Instead of blooming and growing luxuriantly, the camellia drops more and more leaves - a (hobby) gardener quickly thinks about it. Who knows what is normal in this area and where there is cause for concern.
Why does the camellia drop leaves and what can I do?
If a camellia drops a lot of leaves, it may be due to care errors such as incorrect watering, fertilizing, frosty location or pests. Correct the conditions, check the roots and control pests to save the camellia.
Is moderate leaf loss normal?
Every camellia will lose leaves over the course of its life, this is completely normal. A camellia leaf only lives for about three years while the plant itself can grow to be very old. As long as the falling and emerging leaves are roughly balanced, you shouldn't worry. Of course, it looks different if your camellia loses excessive leaves and slowly becomes bare.
Why does camellia lose so many leaves?
Excessive leaf loss can have various causes, but care errors are usually responsible. Watering too much or too little is just as detrimental as using the wrong fertilizer or using too much of it. Frost can also damage the camellia.
Also check whether you have really given your camellia a suitable location. It needs a lot of light, little heat and high humidity. A camellia does not feel comfortable in a well-heated room. This is sometimes shown by yellow leaves or excessive loss of leaves. The causes may have been a long time ago, and the camellia is quite resentful in this regard.
Step by step against leaf loss:
- Check location: enough light, fresh air and sufficiently high humidity?
- Check the soil: waterlogging or very dry soil?
- check for pests: lice, black weevil?
- Check roots: rotten or frozen? Larval infestation?
- Fight the cause
What can I do for my camellia?
Impact the causes of leaf shedding as quickly as possible. Then give your ailing camellia a rest. If the soil is wet, do not water until the top layer of soil has dried slightly.
Tip
The sooner you combat the cause of the leaf loss on your camellia (for example by collecting larvae from the affected roots), the sooner you can save your camellia.
