Yellow Spots on Camelia Bush
- Symptoms appear with any new growth on the plant. Typically, leaves are mottled, which means they are splotched with yellow. The splotches will vary in size and may more closely resemble flecks than splotches. Symptoms may only appear on a few branches, while the rest of the shrub appears relatively unaffected. The green of the foliage remains vibrant and bright. Vigor may slightly decline, and flowers may suffer some discoloration but aren't typically affected.
- There is no way to cure this disease, but there are ways to manage it. The best way is to prune out affected branches. Use sharp pruning shears and sterilize shears between cuts to minimize risk of transmitting the virus to other parts of the plant. Use a 10-percent bleach solution or dip shears in isopropyl alcohol to keep them clean.
- Growing healthy camellia bushes will help to minimize symptoms. Camellias prefer a slightly acidic soil, so it wouldn't hurt to have the soil tested to determine what improvements could be made, if any, to the soil of infected plants. Water is important to camellias, especially to those in warmer climates that can't rely strictly on rainfall. Provide supplemental irrigation with a drip system or soaker hose if rainfall is scarce. Mulch the soil around the camellia to conserve soil moisture.
- Viruses are typically transmitted to other plants with the help of disease vectors. An example of a vector would be an aphid, which feeds on many plants and is capable of transmitting diseases from one plant to another as it feeds. There are no known vectors of camellia yellow mottle virus, and the virus is not transmissible to other plants in the garden.