Camellia Sasanqua Northern Lights Buds Not Fully Opening

Question

Hi. We recently tore up our lawn and landscaped our whole front yard. We planted loads of camellias, mainly Northern Lights, and they were loaded with buds. The buds are just now starting to open, but they do not seem to ever fully open. They do partially open, but never fully open up flat. Thanks

Answer 1

This could indicate that either the plant is not getting enough water or that the plants have thrips. Treat the plants with a pesticide (organic or chemical) and make sure the plants are getting the proper amount of water.

As these are relatively new plantings, I would guess that the issue is the water. It can take shrubs up to 6 months to establish themselves in a new location and, until they are established, they need additional water.