newsletter - NSW Camellia Research Society

Country corner...(cont’d).
Yes, I used Neutrog’s Kaloona as the early summer fertilizer and it appears to
have produced an excellent outcome. A supplement of potash was applied to
most of my japonicas in March. Camellia sasanquas received potash at the
end of January.
Affiliate of Camellias Australia Inc.
David and Anne Maher
NSW CAMELLIA
RESEARCH
SOCIETY INC.
April, 2013
www.camelliasnsw.org
Pests and diseases have been non-existent, thankfully. Often I claim that I
have never had to spray a sasanqua.
In my next contribution, we plan to provide some photographs.
Camellia hybrid “Lady Gowrie”
NEWSLETTER
Issue No: 4
May 2013
Price: $1.50
Contents

From The President;

Camellia Calendar;

Photos from April’s Monthly Meeting;

Cultural Notes for May 2013;

Interesting Articles on Air Layering Camellias and the
Importance of a Balanced Potting Mix; and

Country Corner from David & Anne Maher
Next Meeting: Monday 20th May 2013 at 7.45pm
Program
Program—
—See page 5 for full details
16

Opening Remarks by President Peter Levick;

Quizmaster Richie Griffiths will run a new quiz;

Pam Watson will give a photo presentation of her visits to
gardens in Victoria and South Australia;

Monthly Bloom Competition is in full swing this month;

BONUS: Donation Prize camellia plant draw kindly provided
by Bill Parker of Parkers Camellias plus this month we have
an extra two 250mm/10” plants donated by Flora Nursery,
West Pymble.

Supper
NSW CAMELLIA RESEARCH SOCIETY INC
A.B.N. 16 873 158 367
COUNTRY CORNER….From David and Anne Maher, Tamworth .
Thank you for another informative issue of the Newsletter. We country
members do appreciate the connexion that it provides.
Reg. No. Y17693
Y17693--47
Patron
Her Excellency Marie Bashir AC CVO
President
Peter Levick
73 Roland Ave Wahroonga 2076
9489 4482
Email: peter.levick@bigpond.com
Vice President
Marion Moyes
3 Walpole Place Wahroonga 2076
9489 5363
Secretary
Rachel O’Conor
PO Box 9 Killara 2071
9498 2227
Email: oconor@tpg.com.au
Treasurer & Public Officer Peter Levick
Membership Secretary
Margaret Levick (as above)
Committee
Pam Watson (Past President)
9489 4482
9653 1036
12 Knights Road Galston 2159
Email: pamandalan@pacific.net.au
Dale Andrews
3 McKechnie St. Epping 2121
9876 3098
Email: dale.andrews@tpg.com.au
Richard Fischer
7/70 Albert St Hornsby 2077
9476 3141
Richie Griffiths
39 Hazelmead Road Asquith 2077
9476 6325
Diana Herrald
6 Lisgar Road Hornsby 2077
9482 4487
Juliet Muras
11 Ackling Road Baulkham Hills 2153
Newsletter Editor
9639 5445
Liz Navin
PO Box 2515 Bowral 2576
Email: eyeorre@bigpond.com
4871 1146
John Hadlow
17 Tudor Place St Ives Chase 2075
Email: johnhadlow1@hotmail.com
9449 8989
National Councillors
Rachel O’Conor & Marion Moyes
Email Address
nswcamellias@hotmail.com
Camellia sasanqua ‘Margaret Lyle’ is in full bloom and ‘Weroona’ has obliged
today with its first two flowers of the year. Other cultivars are in heavy bud and
will follow soon. As always, ‘Hiryu’ seems to top the bud count. We are
constantly reminding beginners of its worth in this climatic zone. ‘Exquisite’
and ‘Beatrice Emily’, in adjacent pots, took a battering from the intense heat in
mid-January but have recovered marvellously; only ‘Exquisite’, however, will
have a heavy flowering. Each received an application of 30 grams of potash at
the end of January. I wish space in our garden permitted more appropriate
sites for them as they are exposed to mid-afternoon summer sun.
All our Camellia japonicas have budded generously and were disbudded from
January onwards. Pleasingly, ‘Federation’ will flower this year after a no show
last year. ‘Swan Lake Monrovia’ will again produce the largest flowers but
‘Great Eastern’ will only be a short ahead astern. The latter looked a little tired
and depressed towards the end of summer so I poured 2 litres of Trace
Elements around its root system and then re-mulched with tea tree mulch. Its
improvement is striking. Whether the desirable outcome is the consequence of
the dose of Trace Elements or the application of 80 grams of Neutrog’s new
product, Kaloona, in late December, I do not know.
When a new admirer of Camellia japonicas asks me to recommend a Camellia
japonica as a starter my answer is always ‘Great Eastern’. It truly is one of the
doyens of the genus. ‘Grand Marshall’ was a new addition to our small
collection in August, 2012, and its first flowering in this environment is awaited
eagerly. We have seen it flowering magnificently in an Albury nursery.
Interestingly, ‘Black Tie’ which flowered so profusely in 2012, does not have a
single bud. This phenomenon seems to suggest that it expended all its
energies on flowering in 2012 and has decided to have a gap year. Perhaps
Peter Levick has an explanation for this undisciplined behaviour.
‘Cinnamon Cindy’ was languishing in autumn 2012 so I decided to take early
drastic and irregular action. It was lifted, root pruned heavily and stem pruned
on 26th May. This autumn it is healthy and loaded with buds. Normally, I
would have lifted and re-potted immediately after the completion of flowering.
I do not necessarily suggest that re-potting in May is an appropriately timed
practice.
(cont’d next page)
2
15
Bloom Competition results for April 2013... cont’d
NOVICE
C1
Sasanqua Single
C2
Sasanqua Doubles &
elegans Form
Coll.
C2 Sasanqua Any 3
Blooms Same
OPEN CHAMPION
1st
Plantation Pink
Juliet Muras
2nd
Wahroongah
Juliet Muras
3rd
Plantation Pink
Juliet Muras
1st
Shishigashira
Juliet Muras
2nd
Shishigashira
Juliet Muras
1st
Plantation Pink
Juliet Muras
2nd
Wahroongah
Juliet Muras
As I have been urging members to plant camellia seeds, I thought that I
should pass this on. A putative seedling of Mathotiana Supreme has grown
vigorously but until this season had not set buds. I was very interested to see
the first flower which came out during the week. Mathotiana Supreme is a red
irregular semi double that some observers might call informal double. My
seedling flower turned out to be red but there the resemblance ended, it had
only seven petals, what used to be referred to by society members as a LRS
(little red single or irreverently, little red stinker). During the same week I was
seeing advertisements for Lotto with $50,000,000 prize money; with one ticket
the chances of winning are very nearly the same as not having a ticket i.e.
almost none. Growing seeds is the same, to increase the chance of a good
outcome the number of seeds planted should be increased; another benefit of
an underperforming seedling is that it can be used as grafting understock to
produce a desirable known cultivar.
Plantation Pink from
Juliet Muras
AGGREGATE SCORES
OPEN
NOVICE
Peter & Margaret
Levick
23
Bill Fleming
14
Elizabeth Fuller
10
Dale Andrews
9
Juliet Muras
7
Pam Watson
6
John Hadlow
4
Juliet Muras
As I write this on the absolutely perfect day that was Anzac Day 2013 in
Sydney I am reminded of our early years in the society when members used
to gather for a picnic lunch on the lawn at Eryldene after the “march”. This
was a very enjoyable occasion as the sasanquas were in full flower with even
some of the japonicas out; this was another of the benefits of belonging to the
NSW Branch of the Australian Camellia Research Society as it then was.
At the recent committee meeting we were disappointed to be advised that the
cost of hiring the hall at Ravenswood for our July Show was to be more than
doubled. There was almost no support for the proposal that the show be
cancelled; this was suggested because of the difficulty we have in getting
members to staff the various operations necessary to run a successful show.
Therefore, when an appeal in June is made calling for volunteers to be
available for a few hours at least, please put your hand up. Our show is the
last one remaining in Sydney and it is our most important vehicle for
presenting camellias to the public. You can let Pam Watson know as soon as
you like, you do not have to wait to be asked.
NOVICE CHAMPION
Alexander Hunter from
Peter & Margaret Levick
From The President
39
Best of luck with your seedlings!
Peter Levick
14
3
2013 Camellia Calendar
Bloom Competition results for April 2013
May 2013
20th May
Monthly Meeting at which Pam Watson will give a photo
presentation of gardens she visited in Victoria and South
Australia
OPEN
C1
Sasanqua Single
June 2013
17th June
Monthly Meeting
C2
July 2013
13th & 14th July
Annual Camellia Show at Ravenswood Girls School,
Gordon, to be opened by Judy Horton, Yates gardening
expert and popular gardening presenter on Radio 2UE
15th July
Monthly Meeting
C3
Sasanqua Doubles &
Elegans form
Japonica Single
August 2012
4th August
Annual Gala Day at Lisgar Gardens
19th August
Monthly Meeting
29th August-1st
September
Camellias Australia Inc., Annual Congress at the Quest Knox
Apartments and Conference Centre, Wantirna (about 26kms
from Melbourne), near Dandenong Ranges. For Bookings
contact venue directly, and enquiries can be made to Jenny,
on 03 9801 6044;all enquiries and bookings should quote
Group Reservation No. 56657. See page 10 of Autumn edition
of Camellia News.
Monthly Meeting
21st - 22nd
September
The Society will have a display at the Mosman Home
Gardeners’ Society’s “First Flush of Spring” Floral Festival
celebrating its 70th Anniversary. The Festival venue is the
Mosman Art Gallery and is open to the public on Saturday
10am-5pm and Sunday from 10am-12 midday for a sale of
exhibits (Plants/paintings/flowers). For information go to
mosmanhomegardenerssociety.com.
21st October
Elizabeth Fuller
3rd Wahroongah
Elizabeth Fuller
1st
Early Pearly
Peter & Margaret Levick
2nd Paradise Rebecca
Peter & Margaret Levick
3rd Silver Dollar
Pam Watson
1st
Elizabeth Fuller
Kamo-honnami
2nd Tama-no-ura
Peter & Margaret Levick
3rd Kamo-honnami
Elizabeth Fuller
San Dimas
Bill Fleming
C5
Japonica Semi-double
110mm-+130mm
1st
Alexander Hunter
Peter & Margaret Levick
C6
Japonica Elegans form
+70mm-110mm
1st
Takanini
Bill Fleming
2nd Takanini
Bill Fleming
3rd Takanini
Bill Fleming
1st
Margaret Davis
Dale Andrews
C10 Japonica Formal Double 1st
Susie Fortson
Bill Fleming
C12 Miniatures, incl. Hybrids 1st
Otome-sazanka
John Hadlow
Japonica Informal
Double +70mm-110mm
Monthly Meeting
Coll. C2 Sasanqua 3 Blooms
4
2nd No Name
1st
C16 Clusters & SpraysSpecies & Hybrids
The NSW Camellia Research Society meets on the third Monday of
every month February to November inclusive at the Baptist Church
Hall, corner of Park Avenue and Garden Square, Gordon at 7.45pm
Juliet Muras
Japonica Semi-double
+70mm-110mm
C8
October 2013
Plantation Pink
C4
September 2013
16th September
1st
2nd Lipstick
Bill Fleming
3rd Otome-sazanka
John Hadlow
1st
Brevistyla Var.
Rose
Pam Watson
2nd Brevistyla Var.
Rose
Pam Watson
1st
Dale Andrews
Edna Butler
13
Next Monthly Meeting is on Monday 20th May 2013 at 7.45pm at
the Baptist Church Hall, Park Avenue, Gordon
Program
Bloom Competition results for MARCH 2013
As there was insufficient space in last month’s newsletter to detail the bloom
competition results for March I’m including them below:
OPEN
C1
C2
C3
Sasanqua Single
Sasanquas Doubles
& Elegans
Japonica Single
1st
Plantation Pink
Peter & Margaret Levick
2nd Kanjiro
Peter & Margaret Levick
3rd
Plantation Pink
Juliet Muras
1st
Beatrice Emily
Peter & Margaret Levick




2nd Shishigashira
Juliet Muras
3rd
Shishigashira
Juliet Muras

1st
Kamo-honnami
Elizabeth Fuller

NOVICE
C1
Sasanqua Single
1st
Plantation Pink
Juliet Muras
C2
Sasanquas Doubles
& Elegans
1st
Shishigashira
Juliet Muras
2nd Wahroongah
Juliet Muras
3rd
Wahroongah
Juliet Muras
1st
Waterlily
Juliet Muras
C14 Other Hybrids
OPEN CHAMPION
NOVICE CHAMPION
Beatrice Emily exhibited by
Peter & Margaret Levick
Shishigashira exhibited by
Juliet Muras

Opening remarks from President Peter Levick;
Richie Griffiths will run a new fun quiz;
The Monthly Bloom Competition for 2013 will be in full swing this month
so why not come along and try out your blooms against the regular
entrants - many newcomers have had great success in the past;
Pam Watson will show photos of parks and gardens in Victoria and
South Australia. Highlights include the National Rhododendron Garden
at Olinda, which will be visited during this year’s Camellias Australia
National Congress at Wantirna near the Dandenongs.
Richie Griffiths and Richard Fischer will answer any camellia-related
questions you may have;
BONUS Donations: In addition to our regular Donation Camellia Plant
from Bill Parker, Flora Nursery in West Pymble has kindly offered two
250mm/10”Camellia japonica plants. Tickets for the donation prizes are
still only $1 each or 3 for $2. Thanks to Bill Parker of Parker Camellias
(see advertisement on back page) and Flora Nursery for donating the
plants;
As usual, the evening ends with a friendly chat and a light supper; if you
are able to come please endeavour to bring along a plate of something
to share.
Notes on our 15th APRIL monthly meeting
Although we were missing some regular members at the meeting we were
delighted that Tracy and Rod Grono (who you might remember last year
walked away with the Champion Bloom of the Annual Show with Hagoromo)
attended the meeting having come all the way from Windsor!
Richie Griffiths was unable to attend the meeting and so his quiz was deferred
to the May meeting. President Peter Levick pointed out Margaret Levick’s floral
display on the information table which had blooms in it of Daikagura.
A highlight of the evening was Bill Fleming’s photo presentation and talk on
several gardens he visited in New Zealand in late last year. These included
gardens in Auckland (Savage, Eden and Auckland Domain) and gardens in
New Plymouth and Wellington. Many were spectacular for their ponds,
Japanese maples, mollis azaleas and rhododendrons.
12
Another highlight was the Donation Prize draw which included a reticulata
(Miss Rebecca) from Parkers Camellias and, as a bonus for those who were
able to attend the meeting five large, very healthy sasanqua plants donated by
Marian Grove. We are very grateful to Bill Parker and Justin O’Malley of
Marian Grove Nursery for their donation.
5
The importance of a balanced potting mix
Cultural notes for MAY 2013
With autumn’s cooler nights and the soil still warm (despite the aforementioned)
however more so the absence of extremes of temperature, now is the ideal time to
move or plant a Camellia.
So how does one move a Camellia? I'm not talking about from a pot to a pot or pot to
the ground, I am talking about in the ground to in the ground.
This can be a big job and if it is a case of move the Camellia or it will die, there isn’t
much to lose. If you have a large camellia that is small enough to move you have to
weigh up the pros and cons. Usually we are talking about a plant that is irreplaceable. If
it was it would cost $1000 for a new one still smaller. Then again it isn’t necessarily a
job light on the back and may result in many weekends helping friends move!
Anyway.......For example let's say we are moving a Camellia that is 2.5m (8.4'+) high
by 1.5m (5') diameter and that is thick, bushy, healthy and about 20 or more years old.
The species, cultivar or variety is irrelevant. Ideally a month or two before a spade is
lifted (maybe when a DA or Environmental impact statement is sought) the plant should
be inspected in terms of health and any nutritional problems, pests or diseases dealt
with. If any fertilizers are used they should be used sparingly and be low in nitrogen
(which will encourage unwanted foliage growth) in comparison to Phosphorus and
potassium (which promote health, Strength and root development.)
Ready?
A plant of the size we are moving will have a root system at least 50% wider than the
diameter of the foliage. A compromise has to be made as to how much root system and
soil (and plant) can be physically moved, given the equipment and help at hand.
Let's say we are taking a root ball 1.8m (6') diameter and 40cm(1'4") deep. Start by
digging a trench one third to one quarter of the way around the circumference of the
root system. The trench should be at least 40cm deep, its width is not important
however the width of your favourite sharpened square mouthed shovel will make life
easy (so will an excavator if you have hired one). Also push the shovel back in under
the root ball to start cutting the plant from the ground. The trench should be clear and
empty with cleanly cut roots lining the inside. Clean cuts are important to prevent
disease entry into the roots, just as is talked about for pruning otherwise.
It may not be only Camellia roots you are cutting, you may be pruning other plants
roots? The Eucalypt from next door? The Liquidamber from the street? (For this sort of
pruning in the ground I don’t like to use my ‘best’ tools and get them full of soil. Rather
buy cheap secateurs and depending how they go they can be almost treated as “single
use only”, for $5? If you find you have numerous 15-20cm+ thick roots in the ground
requiring good clean cuts I am sure you could probably get a cheap (under $100)
chainsaw for the job. How many Physio sessions will it save you and your back?)
Anyway, that’s all for now, be it May 1 or April 1, if you can move your
Camellia properly, all you have to do now is begin preparation on the new
planting hole.
(cont’d next page)
6
By Charles Cowell, Camellias Illawarra (taken from Camellia News of
Autumn 2008)
The question was posed to me “ Why do
some camellia plants transplant and
continue to grow better that others, leaving
aside that some varieties are more robust
than others?”
In my opinion it has to do with potting mix,
fertilizer, and watering at the nursery.
What is needed is a well-developed root
system and strong stem, a plant that is not
over fertilised and grown too quickly or half
-starved.
make the transition from pot to ground
easier.
The fertiliser we used was a mixture of
three to four month release chip and a
nine-month slow release plus blood and
bone: this was incorporated at the time of
mixing the components and used fairly
soon after. If this potting mix is left unused
for some time and moisture enters the mix,
the fertiliser can start to release and root
burn could occur if potting up struck
cuttings or young plants with little soil
around their roots.
The potting mix needs to have air space,
with large and small particles, and have
good drainage but still hold enough It is hard for me to say how much fertiliser
moisture and nutrient for the plant.
to add to the mix as it was some time ago
To do this we used aged pine park that and we mixed four Bobcat buckets at a
had been composted in big heaps for time in a rotary cement mixer.
some time and gone a dark colour. We
used to have Australian Native
Landscapes mix half of what they called
horticultural grade pine bark about the size
of a thumbnail and half called fines, the
small sawdust sized particles left after the
pine bark had been milled and graded into
the different sizes.
This mix of pine bark was then mixed with
boiler ash from a coal-fired boiler. This
also had medium to fine particle size that
did not break down over time, hard to
come by these days, at a rate of three
parts pine bark to one of boiler ash. This
gave us a nice open mix with air space
that drained well but still retained enough
moisture for the plants. The plant roots
were able to penetrate the mix easily and
when planted out in the ground were ready
to move into the surrounding soil. We
suggested mixing some potting mix with
your soil that you were planting into to
The four-month release fertiliser we used
was Plantosan N15, P 3.5, K 12.5 plus
trace elements and nine month release
Plantcote N14, P 3.9, K 12.4 also with
trace elements made by a German
company. We used these fertilisers
because we found them to be stable in the
amount of release over time. Some other
brands were not as stable at the time we
started using slow release fertiliser, but
now there are many more brands to
choose from.
With watering, a small amount often is the
best. The commercial lettuce growers that
were near us at Theresa park have found
that by not saturating soil it stays aerated
and the roots are much more vigorous in
searching for food and moisture.
In writing this article it has shown me just
how much one can forget. It is coming up
to seven years since we sold our nursery.
11
Six to Eight weeks later it is time to take the next step. Dig the next quarter or
third of the trench. You may need to put some stakes in and gently stabilise
the tree as half to two thirds of the plants roots are no longer doing so. Also
despite being the middle of winter or so now is the time to start keeping a
closer eye on the plant in question. Watch for any signs of the plant drying out
and work out an appropriate watering regime. Winter can be cold and damp or
windy and dry and overwatering is as bad as the opposite.
Repeat the previous step if you are trenching in quarters.
Rest up, the real work is coming.
Now at the end of winter/beginning of spring is the time to take the final cut .In
the lead up control of the watering is crucial. You want to keep the root system
moist enough to support the foliage yet at the same time too much water can
mean at least one hundred extra kilos in weight depending on the soil. Make
sure you have everything you need lined up, whatever that may entail. If you’re
moving the Camellia from one part of the garden to another then lunch, beer
and whisky may be needed for all the helpers. If your Camellia is going from
one part of the city to the other, a ute or small enclosed truck hired is much
more appropriate than having all this work strapped on the roof rack of a 3
door hatchback. As much of the original soil should be left behind as possible.
The roots however must be wrapped in moist hessian or similar for protection.
When you unwrap the root ball just before final placement check all the roots
to ensure nice clean cuts as they invariably can be damaged in the move. You
should already be seeing delicate white fine feeder roots emerging from larger
roots that were cut first three or so months ago.
When your ‘new’ Camellia is in its new position the root ball must be tamped
down to ensure perfect contact between the soil and roots. Again appropriately
stake and tie the plant to keep it stable. The first watering can not be thorough
enough (don’t forget the mulch). Only now at your Camellia’s final position
should you prune any dead or damaged branches. This pruning of the foliage
will help to compensate for the damage to the root system. The soil you have
prepared should be nutritious enough to not require any feeding until the
following autumn.
In the days, weeks and months after the transplant watering is again most
important. If foliage starts to die off/burn, prune it back to healthy green growth
and re-evaluate your watering regime. Foliage burning off is usually caused by
too much foliage on the plant for the roots to support. Some Seaweed base
plant tonic never goes astray and ‘Plantstarter’ is good for root growth.
At our May meeting we will have another two extra raffle prizes. Both
250mm/10’ Camellia japonicas. One a great old Australian-bred cultivar, the
other is one of my favourite bicoloured formal doubles kindly donated by Flora
Nursery 3 Loftberg Road Pymble (9498 7878). You will have to be at the
meeting to find out what they are though!
10
Richard Fischer
7
Photos from April’s Monthly Meeting and some Editor’s Picks at this
time of Year
Air Layering Camellias (with thanks to The Southeastern Camellia Society
of USA for article on Page 10 and these photographs).
Open Champion: Alexander Hunter from
Peter & Margaret Levick
Exhibits in New Seedlings Class
Novice Champion: Plantation Pink from
Juliet Muras
Shishigashira
Mikuniko
Tama-no-ura
8
9