Camellia I collected

[StPaddy]

Dug this camellia from a job site that was redoing their landscaping last summer on a whim. Didn’t think it would make it. Anyhow left a lot of the old garden soil around the roots and planted in kanuma…wondering if I should pull it and get the old soil out. It’s growing and the soil drain well around the edges of the pot but the middle water moves slower due to the oid compacted soil…I’m in in Southern California by the coast.

 

[Shibui]

I routinely remove garden soil BEFORE potting up because of the problems you have found but now is NOT a good time to redo. New roots will have started and they are extremely fragile. The tree may survive growing a second set of roots but may decide to give up. Better to manage watering to cater for the problems this year and do the clean out and repot next winter/spring when roots have recovered.

 

[StPaddy]

I routinely remove garden soil BEFORE potting up because of the problems you have found but now is NOT a good time to redo. New roots will have started and they are extremely fragile. The tree may survive growing a second set of roots but may decide to give up. Better to manage watering to cater for the problems this year and do the clean out and repot next winter/spring when roots have recovered.

Well that’s one mistake I won’t have to repeat. Will wait till January February again. Thanks for the reply sir.