Blooms falling off camellias

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Q: Three years ago I bought two healthy Camellia plants and planted them in my front yard(facing north) they didn’t do very well,so in the fall I moved them to the back yard (facing south) last year. They have been in place for over a year now and still look sad, only a few blooms which fall off if you look at them, the leaves are more yellow than green and they are in earth that has been fortified with lots of peat moss.

Camellia tend to have shallow root systems, so make sure plants are not planted too deep, or excessively mulched. It shouldn’t be anymore than 5 cm (2 in) thick. For container plants ensure the root ball is not too root bound or repotted too deep. If plants are too root bound, just slightly score the root ball.

Too much shade (such as on the north side of a building) could reduce the quantity of blooms. On the other hand, too much sun, (e.g. On the south side of a house) could cause premature yellowing of leaves. Dappled or partial shade with morning to mid-day sun, and shading from the hot afternoon
heat would be ideal.

Plants require consistent moisture to develop and retain flower buds. Watch out for building overhang or “rain shadow” from trees which could give you a false impression that the plant is getting water from rainfall when in fact it is not.