Rules for growing and caring for rhododendron at home

Rhododendron, or azalea, can be easily grown at home. This exotic indoor plant thrives in a room with cool air. Azaleas need regular watering and fertilizing and love acidic soil. If the room is too hot and dry, it quickly drops its leaves. With proper care, azaleas remain permanently green and bloom every year.

Kinds

Rhododendron is a flowering plant from the Ericaceae family. The name translated from Latin means rose tree. Rhododendrons also include indoor azaleas. Although in fact, Azalea is a type of rhododendron. From a distance, the flowers of this plant resemble large roses.

There are about 600 species of rhododendrons. It is an evergreen or deciduous (semi-deciduous) shrub or tree. The plant can be tall, low, with erect stems or ampelous shoots.

This plant has large, bright flowers, collected in lush inflorescences of 3-20 pieces each. The petals are colored purple, orange, red, pinkish, and white. Rhododendron growing in the garden blooms in the spring and blooms for 2-4 weeks. During flowering, the plant emits a delicate aroma, although the tree itself is poisonous. It is long-lived and can grow up to 50 years.

Big

Evergreen trees. They can grow up to 10 meters in height. The leaves are thin, oblong, dark green, shiny. The length of the leaf is 30 centimeters.The flowers are large, pink or snow-white, bell-shaped, collected in inflorescences of 12-29 pieces.

Griffitsa

An evergreen shrub with straight branches, growing up to 1.4-3.5 meters. It has oblong, dull green above and yellow-green below, bare leaves (up to 30 centimeters long). White or slightly pinkish flowers are collected in huge loose inflorescences (each with 3-9 flowers). The plant tolerates cool winters of southern latitudes well.

Gukkera

The plant is named after the English botanist Hooker, who first described rhododendrons in detail. This is an evergreen shrub (up to 2.9 meters in height), with oblong leaves and large poisonous pink flowers. The flowers have the shape of bells, they are collected in inflorescences of 4-6 pieces each.

Decorative

Tall, evergreen shrub. It has oblong, dark green, smooth leaves up to 22 centimeters long. Loose and lush inflorescences consist of 8-10 snow-white or pinkish flowers. Flowering - from spring to mid-summer.

Pointed

Huge shrubs growing up to 2.9 meters in height. Young stems are pubescent. This plant has small (up to 6 centimeters) greenish leaves with a sharp tip. The flowers are large, snow-white, with five petals.

Indian

Lush shrub growing up to 2 meters in height. The leaves are oblong, shiny, green. They reach a length of 4 centimeters. The flowers are huge and look like lilies. The color of the petals is soft lilac or pastel red.

Ketevbeysky

This rhododendron is also called Katevbinsky. This is an evergreen, voluminous-looking shrub. The crown is wide, resembling a huge ellipse. It blooms for almost a whole month (May-June). The flowers are pale lilac or red-violet, collected in inflorescences of 14-20 pieces each.Winter-hardy and shade-tolerant plant.

Beautiful

Evergreen three-meter shrub. The leaves are medium-sized, green, shiny, oblong, with a pointed tip. The flowers are collected in lush inflorescences, soft pink or white, with specks on one of the petals. They look like orchids.

Cigliform

A tall shrub that sheds its leaves. Blooms in early summer. The leaves are small (8 centimeters long), greenish, oblong, similar to cherry leaves. The flowers are coral or orange in color, with wavy edges, collected in inflorescences.

Pontic

Evergreen three-meter shrub. The leaves are elongated, with a sharp tip, dark green, smooth. The flowers are collected in lush spherical inflorescences. May be lilac or pale pink. They emit a pleasant aroma.

Simsa

Tall shrubs that do not shed leaves. The leaves are smooth, shiny, greenish, oblong, with a pointed tip. The flowers are large, lily-like. The petals can have a coral, pinkish, lilac, or red color. Flowers can be simple or double.

Blunt

Meter or two meter bushes with evergreen foliage. The plant has green, oblong, pointed upward leaves. Flowers are collected in lush inflorescences. The petals can be soft purple or deep pink.

Japanese

Deciduous shrub. The crown is highly branched and wide. The shrub can grow up to 2 meters in length. The leaves are oblong, thin, green in summer, and glow with orange-purple colors in autumn. The flowers are bell-shaped, large (8 centimeters in diameter), orange-red, collected in inflorescences of 6-12 pieces. Flowers appear with the first leaves blooming. The bush blooms for about one month.From a distance, a flowering bush resembles a blazing fire.

Varieties for home cultivation

Dwarf, compact shrubs, 15-40 centimeters tall, are grown in the apartment. There are standard azaleas on sale. They have a long straight leg and a lush, green crown strewn with bright flowers. Buy indoor dwarf rhododendrons during the flowering period (from December to April). Azaleas are given as gifts for Christmas, birthdays or Easter.

Snowflake

Azalea with delicate snow-white (pink in the middle) large flowers collected in lush inflorescences. The bush is low, with a spreading crown. The leaves are small, oblong.

Albert-Elizabeth

A plant with large double flowers. The flowers are soft pink or snow-white, with a bright border along the edges of the petals. They look like carnations. Flowering is abundant, from December to April.

Celestina

A late-blooming azalea with lush inflorescences of coral-colored flowers and small oblong leaves. The top of the bush is abundantly covered with flowers, due to which the leaves are almost invisible.

Starfish

Compact bush with small dark green leaves. The flowers are white, with crimson specks on one of the petals.

Melina

Dwarf low-growing shrub. The flowers are crimson in color, collected in lush inflorescences.

Madame Joly

A low, compact bush with flowers resembling lilies, collected in inflorescences. The color of the flowers is soft pink.

Czardas

The bush blooms in April. It has a creamy color, double, fragrant flowers.

Satan

Tall spreading shrub. Blooms profusely. The flowers are fiery red, with wavy edges of the petals.

Warbler

A low bush with a lush crown. The flowers are snow-white, collected in inflorescences.

Golden lights

Medium height bush.Blooms profusely with golden yellow flowers.

Azure

Strongly branched and low-growing bush. The flowers are purple, collected in lush inflorescences.

Koichiro Wada

Low, abundantly flowering bush. The flowers are snow-white, with crimson specks on one of the petals. They look like orchids.

Features of growing in an apartment

Small dwarf bushes are kept in the house. This is a luxurious plant that delights with lush fresh flowers during the cold winter season or early spring. Azaleas flowers come in various shades, simple and double, fringed and corrugated.

In eastern countries, a bonsai is formed from a small flowering bush. Azaleas are often given as gifts when they bloom. When purchasing, pay attention to unopened buds.

Once in a warm apartment, very soon this plant crumbles. Indoor conditions are not suitable for azaleas. After all, from November to March they prefer low temperatures (8-11 degrees Celsius) and high humidity. In a dry and hot room, azaleas quickly die. True, in greenhouses or in conditions suitable for them they can live for a long time and bloom the next season.

The plant blooms from December to April. Prefers bright but diffused light. In summer and spring, the air temperature should be 15-18 degrees. During the autumn-winter dormant period, the temperature is lowered and watering is reduced. Azaleas are watered regularly. Make sure the soil is constantly moist.

During flowering, azalea needs abundant watering. It is advisable to spray the plant once a day; in hot weather this procedure is carried out three times. Growing and caring for azaleas is not difficult. The main thing is to ensure normal temperature conditions and regular watering.

Landing location in the apartment

Azalea looks great in a single exposure.In the apartment it can be placed near other indoor ornamental plants. Azalea prefers not too high temperatures and high humidity. Under no circumstances should a pot with an azalea be placed on a windowsill, near a radiator.

Lighting

It is advisable to place the azalea pot away from direct sunlight. The plant grows well in partial shade. Azalea requires diffused bright light.

Temperature

From late autumn to early spring, it is advisable to provide the plant with a temperature of 9-11 degrees Celsius. In summer, the azalea can be taken out into the garden or onto the terrace. True, rhododendron should always be in partial shade.

Humidity

This is a moisture-loving plant. The soil in the pot should be constantly moist. The azalea is regularly watered and the leaves are irrigated with water.

How to choose soil

For rhododendrons, it is best to buy a ready-made substrate: for azaleas or heathers.

The soil mixture must be slightly acidic and must contain coniferous soil, peat, sand, and nutritional supplements.

1. Option one. It is better for beginning gardeners to buy ready-made soil mixture. The soil for azaleas should contain peat, sand, drainage, mineral additives, vermicompost, coniferous and leaf soil.
2. Option two. If you wish, you can prepare the soil mixture yourself. It should contain equal parts of heather, leaf soil, sand, high peat, and crushed pine bark. The soil is fertilized with mineral and organic additives. Usually take 5 grams of fertilizer per liter of water.
3. Option three. Coniferous soil, leaf soil, sand, and peat are taken in equal proportions. Coconut flakes or crushed pine sawdust are added to loosen. The soil for azaleas must be disinfected and calcined at high temperatures.

Care

Azalea is a demanding plant. It needs to be looked after regularly.Azalea loves fresh air. It is advisable to constantly ventilate the room in which it is located.

Watering

During the flowering period, azaleas are watered daily. Pour a little soft water into the pot and make sure the soil is well moistened. Once a week, an indoor azalea can be placed in a large bucket filled with warm water for a couple of hours. The plant will bloom the next year if you water the soil regularly after flowering.

The soil in the pot should never dry out. Irrigation liquid should not contain chlorine and lime. It is advisable to use rainwater. You can add a little complex fertilizer, citric acid (2 grams per liter) or a tea bag to the liquid.

Top dressing

The soil mixtures in which azaleas grow are poor in nutrients. In winter, plants are not fed. In the spring, when the branches begin to grow, complex and nitrogen-containing additives are added once a week.

Fertilizers should not contain chlorine salts. In summer, at the time of flower bud formation, azaleas need more phosphorus and potassium. It is better not to feed the plant with nitrogen substances at this time.

For fertilizing, use store-bought fertilizers for azaleas or ammonium nitrate, superphosphate, and potassium sulfite. Take 2 grams of fertilizer per liter of water.

Mulching

The soil in the pot will not dry out if you sprinkle a little mulch on top. The surface is mulched with pine needles or peat mixed with sawdust.

Spraying

Azaleas suffer greatly from drought. In summer it can be sprayed several times a day. Cooled water is used to irrigate the leaves on both sides. In winter, azalea can be sprayed once a day.

Trimming

Azalea branches must be trimmed. This procedure stimulates the appearance of young branches on which new buds appear.Pruning is carried out in the spring, after flowering. You need to cut off the elongated shoots. It is important to thin out the bush. It is imperative to remove weak and diseased branches. The azalea will bloom profusely if the bush is not too lush.

Transfer

Once a year, the growing azalea is carefully transplanted into a large container. An adult plant is placed in another pot every 3-4 years.

Time and reasons

Azaleas are replanted immediately after flowering (closer to summer). The soil is replaced with a new, more nutritious one. The plant is transplanted into a larger pot so that the roots can develop freely, do not get tangled, and breathe well.

Choosing a pot

The new pot should be 5 centimeters in diameter larger than the old one. The previous container should fit freely into the new one. The pot should have a drainage hole at the bottom.

Soil composition

To transplant azaleas, it is advisable to buy ready-made soil mixture. You cannot use garden soil, as it may not be suitable in composition and may be contaminated with various infections. Azaleas like slightly acidic soil. The soil should be light, loose, and permeable.

Components of the soil mixture for azaleas:

• coniferous land;
• peat;
• sand;
• leaf humus;
• pine bark;
• heather land.

All components are taken in equal proportions. The ingredients must be finely chopped. It is convenient to use expanded clay as drainage for azaleas. The soil is fertilized with minerals and vermicompost.

How to replant

The azalea is transplanted very carefully and carefully, trying not to damage the thin and barely noticeable roots. They use the transfer method. The plant, along with the earthen lump, is carefully transferred from one pot to another. During transplantation, the root collar should not be buried.

Features of transplantation after purchase

Place some small stones at the bottom of the replanting pot for drainage.Then earth is poured on top. Before transplanting, the azalea is watered. After an hour, the pot is turned over and the plant, along with the earthen lump, is carefully removed from the container. The azalea is lowered into a new pot and sprinkled with moistened substrate up to the root collar. After transplanting, water.

Home maintenance problems

If improperly cared for or due to a lack of nutrients in the soil, azalea leaves may wrinkle, darken, turn yellow, or fall off. It is important to correctly identify the cause of the problem and correct it immediately.

The leaves have darkened

If the azalea's leaves darken and begin to fall off, it means it is not being watered correctly. The plant sheds its leaves if the room is too hot and dry. It is necessary to reduce the temperature and increase soil moisture. The soil in the pot should not dry out.

Looks lifeless

If the azalea leaves turn yellow and the plant itself looks lifeless, it means it lacks nutrients. The earth needs to be fertilized with nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. You can use complex fertilizers. Azaleas may turn yellow due to excess lime. It is advisable to water the soil with soft, acidified water.

Transportation in winter

If during the cold season a plant needs to be transported from one place to another, it is advisable to insulate it well. The flower must not freeze, otherwise it will die.

The leaves are wrinkled

If an azalea's leaves are wrinkled, it means it is hot and lacks water. The plant needs to be watered abundantly and the leaves irrigated. Can be immersed in a bucket of water. It is advisable to reduce the air temperature (up to 15 degrees).

Diseases and pests: control measures

An indoor azalea may become sick or susceptible to insect attacks. Proper care and preventive treatment with fungicides and insecticidal solutions help save the plant.

Chlorosis

Azalea leaves turn yellow if watered with too hard water.The liquid for irrigation should be soft, slightly acidified. You can feed the plant with iron chelate. Perhaps chlorosis is caused by incorrectly selected soil mixture. In this case, the substrate needs to be changed.

Late blight

The infection first affects the roots of the azalea and then spreads to other parts of the plant. Dark spots appear on the leaves. For treatment, the fungicide Fitosporin is used.

Necrosis

The leaves may turn yellow and dry out if the azalea is too hot or, conversely, the plant is frozen. You should create optimal living conditions and water the flower abundantly.

Strawberry mite

A tiny insect that lives in highly moist soil. It feeds on leaves and buds. Spots appear on the leaves, later they curl, wither and fall off. Treatment with Fitoverm or Neoron will save you from ticks.

Spider mite

A small red insect that entwines leaves and stems with a thin web. It feeds on plant sap. May cause yellowing and wilting of leaves. Actellica solution saves you from ticks.

Mole

A gray butterfly that lays eggs from which caterpillars emerge. They feed on leaves. The insecticide Aktara saves from caterpillars.

Mealybug

A tiny light hairy insect that looks like a louse. It feeds on plant sap, which is why azaleas grow poorly. Spraying with insecticides (Aktara, Confidant, Fitoverm) saves you from it.

Rhododendron bug

A tiny dark insect with shiny transparent wings. It feeds on plant sap, leading to yellowing and drying of leaves. Saves from bedbugs Kinmiks, Karbofos, Decis.

Reproduction

Azaleas can be propagated in a variety of ways. For example, seeds, cuttings, dividing a bush, grafting. The easiest way is to immediately buy a ready-made plant.

How to root cuttings

Young, not yet completely lignified branches (8 centimeters long) cut at an angle of 45 degrees should be placed in water. Remove the lower leaves. It is advisable to cut cuttings in the spring. You need to add a growth stimulator (Kornevin) to the water.

When roots appear on the cutting, it needs to be planted in a special soil mixture. Plant the cuttings vertically, to a depth of 2 centimeters. Cover the top with a plastic bottle and a dark cloth. Water regularly and keep at a temperature of 25 degrees. After 2 months, the plant takes root, the bottle is removed, and after 1.5-2 years a young azalea grows.

Graft

An azalea cutting can be grafted onto an adult plant in the spring. The scion is cut at an angle of 45 degrees and bonded to the rootstock. The cutting will take root after 2 weeks if the plant is constantly watered and irrigated.

Germination of seeds

Before planting, the seeds are soaked and germinated a little in water. Then they are sown together with sand on fertilized soil and irrigated regularly. Cover the top of the pot with film. When the seedlings grow up, they are picked and transplanted into separate boxes.

Dividing the bush

In the spring, after the azalea has faded, the bush is removed from the pot and divided into several parts with a knife. There should be 1-2 shoots left in each part. All segments are planted in separate pots and placed in a dark place for a week.

Virulence

Rhododendrons are very tricky. These beautiful plants are dangerous. Nectar and pollen from flowers can be deadly poisonous not only to animals, but also to people. There is a Greek legend according to which soldiers during a military campaign were poisoned by honey collected by bees from Pontic or Yellow rhododendrons. The poisoning was of a narcotic nature.Honey from these plants may have a laxative or hallucinogenic effect.

Azaleas are toxic to animals. They can die if they eat a few leaves. The glycoside andromedotoxin contained in rhododendrons is dangerous to humans. This substance acts on the central nervous system: at first it is stimulating, and after a while it is depressing. May cause human death. The poisonous substance is present in the leaves, stems, flowers, nectar and collected honey.

How to form a bonsai

Bonsai have been formed from azaleas for several years. With the help of 5-6 prunings, the plant turns into a small tree with a thick trunk and a lush top. In the first years, a trunk is formed from the central stem. Side branches are removed. When the tree reaches the desired height, pinch off the top. At the end, a crown is formed.

Reviews

Anna Denisovna:

“I was given an azalea for my birthday. Soon I noticed that the plant began to fade. I placed the azalea pot in a large vase and filled it halfway with cold water. The azalea came to life, water from the outer pot constantly evaporated, cooled the roots and created the necessary microclimate for the plant.”