How to save Camellia with brown limp leaves?

[DIYKeith]

  

Hi Bunnings collective, wondering if anyone can tell me how I might be able to save this unhealthy Camellia? In a long row of them all others are thriving; this is the only one that has brown limp leaves and appears to be dying. Can’t see any visible pest. One suspect is my dog may have been peeing on it, but not sure that’s a cause. Watered it the other day with seasol hoping that may help, but advice is welcome! Thanks 

[EricL]

Hello @DIYKeith 

I noticed on your second photo that one of the leaves has a whitish hue on it. Would it be possible for you to post a closer photo of that leaf. Can you please also check if the leaf has a dusty surface. Is the bottom of the plant wet and soggy? Are the other plant bases dry and free of debris? Does this Camellia get adequate sunlight?

Any other information you can share about your Camellia would be very much appreciated. It will help us diagnose what's affecting it.

Eric

[DIYKeith]

Thanks Eric, no difference from the other plant bases that I can tell and no dust on leaves. The soil is moist but not soggy at the depth I dug (first bit of roots) same as others, and no debris. Tried adding some seasol soil recently. Same amount of sunlight too. Have posted another photo of that leaf along with others. Last photo is of other plant just a few down. Few spots starting to emerge on otherwise healthy plant, not sure if that’s the start of what we is affecting this one?? Thanks! 

 

 

healthy neighbor plant but showing some spots which has me concerned 

 

 

 

[EricL]

Hello @DIYKeith 

My guess is that it might be a canker or die back that is infesting your Camellia. Cutting off the infected portion is one way to treat it and spraying it with a copper fungicide will help reduce further spread. 

Let me call on our experienced members @Noelle, @mich1972 and @HitOrMiss for their opinion.

If you need further assistance, please let me know.

Eric

[Noelle]

Hi @DIYKeith 

Leaf spots in the last photo above looks to me like either burning of some sort (reflected heat/sun from the colorbond fence?) or moisture stress - too much or too little. Camellias have fairly shallow fibrous root systems and they do not like 'wet feet'. While they delight in regular watering, the drainage must be good or they will let you know about it in no uncertain terms!

I don't think it is disease or nutrition related - camellias are reasonably disease-free provided their graft union is kept clear of the soil (if they are grafted) - most are cuttings these days. They are not generally affected by fungal issues although viruses may occur - but they don't produce symptoms like those on your plants.

I'd be looking more deeply into growing conditions and soil moisture retention as potential causes.

[HitOrMiss]

kind of reminds me of sunburn a bit, are they new plants ? if so are they receiving more sun than wherever you got them from ?

i cant zoom in and i am color blind, what color is the dark ring around the die back on the leaves ? is it purple ?
does the dieback have spots on it? it looks like some may but i cant tell 100%.
if the answer to both is yes, it could possibly be phyllosticta which can look like sunburn. if it is this, treat it like a blight, remove and discard the leaves, and spray a fungicide that helps prevent blight, copper if you want something considered organic, if you are not worried about that try mancozeb.

it may be canker and dieback, you likely wont really know if it is this until too late unless you cut an affected branch somewhere to see if it is dying inside, consider the most heavily affected branch to check.

wish i just knew what it was, but i can only guess, do you think you could get closer photos of the damage itself from a few different parts of the plant ?