During the camellia bloom time this winter, you may have seen some camellias that you really liked. Many of the older varieties that you see in yards in Smith County are not available in area nurseries, but all is not lost. You can approach the owner of the camellia that you admire and request permission to do an air layering so that you can have a plant just like it.
Depending on the winter, late March or early April is the ideal time for air layering. This year, I think early April will be the ideal time.
You will need to obtain some sphagnum (pronounced /sfagnum/) moss from a nursery and soak overnight a quantity large enough to make a large handful of wet moss.
Select a woody stem of the camellia that you wish to propagate. I usually select one that is 12" to 16" long. Using a sharp knife, cut a ring around the stem in two places approximately one inch apart, being sure to cut through the cambium layer. Then strip off all the bark and cambium down to the woody stem in that one-inch space.
Sprinkle some rooting powder on the open cut.
Next, squeeze as much excess moisture as you can from a large handful of sphagnum moss. I have found that this is a key to success. Use moist moss but not drippy moss. The first time I tried this method, I air layered 21 plants and was successful with 18. The 3 that didn't take were still too wet when I opened them up five months later.
Place the moist moss around the stem at the point of injury and wrap plastic wrap around it, totally enveloping the handful of moss. Then wrap electrician's tape around the top and bottom to seal the openings. Then wrap aluminum foil around the entire mass, giving the appearance of a baked potato, and seal it off also. The foil prevents the sun from damaging the roots as they develop.
Next comes the waiting time. By the end of August to mid-September, you should have a new plant. You can determine whether it has rooted by feeling the "baked potato" at that time. If it is firm, then you probably have roots.
At this time, you can "harvest" your new plant by severing it from the mother plant just below the "baked potato" and peeling off the foil and plastic wrap. Now loosen up the mass of roots and plant your new camellia in a pot containing a mixture of about 70% pine bark mulch and 30% builder's sand.
Be sure to keep it moist, especially during its first year. I lost a lot of plants by not giving them sufficient water.
Don Gill, Smith County Master Gardener
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