h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Last August I moved into a cottage in Cornwall. It faces north and in the middle of the front garden is a camelia, which is almost like a small tree rather than a bush. It flowered very early - January but not very well and now it's looking a bit sad. Quite a lot of the leaves have gone yellow. I just looked at the picture of the cottage from the Agent's details this time last year, before I moved in, and it was in full flower then and looking quite healthy. Does anyone have any suggestions as to why it's not doing very well? I haven't touched it since we moved in.

Thanks in advance.

Yep, i can help

Your Camelia needs feeding. Get some sequestered iron sachets from any garden centre, mix it with water and apply it to the base of your Camelia. As it is clearly suffering from Chlorosis i would suggest giving it anotehr sachet a month later. Your Camelia leaves will soon turn a lovely dark green again. Feed it with the sequestered iron sachet once a year after that and your Camelia will flourish. Hope that helps

They love acid soil too, and is sounds like they haven't got it. Don't add lime to the soil, whatever you do! If you aren't fussy about using chemicals you can add ammonium sulfate to the soil, to make it more acidic. You might get it in a garden centre.

Alternatively, you could piddle round the camellia from time to time. (That's not a joke Urea helps to lower the pH.)

So, now we know how KB deals with his acid loving plants not to be recomended if you are overlooked by neighbours

Well, I've heard Alan Titchmarsh going on about widdling on his compost heap after all!

Or manure would work. I did a pH test on some soil after manure was added, and it was definitely well on the acid side.

If you have a dog you can bury the mess under it as well - that's acidic. Not sure how often to do that though - might be worth getting a ph kit to check every now and then so you don't overdo it.