Advice for gardening idiot!

[Rachel2796]

We have recently moved into a new house with quite a large garden - mostly laid to lawn but with beds along the fence line.

There is quite a large Camellia in the garden which is already in flower but last week the leaves were looking a bit yellow and some of the flowers had fallen off so I fed it with some miracle grow feed.

Now it is looking much worse! Most of the leaves are yellow now and some are falling off with most of the blooms and it is generally drooping... have I killed it?!

Should I feed it again or leave it alone?

Any advice welcome!

Camelias like vvv acid soil, you need to use an ericaceous (acid) plant food. I am not 100% sure but i think from memory miracle grow is not an acidic food.

Personally I would double check the packaging and if necessary go buy the right one... quickly!!

Good Luck.

This might help!

www.rhs.org.uk/advice/camellias/camellia.asp

I've checked the box and it was an ericaceous plant food and even says especially for Camelia's on the box...

ooh err??? Then don't know why its got sicker! Personally i'd feed it again I think.

Yellowing leaves can be a sign of iron deficiency. Advice from a camellia nursery here.

Ok I am going to feed it again and hope the rain today will help bring it back to life.

God help me when I start on the rest of the garden.

It would seem that my fingers are definately not "green"!!!

Rachel, Here is some of the advice from that link from MadBad... you may have checked all the other things, like water, soil type etc but just in case you haven't you should do so before feeding again as that may do more harm than good.

Why are the leaves of my Camellia turning yellow?
There are a number of possible reasons. The plant may just have used up all the available nutrients in the soil in which case it needs feeding.

Otherwise it may be that the roots have been standing in water (particularly if a poorly-drained container has become waterlogged over winter) causing them to rot. Improve the drainage (e.g. by lifting the pot off the ground) and let the plant recover.

It is also possible that your soil is too alkaline for good Camellia growth and that the plant is suffering from iron deficiency. This may be alleviated by treating with a feed containing sequestered iron, and by mulching the plant with a suitable acid material such as peat or composted bracken or pine needles.

Don?t forget that all evergreens naturally lose some leaves in the spring, and that Camellias grown in full sun may have paler leaves than those in partial shade.

My Camellia is looking sad and dropping some leaves. Should I feed it?
Definitely not! - would you give someone in bed with the ?flu a slap-up meal? First find out what is wrong, and get the plant back on the road to recovery before feeding again.

But, please just ignore me if you've already done this!

Thank you PistachioLemon.. Yes I did read that but -

-can't have been standing in water as only just stared raining here after quite a dry spell
-soil must be ok for it to get to the size it is lol ( huge) plus another one a few plants up seems to be ok (but much smaller)
-seems more serious than just normal leaf loss

So am left with feeding again - maybe I didnt give it enough the first time...

Ah, ok. I'm not sure what to suggest then. Maybe you could try calling the Camellia nursery and ask their advice?