How to Prune a White Camellia Flower

White camellias appeal to many gardeners with their showy blossoms, evergreen foliage and low-maintenance care requirements. While they require little special care, older white camellias benefit from occasional light pruning to correct the leggy, less vigorous appearance they develop with age. White camellias respond to pruning very well and will quickly put on healthy new growth, but it is best to use clean, very sharp shears to keep the shrub from contracting a devastating fungal infection such as camellia canker.

Pruning shears
Rubbing alcohol
String
Acidic fertilizer

Instructions

- 1
  Sanitize the blades of your garden shears before using them on your white camellia. Hold the blades in pure rubbing alcohol for 10 to 15 seconds. Let the blades dry completely before using the shears.
- 2
  Inspect each branch of the white camellia to locate the growth scar, which is where the new growth merges into the older growth. Look for a thick, brownish portion of the stem with highly textured bark. Tie a piece of string around the growth scar to use as a guide while pruning.
- 3
  Cut back each stem at the growth scar. Make the cut straight across through the center of the scar to promote branching, which will give the white camellia a fuller, bushier appearance. Perform this type of pruning anytime after the shrub finishes blooming for the year.
- 4
  Remove crossed, tangled or damaged branches to improve air circulation within the crown of the white camellia. Snip off each branch at its point of origin. Make the cut flush with the branch it emerges from. Perform this type of pruning as needed throughout the year.
- 5
  Feed the white camellia shrub with acidic fertilizer after pruning it. Apply the fertilizer according to the manufacturer's directions and water the plant thoroughly afterward. Do not apply fertilizer to white camellias more than once a month.

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