In this video Sam Youd, head gardener of the world famous Tatton Gardens shows you how to propagate a camellia from a cutting.
It’s really easy to do and obviously the cost of propagating a camellia from a cutting is a lot less than buying a new plant from the garden centre where you can pay anything up to £20.00 for a plant. All you need is a little patience whilst the cutting strikes (grows)
Leaf Bud Cutting for Propagating Camellia
Sam also demonstrates propagating camellias from a leaf bud cutting. This is not suitable for many plants but works well with camellias.
Other Methods of Propagating Camellia
You can propagate camellia by layering or from seed but they rarely stay true to type.
Really helpful. Thank you
Good, clear, concise commentary and easy to follow instructions. I would have liked to see it with the pot so that I could judge the size but I look forward to trying this out. Many thanks.
Very informative … as far as it goes but what on earth do I do with the cuttings? Do I use rooting hormone? What compost is best? How deep do I plant the cuttings? Do I water them in? Where’s the best place to keep them assuming I haven’t a greenhouse? So many questions remain unanswered.
@John Salkeld: Sam does mention using rooting hormone and says to root in the normal way. Normally you would use a light compost, a multi-purpose with 10% vermiculite normally does well for me but for a camellia I think an ericaceous compost would be better . Plant around an inch or two deep so the cutting is stable and make sure the compost is damp. A plastic bag over the pot is a good idea to retain moisture.
A greenhouse probably isn’t the best place as cuttings can easily scorch and overheat. A windowsill indoors (north facing is fine) works well for me.
Judging by the prices of Camellia you could save a fortune!
I found this link ealy in the month, the day I moved a potbound camellia out to the deck – the squirrels got hold of it and made many cuttings for me – so I tried planting 3. I put them on a tray with a clear plastic box over them (making a little greenhouse); however I checked them yesterday and they all had mold on the soil Should I have sterilized the potting mix? Should I not have used the box? He doesn’t mention anything other than popping them in a pot. The soil I used was a mix of white builder’s sand in a bag and potting soil with extra perlite. I’m determined to get a start from this plant as my dad started it from a cutting 50 yrs ago.
@Carol Yonov: I’d give it chance, may work yet. If not, try again with a mix of ericaceous compost & perlite. Forget the sand. The box should be OK.
I am somewhat old and decrepit, so finding this information late in my dotage is fantastic.
Thanks very much to Sam Youd, this information will hopefully allay all my worries as I have to move a very large red camelia of my late mother’s.