Advice for fungus

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fertilizer with micro nutrients should be used.

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thank you, i have this same issue on one of mine, slowly losing him.

Can you recommend a brand?

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There is also Lichen on the trunk. Lichen is an algae and a fungus not practicing social distancing. It is usually a sign that the plant is missing certain nutrients so fertilizer with micro nutrients should be used.

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The heavy growth lichen on the camellia does indicate an issue with the plant, ranging from excessive water (camellias like azalea do not like wet feet otherwise can can suffer from root rot), soil pH that is too basic - camellia require an acidic soil (pH 5 - 5.5) to thrive, too high of a pH can deprive the plant of micro-nutrients even if they are present in the soil, and perhaps a disease/fungal issue, and perhaps all 3.

Does the landscape drain well? The bush requires only the equivalent of 1 inch of water a week, includes any contribution from rain. One good soaking weekly in the absence of rain should be sufficient. You can kill a plant like a camellia or azalea as quickly from too much water than lack of water.

If you don’t have a soil pH analysis of that bed you should have one done (unfortunately the LSU Ag Center soil testing lab is not operating for the time being). You can apply some elemental sulfur around the plant if you think your soil pH is to high - but that will take several months to work. In fact I bought a 50 lb bag of sulfur a week or so to spread around azaleas and camellias I have in landscape beds where I know soil pH is around 7ish. You could add alum (aluminum sulfate) or iron sulfate to quickly lower the soil pH but I hate to recommend that in the absence of a soil pH analysis, but you can certainly do that if by chance you have a lawn pH measurement which shows the soil is basic.

And with regards to the micro-nutrients as ronk suggested, you could purchase an azalea and camellia formulated fertilizer (Fertilome has one, but there are other brands) and they will have micronutrients incorporated into the fertilizer.

Probably some of branches that have no leaves are probably dead - you know how to check? Scrape the bark back a little and look for green cambium layer underneath the bark, if it is brown under the bark the branch is dead so go ahead and remove it. Remove branches/twigs growing into the interior of the plant, whether they are dead or not. Open it up to allow for good air circulation and light penetration into the interior.

Then wait, and give it time where it hopefully recovers. As you know camellias grow slow so you are not going see quick results.

Yes thank you. That area drains fine though it was probsbly overwatered last summer. I will look into those fertilizers for sure. Do I apply fungicide to the leaves or roots?

It probably gets just over 8 hours of sun. I just spread Lesco 14-14-14 on it and some dwarf azaleas in my beds. Hopefully that helps.

you have to send off for a soul test kit but the Ag center processes the kit. It’s on their website I’m pretty sure

If you’ve not been to the Hammond station it’s worth a visit (non COVID). It’s on old Covington just south of 190. My house is about a 1/4 mile from there so you can drop off beer on your way

You need to check the underside of the leaf. It looks like it has a scale infestation that would cause the sasanqua to slowly decline in health. It can cause stem dieback and eventually affect the health of the whole plant

I will check tomorrow. Can you recommend a specific insecticide if that is the case? Y’all are a wealth of knowledge. Thanks!

I like to use a systemic insecticide for activities where if is difficult to spray, particularly the undersides of leaves. I personally use imidachloprid, b/c I can use on it on multiple trees and shrubs as a soil drench. This is what I’m currently using LINK. A little goes a long way. A bottle like this can easily last a few years. Read the label, on soil drench for trees and shrubs. I think I ordered it on Amazon, couple years ago, still have plenty left.

Couple brief articles on scale and options for treatment.
LINK
LINK

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Craw, I saw a soil ph test kit at Lowe’s the other day. Are they pretty accurate?

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Was it this one LINK? I have far more confidence in the reliability of wet chemistry kit such as this kit than the inexpensive pH probes that stick in the ground. The pH measurement with the kit should be fairly accurate, within a 0.5 pH unit and that’s close enough in the absence of no data at all.

For $11 sure I’d buy one and use it - but just for the soil pH measurement - not so much for the N, P, and K analysis. Then when the LSU AgCenter soil testing lab re-opens for business you can have them to conduct a more accurate and detailed soil fertility analysis for about the same cost.