Rhododendron planting and care in the open field in the Krasnodar Territory

Rhododendron is a plant of the genus of evergreen trees. Its name means a tree with roses; in appearance, the shrub is very similar to an azalea. This is a fairly common plant with about three thousand varieties. There is a rhododendron from North America to East Asia, most often it grows near water bodies. This plant in its natural habitat reaches up to thirty meters in length, and some species are covered with a carpet. Rhododendron is one of the favorite crops among gardeners in Russia and Ukraine, as it is distinguished by its beauty and endurance.

Description of culture

Garden rhododendron is a shrub that is quite popular all over the world due to the beauty of its foliage and magnificent flowering.... Some species of this plant give off a bright floral scent. The foliage of the culture is annual or perennial, depending on the variety.

The shrub fruit is a small box with seeds. The bush has a fairly shallow root system, which makes it easy to transplant the plant to another place.

Rhododendron is an excellent early honey plant. Very popular with beekeepers.

Also read: Preparing ornamental shrubs for winter

It will grow best in the shade, in acidic soil rich in minerals. Perfectly neighbors with oak, pine and other deep-rooted and fruit trees. But alder, maple, chestnut and linden will destroy the rhododendron.

Bush care

This plant is unpretentious and easy to care for. Care includes the usual procedures: weeding, watering, spraying, fertilizing and pest control.

It is impossible to loosen the soil next to the shrub, since the root system of the plant is located high, and there is a risk of damage to it.

Watering should be abundant and regular, especially during the flowering period of the shrub... You can determine when to water a flower by the state of its foliage: if it ceases to be glossy, then the plant needs water.

In the summer, at high air temperatures, you need to spray the plant. Watering should be adjusted so as not to overmoisten the roots.

Plant pruning

Usually this shrub does not require pruning, as it forms a beautiful crown on its own.... Sometimes it is necessary to trim some branches or cut off frozen or dry shoots.

To do the correct pruning, you need to do it in early spring. Cutting points are to be treated with charcoal or garden varnish. After about thirty days, buds form on the shoots, the renewal process starts.

This shrub has such a feature: in one year, abundant flowering is noted, and in the next season, much less inflorescences are formed.... To get rid of this deficiency, it is necessary to prune half of the plant one by one after a year.

Shrub fertilization

This plant must be fertilized, even if recently planted. The first feeding is carried out in the spring. Before fertilizing, the plant must be watered. From organic fertilizers, manure diluted with water is suitable. Since the shrub grows in acidic soil, nitrogen agents and potassium phosphate can be used from mineral fertilizers.

It is best to fertilize the plant in spring with nitrogen-containing fertilizers, and at the beginning of summer with sulfate fertilizers.

Diseases and pests

Most often, the following pests threaten rhododendron:

• mealy worm;
• spider mite;
• bedbugs;
• weevils;
• slugs and snails.

To combat these pests, you need to treat the plant with special solutions of insecticides and diazinones. Many pests die from karbofos.

Fungal diseases occur due to waterlogging and poor ventilation of the roots. Most of these diseases can be eliminated with a solution of copper sulfate.

Affected shoots and leaves should be removed and trimmed.

Reproduction

Rhododendron reproduces at home in several ways.:

1. Seeds. The seed is sown in containers with earth, sprinkled with sand and covered with glass. The container is placed in a bright place; daily ventilation is required. The first shoots appear within thirty days. Seedlings can be planted in the ground after the formation of two true leaves. It is better to leave the young plant in the greenhouse until the development of a full-fledged root system. A rhododendron grown in this way does not bloom until eight years later.
2. Layers. The most popular and uncomplicated breeding method for rhododendron. To do this, you need to dig the longest shoot next to the bush and press it down with a dense layer of earth. The tip of the shoot must remain above the ground. Until next spring, the cuttings are watered and only at the beginning of summer they are separated from the mother bush, planting in a permanent place.
3. Cuttings. For reproduction in this way, you need to cut off a stalk 8 cm long. The lower cut of the stalk is immersed in a root growth stimulator for 12 hours. Then you should bury the cuttings in peat with sand and cover with plastic. The cuttings take root for a long time, within three months.

Rhododendron varieties

There are a huge number of species and varieties of this beautiful shrub. Below are the most popular ones..

1. Rhododendron Daursky. This shrub can grow up to four meters in height. It has brown shoots with small leaves, some of which fall off in the winter. Blooms for about a month with large purple flowers.
2. Rhododendron Adams. It grows up to 50 cm in height, producing large leaves and pink flowers. This type of rhododendron is listed in the Red Book.
3. Rhododendron Japanese. The most beautiful rhododendron up to two meters in height. The foliage turns orange-red in autumn. It tolerates frost well and reproduces well.
4. Caucasian rhododendron in several varieties. The yellow flowers of this shrub exude a very pleasant aroma.
5. Alfred. Hybrid shrub with oblong leaves and red flowers.
6. Blue Peter. A two-meter plant with lilac flowers.
7. Jacksoni. The flowers of this bush are collected in pink inflorescences.

In our latitudes, this beautiful shrub normally tolerates small frosts, but it is still better to cover it for the winter. It does not require special care and reproduces successfully. Such a plant will become a real decoration of any garden or suburban area.

Features of landing in the Moscow region, Siberia and the Urals

This plant is thermophilic, therefore, for the Moscow region, you need to choose varieties that can survive the winter frosts. Due to the superficial location of the root system, the likelihood of freezing of the shrub remains even under cover.

Rhododendron in Siberia... Planting and caring for such a shrub should include mandatory mulching and shelter for the winter. You need to choose deciduous varieties of rhododendron: Japanese, Kamchatka, yellow and others.

Rhododendrons in the Urals... Care and planting of a plant in this region begins with the selection of a cold-resistant variety, for example, The Hague, Mikkeli, Rosie Lights. It is imperative to cover the rhododendron for the winter to avoid hypothermia.

The unique beauty of rhododendron inspires gardeners; for many, caring for an exquisite heat-loving shrub becomes a real pleasure and develops into a hobby. Growing rhododendron cannot be called easy, you need to choose the right place where to plant it, monitor soil moisture and protect it from pests. But if you make an effort and provide the plant with proper care, then this rare beautiful plant will be a real gem of any garden.

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• Type: heather
• Flowering Period: April, May, June
• Height: 0.3-1.5m
• Color: white, pink, purple, red, yellow, purple
• Perennial
• Hibernates
• Shady
• Moisture-loving

It is difficult to imagine a suburban area without the usual permanent residents - peonies, roses, poppies, dahlias, decorating flower beds and flower beds with their lush hats throughout the summer. However, sometimes in the dachas of the middle lane and southern regions you can find an unusual beautiful shrub that resembles a rose. This is a rhododendron, a rather capricious heat-loving plant. It is not easy to find an approach to it, but the cultivation and care of rhododendrons over time for some lovers of rare plants develops into a hobby - these magnificent flowers are so beautiful and exquisite.

• An exotic guest at your dacha
• Planting rhododendrons: time, soil, lighting
• The nuances of flower care
• Watering mode and features
• When is the best time to prune a plant
• Protection from pests and diseases
• Top dressing and choice of fertilizers
• Breeding methods - which one to choose
• The most popular summer cottages

An exotic guest at your dacha

Like most of the lushly flowering crops, rhododendron is rarely found in the Russian wild, but grows exclusively under the supervision of gardeners.

Many species take root and feel great only in southern latitudes, so they can be safely grown in the Crimea, Krasnodar Territory or Stavropol Territory. However, some varieties, for example, Daursky or Canadian, develop well in temperate climates, so if you live in the Moscow region, in the Urals or even in the Siberian outback, rhododendron can also decorate your summer cottage with its magnificent flowering.

Literally translated from Latin, "rhododendron" means "rose tree" - and indeed, in its appearance, the plant is very much like a rose, although it does not belong to rosaceous, but to heather

You are certainly familiar with one of the types of rhododendron - this is the well-known home azalea, which often adorns the windowsills of city apartments. It is distinguished by lush flowering and a variety of shades.

It is impossible to imagine how the relatives of this small plant can reach 25-30 meters in height, although in fact in the Himalayas, Japan, North America, some species grow to such gigantic sizes.

There are also low rhododendrons, which are separate bushes or creeping shrubs that feel comfortable at the foot of the mountains and in coastal marine areas.

Mountain varieties are small in size and are ideal for organizing alpine slides. For example, the Kamchatka rhododendron is unpretentious, grows only up to 35-40 cm in height and has a bright pink tint.

Among annuals and perennials (and there are about 3 thousand species in total), you can choose a variety whose characteristics are suitable for growing in a certain region.

If you need a special shade - reddish, purple, white or yellow - this will not be a problem either, since the color palette of crops is almost limitless. Flowering culture begins in early spring and continues throughout the warm period.

Thanks to its luxurious color palette, garden azalea can be combined with various types of flowering crops and used for growing in columbariums, rock gardens, multi-tiered flower beds

Planting rhododendrons: time, soil, lighting

Following general recommendations, planting can be carried out both in autumn and in spring, that is, during a convenient growing season for you, excluding flowering time and a short period after flowering - about 10 days. However, experienced gardeners still insist on a spring planting, which continues, depending on the region, from April to May 10-15.

Varieties planted earlier than this period are already covered with a dense color by the May holidays - against the background of barely hatching foliage and fresh grassy greens, they look very impressive.

One of the early flowering rhododendrons is P.J. Mezitt is a lush plant with pink and lilac buds. The beginning of its flowering falls on the last decade of April - early May.

It is important to choose the right landing site, since in the bright sun the plant will feel uncomfortable, and in a completely darkened place it will not give a lush flowering.

It is best to break a flowerbed with rhododendrons on the north side of the building, in a semi-shaded area, so that at noon, when the sun's rays reach maximum strength, the plant is completely closed from them.

Not only the walls of a building, but also a fence or tall trees can serve as a shadow barrier for a flower garden. Rhododendron gets along well with trees, the roots of which go deep into the soil and do not interfere with the development of the plant - oaks, larch, spruce, as well as fruit trees - pears or apple trees

Flowers absolutely cannot stand alkaline or neutral soil - it must be acidic, rich in humus, well aerated, without lime admixtures. One of the best growing materials is a mixture of peat and clay.

Rhododendron is planted in the following order:

• dig holes, shallow (35-40 cm) and wide enough (55-60 cm);
• the lower part is drained with a sandy-pebble layer (10-15 cm);
• they are covered with a mixture of loam and peat (high moor or sphagnum, with low acidity), while peat should be about 2 times more;
• lightly tamp the soil inside the pit and make a hole in it the size of an earthen lump of the seedling;
• the roots of the seedling are lowered into the hole and covered with soil mixture to the very root collar, which, as a result, should be on the same level with the soil surface;
• water the plant abundantly if the soil is dry;
• mulching is carried out (to a depth of 5-7 cm), for which peat, moss, rotted needles, leaves and crushed oak bark are suitable.

In order for the plant to better take root in a new place, soak the roots thoroughly with water before planting - lower the seedlings in a container with water until air bubbles stop appearing on the surface.

An approximate scheme for planting a rhododendron: 1 - garden soil; 2 - drainage; 3 - soil mixture of peat, clay or loam; 4 - a layer of pine needles

There is one more trick to promote better root development. Cut off the most lush buds of a flowering plant - this way the seedling will spend more energy on rooting. Planting and further caring for rhododendrons are important steps, following which you will achieve amazing results.

It is better to start decorating a planted bush in a couple of weeks - after it is completely rooted. You can give the plant a certain shape, and decorate the base depending on the style of landscape design of your site

The nuances of flower care

The norms for proper care of flowering shrubs do not differ from generally accepted standards: it is necessary to observe the watering regime, weed and prune on time, feed the plant with suitable minerals and make sure that pests do not start.

There are also subtleties, for example, a gentle approach when loosening.The roots of the plant are very close to the surface, so you need to loosen the soil very carefully, and you should not dig it up at all. When removing weeds, in no case use a hoe or a garden knife, you can only act by hand.

Watering mode and features

The ratio of rhododendron to moisture is very interesting. On the one hand, it absolutely does not tolerate waterlogging, on the other hand, it requires constant spraying and irrigation with specially prepared water.

Even when choosing a site for planting, check whether the groundwater does not come close to the surface. The fact is that with a large amount of moisture in the soil, the roots will simply "choke" and the plant will die. That is why a drainage layer is needed to drain excess water.

It is especially important to observe the irrigation regime and atmospheric irrigation during the period of bud development and flowering - the better the watering, the brighter and more magnificent the inflorescences will be

Watering is carried out regularly, pre-acidifying the water - for this, 12-20 hours before watering, 2-3 handfuls of sphagnum peat are placed in a container with water. It is better not to use tap water, as a last resort, it must be defended. The ideal option is rain collection. The regularity of watering depends on the state of the plant: as soon as the leaves have lost their glossy shine and changed their turgor, it is time to water.

When is the best time to prune a plant

The concept of pruning is very conditional. Usually, the plant develops evenly and forms a profusely flowering bush of the correct shape, so lovers of lush flower beds do not need to prune. But sometimes you need to thin out the shrub, make it a little lower, or just rejuvenate it.

Pruning is carried out in early spring, until the sap flow has begun. They choose strong, thick branches with a diameter of 3-4 cm, carefully cut off the ends with garden shears and process the cuts with specially prepared garden pitch or resin. In about a month, the renewal process will start, which continues throughout the year - new shoots will hatch and dormant buds will begin to develop.

Pruning frozen or old bushes requires special skill: thick branches should be cut at a distance of 35-40 cm from the ground alternately within 2 years: some this year, the second - next

Rhododendrons are characterized by uneven flowering. If this year they delighted you with a particularly exuberant color, expect more modest results next year. To prevent this from happening, remove wilted buds immediately after flowering, and then the plant will have enough strength to gain as many buds as possible in the second year.

Protection from pests and diseases

Branching bushes with dense foliage and many buds are a great place to live for insects, half of which can destroy the beauty you have grown within a couple of weeks, so a number of measures must be taken to protect the shrub.

Thick trunks and branches are a favorite place for mollusks. Slugs and snails are collected by hand. Beware of scale insects, bedbugs, spider mites, rhododendron flies, mealy worms. Treat the stems and branches with 8% Tiram fungicide, Karbofos helps well.

It is more difficult to remove bedbugs, ticks, and especially the weevil, for which diazonin is used to get rid of. Remember, in order to say goodbye to a harmful guest forever, it is necessary to process not only the plant itself, but also the top layer of soil around it

Along with insect pests, rhododendrons are threatened by diseases of the fungal type - rust, chlorosis, spotting. The reason lies in insufficient aeration and non-compliance with the irrigation regime. Yellowness resulting from chlorosis is treated with an iron chelate solution. If rot appears, the affected shoots should be cut off completely. For prevention, seasonal treatment with Bordeaux liquid is carried out in late autumn or early April.

Top dressing and choice of fertilizers

It is necessary to start feeding rhododendrons from planting and throughout the entire flowering period. To preserve an acidic environment important for culture, superphosphate, potassium sulfate, potassium nitrate, magnesium sulfate or calcium, ammonium are used, but in a minimum concentration.

Early spring top dressing is made up of fertilizers containing nitrogen (for 1 cubic meter of liquid 40-50 g of magnesium sulfate or ammonium), it is also relevant in the period after flowering. In July, the fertilizer dose should be reduced to 20 g.

The ideal feed for rhododendrons is a liquid solution of natural fertilizers such as horn meal or cow dung. Overripe manure is diluted with water (1 part of fertilizer per 15 parts of water), infused for 3-4 days and used during watering

After 1-2 years after planting, it is necessary to renew the topsoil. To do this, peat is mixed in equal parts with humus or compost and sprinkled around the roots. Along with natural ingredients, superphosphate, potassium sulfate or ammonium are added to the bedding (dry matter - 1 tbsp. Spoon). Agricola can be used as a dry powder for flowering garden plants. Remember to fertilize only carefully watered shrubs.

Breeding methods - which one to choose

Consider the three most successful ways to reproduce rhododendron in the garden:

• seeds;
• cuttings;
• layering.

Growing plants from seeds is a long and laborious task. Dry, healthy seeds are sown in pots or boxes of damp peat, a little sand is added, covered with glass caps and placed in a well-lit place. Within a month, it is necessary to moisten the soil and remove condensation from the glass.

The seedlings that appear after 4 weeks are planted in a greenhouse with a cool climate according to the 2 x 3 cm scheme.The seedlings will grow for a very long time, and only after 6-7 years you will see the first flowering

Reproduction by cuttings is also not tolerated by all gardeners. It is necessary to take half-woody shoots and cut several cuttings about 7-8 cm long from them.

The leaves are removed from the bottom, and the treated end is placed in a container with heteroauxin - a growth stimulator, where it is kept for 12-15 hours

Then they are placed in peat soil and covered, as is the case with seeds. Depending on the variety, the cuttings will take root in 2-4 months, after which they are transplanted into boxes with peat-coniferous soil and taken out to a cool greenhouse. The optimum temperature is 10 ° C. They are planted in spring along with other flowers, right in boxes, and only after a couple of years they can be transplanted to the main place of growth.

The most convenient breeding option is pinning layers. A flexible lower shoot is taken, a groove 12-15 cm deep is pulled out near it, and the shoot is placed in this groove.

So that it does not rise, the middle part of the stem is pinned, and sprinkled with peat on top. The upper part must be brought out and tied to a support - a wooden peg stuck into the ground

The layering is looked after in the same way as the entire bush - watered, sprayed. When it takes root (in late autumn or spring), it is carefully separated, dug up and transplanted to a place of permanent growth. This method is especially good for the propagation of deciduous rhododendrons.

The most popular summer cottages

In a coniferous garden, a 2-3-meter Daurian rhododendron will live well. It is distinguished by abundant flowering of buds, reaching a diameter of 4 cm.

If the warm season drags on, then the Daursky variety will surely delight you with repeated autumn flowering, and next spring the winter-hardy plant will bloom as usual

Rhododendron Adams is an oriental guest accustomed to rocky mountain soils.

A beautiful plant with pale pink flowers grows up to one and a half meters in height. In our country, it is rare, and in Buryatia it is listed in the Red Book

The low, creeping Caucasian rhododendron is a real find for rock gardens.

The petals of the inflorescences of the Caucasian rhododendron are distinguished by an unusual pale yellow or cream shade, which will remarkably dilute the more saturated, juicy colors of other varieties

The Japanese rhododendron is a magnificent deciduous cultivar with flamingo-colored buds.

Japanese rhododendrons with delightful flowers and picturesque foliage that turns red in autumn are unpretentious, winter-hardy and reproduce well in any way - an excellent option for growing in central Russia

And finally - a short video on how to achieve lush flowering of rhododendrons.

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These shrubs are great during flowering. At the beginning of the 19th century, rhododendrons began to decorate the gardens of Russia for the first time. Varieties, cultivation in the open field, planting, care, reproduction: we cultivate rhododendrons according to all the rules.

Description of rhododendron: varieties and varieties

The genus of rhododendrons is quite extensive - more than 1,000 species, which include various varieties of this wonderful plant. The natural area of ​​distribution of rhododendrons is limited to the eastern countries: China, Japan, Korea, the Himalayas; some plant species are found in the Caucasus, North America, northern Africa and Australia. In European territory, two varieties of rhododendron grow in the mountainous regions of Germany.

Rhododendron is a magnificent plant with a long flowering period

The culture refers to flowering deciduous or evergreen shrubs of the heather family. The branches of the plant can have smooth bark or pubescence. Leathery, dark green small ovoid leaves are sometimes pubescent. Bell-shaped flowers, funnel-shaped, simple and double. The color of the petals varies depending on the variety: white, pink, lilac, red, purple. Modern varieties of rhododendron are yellow and orange in color. Numerous small seeds ripen in capsules.

Rhododendrons, the cultivation of which on the territory of Russia is most acceptable, is limited to 26 species belonging to three groups of plants.

• Evergreens are tall shrubs that do not shed their dark leathery foliage even in winter. Large flowers are painted in different colors and tones. Growing evergreen rhododendrons in the open field requires compliance with a number of necessary rules: plants are placed in places with diffused shadow; the soil for them should include a large amount of peat.

Rhododendron evergreen

Tip: It is important to choose the right neighborhood for evergreen rhododendron species, especially when decorating territories in landscape design. It can be all types of conifers, heather, ferns grown in the open field.

• Intermediate (semi-evergreen) - low shrubs that winter well under a layer of snow. The plant is characterized by a compact form, a huge number of flowers during the flowering period. In winter, most of the leathery leaves fall off, leaving only the whorl of leaves at the ends of the branches, from the center of which new foliage grows.

Semi-evergreen rhododendron

• Deciduous - rhododendrons of this group are most adapted to the conditions of the Russian climate. The cultivation of these plants is not difficult, and the plants themselves do not need to be specially adapted in winter. Blossoming in spring, repeated in autumn.

Deciduous rhododendron, grade "Fireworks"

Planting a plant

Rhododendron: planting and caring for plants in compliance with agrotechnical rules - plant transplantation is allowed in spring and autumn. In autumn - in any of three months, in spring - in warm, well-established weather, when the soil is no longer frozen (usually April or May).

The choice of a place for planting a plant must be carried out with special care. Planting rhododendrons should be protected from the prevailing wind and direct sunlight. It is important that the shrub is accessible for viewing, then the decorative appearance of the plant during the flowering period will decorate the territory and please the eye.

Tip: Before planting the plant from the container into the open ground, it should be thoroughly saturated with water.

A planting hole for rhododendron bushes is prepared based on the actual size of the root system, and should be 2 times larger in volume. The natural soil should be removed completely. To plant a plant, it is required to prepare a special earthen soil consisting in equal parts of heather earth; peat; garden soil or leaf humus; rotted manure; needles (pine).

It is very important to plant the plant correctly, then it will quickly take root.

The prepared pit is filled with a mixture, a place is prepared in it for planting a rhododendron bush, which must be placed strictly vertically. The soil around the root system of the plant must be tightly squeezed - the formation of voids and "pockets" in the planting soil is not allowed. At a high level of groundwater, it is necessary to provide for the laying of a special drainage layer at the bottom of the pit. After planting, the top layer of soil should be mulched with peat chips.

Rhododendron: proper watering

Watering the planted plant is carried out at the time of planting, - abundant, sufficient to moisten the soil to a depth of 20-30 cm. Subsequent watering of the rhododendron should be done with soft, acidified water, with complete moistening of the soil.

Tip: When planting a plant with buds, it is necessary to remove most of them.

Plant care

A transplanted plant requires attention and careful care. In addition to regular abundant watering, the rhododendron needs spraying over the foliage, especially when planting in late spring. The soil needs to be mulched to maintain sufficient moisture. When mulching, you should choose options that increase the acidity of the soil.

The plant needs regular watering

The root system of rhododendrons consists of delicate, fine hairs, similar to matted hair, so loosening the soil, especially deep, should be excluded from flower care measures. Weeds growing next to the plant need to be removed periodically.

The appearance of the plant will immediately inform about the lack or excess of water - the leaves of the rhododendron will begin to turn yellow and fall off. Watering is required in sufficient quantities, but without overflow, this is one of the main rules for caring for a crop.

To ensure proper care of the rhododendron, it is important to timely prune the overgrown bushes. Places of cuts to prevent infection of the plant are covered with paint or garden varnish.

Bushes need to be pruned periodically

Compliance with simple plant care requirements will allow you to grow a wonderful flowering bush.

Fertilizing and feeding rhododendron

In the first year, transplanted plants already require careful fertilization, which is applied in a highly diluted form, in small portions. The plant itself will signal the need for fertilization: it will stop growing, discard the foliage or the leaves change color, the formation of flower buds will stop.

Organic fertilizer for feeding rhododendron bushes - semi-decomposed manure, which must be infused in water. Top dressing is carried out with an aqueous solution of manure. To increase the formation of flower buds, as well as to extend the flowering period, granular superphosphate, or double superphosphate, is used, which is scattered over the moist soil under the plants. The plant is also useful for fertilizing with microelements - fertilizers are applied in the form of watering or spraying the green mass of the bush. Intensive fertilization of the bushes is required until the end of August.

Rhododendron before flowering

Reproduction of rhododendron

Growing rhododendron involves plant propagation by layering and seeds, dividing the bush, grafting, cuttings.

Seed propagation Is a great way to get plants with improved traits. Sowing is carried out from the end of December to the end of March. The second period suitable for seed reproduction of rhododendrons is the end of November.

Sowing seeds is carried out in shallow bowls or boxes filled with a nutrient mixture of peat, sand, coniferous and sod land, taken in equal proportions. The seeds are pre-soaked for a day. Sowing is carried out on the top layer of the soil, without embedding deep into the soil. The sowing is moistened by spraying. It is required to provide seedlings with a 12-hour illumination with fluorescent lamps. The timing of seed germination depends on the variety. The first flowering of seedlings is possible in 3-4 years.

Rhododendron seeds

This method has its advantages, but with seed reproduction of rhododendrons, it takes up to 5-6 years to obtain full-fledged plants.

Faster new plants can be obtained with vegetative methods of culture propagation: cuttings, division of the bush, rooting of cuttings.

Diseases and pests

Fulfillment of the requirements for agricultural technology of rhododendrons guarantees excellent growth and development of plants. However, repeated waterlogging or overdrying of the soil, alkaline reaction of the soil, sunburn of leaves, can provoke a surge in crop diseases.

Plants can be damaged by spots, rust and chlorosis. Disease control measures - improving the conditions for keeping plants, the use of special means to combat diseases. Often rhododendron diseases are caused by pathogenic fungi: gray rot, fusarium, late blight.

Spotting - a fungal disease of the rhododendron

Pests that damage rhododendrons: slugs and snails that eat young leaves and buds. The collection of these pests is done manually. In addition, the plant is harmed by: bedbugs (rhododendron), spider mites, mealybugs, weevils, scale insects, rhododendra fly. Pest control is easy with systemic insecticides.

Rhododendron: combination with other plants

Planting plants in combination with conifers and a group of heathers has a positive effect on the development of rhododendrons. It should be remembered about the height of the rhododendron bush. Low cultivars should be located away from the dense shade of mature trees, but avoiding direct sunlight.

Blooming rhododendron perfectly sets off conifers

An excellent combination is observed when located next to the rhododendrons of shade-loving ferns and host.

Rhododendron in landscape design

In landscape design, rhododendron is an indispensable attribute for planting in partial shade. The huge advantages of the plant are its long and very decorative flowering. Rhododendrons are widely used in the design of heather gardens, as an addition to the planting of pine groves. The plant looks great in mono plantings.

Rhododendron in landscape design

Low-growing varieties of rhododendrons are planted near alpine hills, in mixborders and in decorative flower beds.

Planting a garden rhododendron: video

Types of rhododendron: photo

An incredible rhododendron, planting and care in the open field for which are rather laborious procedures, will delight the grower with beautiful and healthy growth, if you know how to grow it from a cuttings, than fertilize it in June and other months, which mineral fertilizers are best, what are the most frost-resistant varieties, as well as many other features of the cultivation of this amazing shrub ...

Cutting rhododendrons in summer and other breeding methods

A rose tree (rhodon - a rose, dendron - a tree) is called a rhododendron, planting and caring for which in the open field is not difficult, but requires care and attention. Rhododendron can be creeping and tall, evergreen and deciduous, and it can be propagated in different ways - by cuttings and layering, grafting, dividing the bush, seeds.

Seeds rhododendron is sown in late February - early March in boxes on the surface of the soil, without burying, and on top they arrange a greenhouse made of film or glass. The sprouts that appear are hardened and transplanted to street beds, for the winter, the seedlings of the rhododendron are well covered, and in the spring they are transplanted to a permanent place.

Cuttings rhododendrons in the summer occurs with semi-lignified tops of the bush - the apical bud and leaves are removed from the cut shoot, leaving only the top two, then the cuttings are soaked in a solution that stimulates root growth, and rooted in acidic soil consisting of peat, sand, needles.

Layers It is easiest to propagate rhododendron - at the beginning of summer, the branch of an adult bush is bent to the ground, pinned and sprinkled with soil in the middle part, after making a cut, the top is raised and fixed, and the area pressed to the ground is regularly watered. Already in the fall, you can cut off the mother branch and transplant the resulting daughter rhododendron bush.

rhododendron seeds - pictured

Many people wonder if it is possible to divide the rhododendron bush, yes, but this is a rather traumatic procedure for the plant. After digging up and dividing the mother bush, the resulting new plants are sent to grow until they get stronger, and the old bush will also need special care. Wild rosemary specimens with a very weak root system are strengthened in a greenhouse.

Rhododendron - planting and care in the open field

You should know if you decide to grow rhododendron - planting and care in the open field of this plant has its own characteristics. So, planting and transplanting a rhododendron is best done in the spring - in April-May, or in the fall, in September-November. The rose tree loves light fertile soil with high acidity (pH 4-5), with the addition of peat and soil from a coniferous forest, and also prefers partial shade, the northern side of the site, however, with strong shading, it blooms poorly, and in the open sun, regular spraying of the bush is necessary.

To plant a rhododendron, a hole is dug with a depth of at least 40 cm - its diameter should be twice the diameter of the roots, peat mixed with coniferous soil, rotten manure, loam is poured into the hole.

The root system of rhododendron is fibrous, superficial, so the soil under the bush is loosened with care. The flower does not tolerate drought well, so the rhododendron is watered abundantly - the earth should be moistened by 20 cm, and before watering, the water is defended so that it becomes soft, or rain moisture is collected. It is useful to acidify the water by adding a little peat to it a day before watering. It is impossible to fill in the roots of rhododendron, they can rot, so even in the heat you do not need to water more often than usual, but spraying the foliage is a necessary procedure.

The natural shape of the bushes does not require such a procedure as pruning a rhododendron - you just need to remove the dried branches, rejuvenate the bush from time to time and trim it to the desired height. Pruning is carried out in early March, when the rhododendron has not yet woken up, removing no more than a quarter of the bush, while cuts of branches 2-4 cm thick are treated with garden pitch.

Rhododendrons bloom profusely every year, and in between "rest", and in order to stimulate flowering in a "lean year", faded inflorescences are immediately removed - then the plant directs nutrients to the laying of future flowers.

Varieties of Vasey, Japanese, Daurian, yellow bloom after about 5 years, and in Ketevbinsky, Smirnov, sticky, Pontic, marigold, coarse-haired and some other varieties of rhododendron, flowering begins at 6-8 years.

At the beginning of spring, mineral fertilizers are needed for rhododendrons - for this they take two parts of ammonium sulfate, one part of superphosphate and potassium, and apply at the rate of 80 g per square meter, and after flowering, in June, they carry out the next top dressing, but the concentration of fertilizers is halved.

Phosphorus and potassium in equal proportions are fed rhododendron in the middle of summer at the rate of 40 g / m², this is done to stimulate the setting of flower buds and increase winter hardiness, but the abundance of nitrogen fertilizers during this period is unacceptable, as it leads to the rapid development of shoots and interferes with the setting of flower kidneys.

For the winter, rhododendron bushes are mulched with peat, and over them they arrange frames made of arcs, which are covered with agrofibre and polyethylene, which completely closes with the onset of frost.

The most common fungal diseases of rhododendron are chlorosis, rust, spotting, gray rot. They fight spotting and rust on the leaves of rhododendron with the help of copper-containing preparations, and you can get rid of chlorosis by adding iron chelate to the water during watering or by yourself dissolving a little citric acid in water along with iron sulfate.

Pests - scale insects, spider mites, bedbugs, weevils that infect rhododendron - are dealt with with the help of special fungicides and insecticides, for example, Tiram.

Rhododendron - winter-hardy varieties and their features

This alpine shrub - rhododendron, winter-hardy varieties of which are popular throughout Russia - tolerates cold well, but under natural conditions it winters under deep snow.

For example, rhododendron ferrugineum - rusty rhododendron - requires shelter in those regions where there is not enough snow, and pink amoena rhododendron winters well in the temperate climate of the middle zone, but also needs warming in especially frosty winters. Rhododendron mix is ​​frost-resistant. Cold resistance is inherent in evergreen varieties - Adams' rhododendron, Daurian, Caucasian.

rusty rhododendron - pictured

Not only in Siberia, but also in the temperate climate of the middle zone, it is safer to grow winter-hardy varieties of rhododendron, since frost-resistant plants survive temperatures of -30 ﹾ C even without shelter. The most popular cold-resistant varieties of rhododendron with brightly colored inflorescences are:

• Grandiflorum - purple;
• Nova Zembla - bright red;
• Caractacus - deep pink corrugated flowers;
• Album Novum - pink;
• Pohjola's daughter is purple;
• Elite - contrasting colors, tolerates frost down to -35C
• The Hague - pink
• The University of Helsinki is the most frost-resistant, winters at -40C.

Your site is beautiful if it is adorned with rhododendron, which may take some extra effort to plant and maintain outdoors, but will be rewarded with a delightful bloom.