How to propagate camellias
The best way to propagate camellias is by taking semi-ripe cuttings from the plant in summer. Healthy stems of new growth are selected, with a firm and woody base, but a soft tip. The cutting should be trimmed to 6in (15cm) long, making a cut just below a leaf joint at the bottom of the cutting. The lowest pair of leaves is removed and the shoot tip trimmed away if it is very soft, otherwise it is likely to wilt. The cuttings are then inserted into 4in (10cm) wide pots filled with gritty compost that has been firmed down well. They should be watered until puddles start to form on the compost, then the pot and cuttings covered with a clear plastic bag secured to the rim with an elastic band. They should be kept on a well-lit windowsill out of direct sunlight in the house. The compost needs to be kept damp, but condensation build-ups should be removed from inside the bag to prevent it becoming saturated. The cuttings should root in a few weeks, and giving them a gentle tug will help determine this. At this stage, they can be teased out with a dibber and transferred into 3in (8cm) pots of multi-purpose compost, which should then be given a good soaking. They can now be moved outside. The plants should be moved to a slightly wider pot when the roots have filled the one they are in.