is a little later than the japonicas, and in many years escapes the early frosts.
I agree the mould might be sooty mould, but then that is on the leaves, not the stems. It is caused by greenfly (?) droppings going mouldy, so insecticide and washing the leaves is the solution.
Honey fungus in my experience is a strange disease which is not always virulent. I have lived with it for 40 years in my garden, and the only plant I think it has killed was a clump of rhubarb. Trees and shrubs don't seem to be bothered.
I agree the mould might be sooty mould, but then that is on the leaves, not the stems. It is caused by greenfly (?) droppings going mouldy, so insecticide and washing the leaves is the solution.
Honey fungus in my experience is a strange disease which is not always virulent. I have lived with it for 40 years in my garden, and the only plant I think it has killed was a clump of rhubarb. Trees and shrubs don't seem to be bothered.
-
- 2 Lemon pips
- Posts: 155
- Joined: November 17th, 2016, 4:35 am
- Has thanked: 19 times
- Been thanked: 43 times
Re: Camellia branch problem
Having looked further, I think it is some kind of lichen and someone said it won’t harm the plant. Let’s hope!
-
- Lemon Quarter
- Posts: 4183
- Joined: November 4th, 2016, 9:42 pm
- Has thanked: 1011 times
- Been thanked: 1857 times
Re: Camellia branch problem
Arizona11 wrote:Having looked further, I think it is some kind of lichen and someone said it won’t harm the plant. Let’s hope!
If it is lichen then no, it cannot harm the plant. Lichen is supposed to be an indicator of clean air.....
https://www.rhs.org.uk/biodiversity/alg ... ees-shrubsAlgae, lichens and moss are non-parasitic plant-like organisms that colonise bark, rock and other hard surfaces. Lichens and algae are often mistaken for a fungal disease but, fortunately, they do not harm plants on which they grow. Furthermore, they can give a mature look to a garden, preferring damp areas with minimal air movement.
However, growths of algae, lichens and moss may be more common on plants lacking vigour, so their presence could indicate that attention is needed, particularly on old fruit trees and azaleas.
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 1 guest