Hi,
I bought a container-Camelia about 3 weeks ago from my local garden center. It had been pruned to a topiary type shape (tall trunk, big ball of foliage), and was absolutely covered with buds when I bought it. When I got it home and onto my balcony (sunny, but sometimes a bit windy), within a few days all the buds started turning brown and falling off. Now there are no buds left and even the leaves are starting to turn brown or yellowish brown.
Possible problems I think it could be:
1. chilly nights outside at the garden ctr "burned" the buds
2. the plant was raised down in Sicilia, then shipped up here to northern Italy (Alto Adige) where I bought it - maybe it wasn't used to the colder weather.
3. My balcony can get a bit of wind in the late afternoons - is the Camelia sensitive to drafty, windy conditions?
4. maybe they over-fertilized the plant - encouraged all those blooms to get the plant sold, then the plant was exhausted?
Does anyone know how I can save it before it gets worse? Should I bring it inside? Also, it's in a huge terra cotta pot that has no drainage. Should I have drainage holes cut into the bottom of the pot? Is that even possible, or would it crack the whole pot?
Help!
Thanks, Lesley
ps- I took picture of the leaves so I could show someone.
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