How to grow schlippenbach rhododendron from seeds? care and photo

Reproduction of rhododendrons

The rhododendron flower reproduces in several ways. Let's consider them in more detail.

Seeds

The most time consuming and ineffective method at home. It is commonly used by breeders to hybridize and develop new varieties.

Seeds bought in a greenhouse or a specialized store are planted in a prepared substrate for rhododendron plants and covered with a "greenhouse" - glass or a transparent container to ensure the same temperature and humidity.

After germination, the sprouts are dived into separate pots and kept in a cool greenhouse for a year, and then transplanted into open ground for adaptation, and only in the third year are transplanted to a permanent place of residence. It is recommended to purchase just three- and five-year-old plants for planting on your site.

Flowering of rhododendrons grown from seeds occurs no earlier than in the sixth to eighth year from the date of planting.

Cuttings

The method is not much easier and not always productive. Relatively young, semi-lignified branches are selected and cuttings are cut from them, no more than five to eight centimeters long.

The extra leaves will be removed, only the top two or three remain. Freshly cut shoots are kept overnight in a solution of a root stimulant that stimulates growth. Then they are planted in pots filled with a three-to-one mixture of peat and sand. Each container is protected with a transparent cover - a glass jar or a cut-off plastic bottle.

Rooting takes a long time, is difficult and does not always work out. Deciduous species are more responsive and release roots after a maximum of one and a half months, while evergreens can "sit" without moving for all four to five months. All this time, the stalk must be moistened and ventilated in good faith.

If rooting is successful, then the cuttings are grown in a different soil - a mixture of peat and pine branches in a two-to-one ratio. In winter, they are provided with a dormant period - exposing them to a cool room, where it is no more than twelve degrees of heat, but not less than eight. In the spring, a container or a pot with a plant is buried in the ground and thus the rhododendron is grown for a couple of years, and only then is it planted in a permanent place.

Taps

A fairly simple way is to drop it. A young shoot at the root collar is bent to the ground and fixed with a wire loop in a previously dug groove at a depth of at least 15-20 cm. The hole is covered with a mixture of sand and peat, and the top of the stem is directed with a peg so that it grows up.

Within a year, the shoot takes root, it can be cut off from the mother bush and transplanted to a new place. This method is most suitable for deciduous varieties.

Rhododendron Ledebour

Rhododendron ledebourii Pojark.

Local Altai species, it is called here "maralnik". It is difficult to say why - maybe because it grows on steep rocks, where only marals can climb? ..
I cannot resist and quote from the book of Z.I. Luchnik describing the natural habitats of Ledebour's rhododendron:

From this description it is perfectly clear that this rhododendron is unlikely to be threatened with freezing. At the heights in the Yaloman region, the climate is as harsh and unattractive as imagination can. It is paradoxical that the introduction of this species into the culture is fraught with numerous difficulties. For Ledebour's rhododendron, it is necessary to create the illusion of native harsh places - stone slopes, little snow in winter, covered with sour peat.

Seedlings of this species, like others, I grow in one hundred percent sour peat and besides the problem of squeezing out of the soil in winter, I did not notice any other difficulties, but my Ledebour rhododendrons are still too small.

A month after the emergence of shoots, I dive into cups. Seedlings grow somewhat faster than other species:

PK214 Seedlings of Ledebour rhododendron - the first true leaf

By the fall, the seedlings of Ledebour's rhododendron had reached quite a solid 10-12 cm:

PK214 Rhododendron Ledebour in the fall of the first year

Caring for rhododendron in the garden

In order for the shrub to fully develop, the rhododendron will need good care. It will consist of periodic spraying, regular watering and top dressing. The area next to the bush will also have to be weeded. But you cannot use a hoe in this case - there is a risk of touching the shallow roots of the plant. In addition, the rhododendron will need systematic pruning and screening for diseases or harmful insects.

Watering

The most important for rhododendron is the degree of humidity in the air and soil, especially during the formation of buds. The number of flowers in the next year depends on compliance with the watering regime.

To moisten the soil, use only soft - rain or well-settled water. You can apply another method of water preparation - the day before watering, 1-2 handfuls of high-moor peat are added to it for acidification.

The amount of watering can be estimated by the state of the foliage of the rhododendron. When its shiny plates become dull or slightly wither, the bush clearly needs watering. The optimal level is considered to be moisture to a depth of 30 cm. But water should not stagnate in the ground: the plant is very sensitive to waterlogging. The bush reacts to it in almost the same way as to drought: it folds the foliage and lowers it. To avoid overflow in hot weather, the usual amount of watering should be combined with moistening the foliage from a spray bottle. Spraying will also require soft water.

Pruning

The rhododendron practically does not need formative pruning: its crown by nature has beautiful outlines. They begin to cut the bush when it becomes too tall or it is time to rejuvenate it. Pruning can also be carried out for sanitary purposes, for example, if the branches of the plant have been touched by frost.

Pruning of adult rhododendrons must be carried out in the spring, before active sap flow begins. Slices about 2-4 cm in size should be disinfected with a garden varnish. About a month after this procedure, dormant buds will begin to wake up on the branches. The bush will continue to update throughout the year.

Bushes that are too old or affected by frost should be cut to a height of 35 cm.In order not to harm the rhododendron, pruning is carried out in two steps: first, only half of the bush is cut, and the second is trimmed only next year.

You should know that every bush does not please every year with abundant flowering. As a rule, in the season after a long and lush flowering, the plant "rests" and forms much fewer buds. If desired, this feature can be influenced. After the flowering of the rhododendron, all dried inflorescences should be broken off. So the bush does not have to spend energy on the formation of fruits, and he will direct them to the buds of the next year.

Top dressing

It is necessary to feed both old rhododendrons and young, recently rooted seedlings. The first time fertilization is applied at the beginning of spring, and the last - until the beginning of August, after the bush has faded and begins to form fresh twigs. Usually, liquid formulations are used for rhododendron, containing cow dung, partially overheated, as well as horn flour. To prepare such a mixture, manure is diluted in water in a ratio of 1:15, and then left to infuse for several days. Before applying the solution, the bushes must be watered abundantly.

Rhododendrons need acidic soil, therefore, the mineral compounds that are introduced into the soil during feeding should not affect its reaction. Bushes can be fertilized with superphosphate, as well as potassium sulfate, ammonium or calcium and other similar compounds. These fertilizers are used in a very small dosage (1.2: 1000), and the potash compounds are diluted even more.

Approximate Nutrient Schedule Guidelines:

• In the spring, organic or mineral compounds are introduced, including nitrogen. For 1 sq. m, about 50 g of magnesium sulfate and the same amount of ammonium sulfate are taken;
• At the very beginning of summer, after flowering, superphosphate and potassium sulfate are added at the rate of 20 g per 1 sq. m. Ammonium sulfate (40 g) is added to them;
• The last feeding is carried out in the middle of summer, repeating the introduction of superphosphate and potassium sulfate in the same dosage.

How to prepare a shelter for winter

From how the plant will endure the winter, its flowering will come. There are deciduous and evergreen rhododendrons and all different in winter hardiness. If you don't want to risk your pet, you should build a shelter, especially young specimens, even frost-resistant ones.

The bush must be covered with roofing material or some kind of frame shelter should be used for this purpose. Heavy snowfalls and strong winds cause significant damage to the bush. To prevent azaleas from freezing, experienced flower growers construct special protective structures from polyurethane foam or polypropylene.

You can clean up the shelter somewhere in April, do not delay too much with this, so that the handsome man does not pry on you, having previously chosen a cloudy day, as if preparing the plant for the external environment and not getting sunburn.

Diseases and pests

Like other deciduous species that prefer shade, Schlippenbach's rhododendron is more resistant to disease and pests than its evergreen cousins. With the right choice of planting site and proper care, this plant is weakly susceptible to such troubles. Some of the most common diseases and pests are listed below.

• Tracheomycotic wilting caused by fungus. With this disease, the roots rot, the leaves turn brown and fall off. In the case of industrial plant cultivation, spraying of the crown and watering of the roots with a 0.2% solution of "Fundazol" is used as a preventive measure. Diseased plants are dug up and completely burned.
• Phytophthora rot is caused by a fungus. Often, the disease provokes poor drainage of the root zone. Externally manifests itself in the falling of leaves, yellowing of branches, rotting wood. At the initial stage of the disease, the shrub can be cured by spraying it with Bordeaux liquid or its analogues. In the later stages, the plant is dug up and burned.
• Rhododendron mosaic. The causative agent is the mosaic virus, which can be carried by insects. In case of disease, the leaves of the plant are affected by mosaic yellow spots or green calluses. At the same time, the growth of the bush stops, flowering becomes weak. To fight the disease, cut off the affected shoots or simply destroy the heavily affected plant.
• The common spider mite is hardly noticeable due to its tiny size. The leaves of the bush affected by the mite turn yellow and dry out. They fight it with insecticides (Actellik).
• Acacia false shield is a small wingless insect up to 6 mm long. Plants affected by it weaken and gradually dry out. You can fight it by spraying shrubs with organophosphate compounds or insecticides (Aktara).
• Tobacco thrips is a winged insect up to 1 mm long. Thrips damage the buds of rhododendrons, and in addition are carriers of viral diseases. Various insecticides are used against them (Fufanon, Karate Zeon).

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Reproduction methods

There are three ways to grow this type of rhododendrons: by layering, petioles and seeds.

Seeds

The most commonly used method is seed propagation, as it does not require complex preparatory work, and germination is very good. For sowing, an acidic substrate is taken, which includes soil for azaleas and decayed needles. The soil is preliminarily disinfected, and the seeds are prepared for several days in warm water.

Schlippenbach's rhododendron flower

After completing the preparation, sowing is carried out in the following sequence:

1. A container is taken and first a drainage layer is laid in it, and on top of it a mixture of soil.
2. The seeds are pressed against the ground without deepening.
3. The container is covered with a transparent film and placed in a lighted warm place.
4. When the seeds have their first sunrises, you need to wait a couple of weeks, after which the container with seedlings is moved to a bright but cool place.
5. The soil is regularly moistened. This must be done carefully so as not to damage the sprouts.
6. After the appearance of the first leaves, the seedlings are moved to separate pots.

Important! It is necessary to take out the seedlings outside when the temperature is at least +5 ° С, first for 10 minutes, then the time spent outside increases

Layers

The easiest way is to grow rhododendron by layering. To do this, after flowering, the shoots of the bush are pressed to the ground, and the place of inflection is covered with soil. Watering this place is carried out regularly. Subsequently, closer to autumn, the first roots should appear, and in the spring the sprout is carefully separated from the main plant and transplanted.

Cuttings

When grafting in early summer, you should prepare slightly woody cuttings, about 150 mm long. The cut branches are infused for several days in a special solution to stimulate the growth of the root system, after which they are transplanted into a container with soil.

Important! It will take several months for the cuttings to root, and planting in open ground should be done in the spring of next year.

Planting and breeding

It is best to plant Schlippenbach's rhododendron in the soil in the spring. For an adult plant, you need to prepare a hole 60 cm deep and about 70 cm wide. Then soil is poured into this hole. The shrub loves acidic soil, so mixtures based on high-moor (low acid) peat are suitable for it. Rotten coniferous compost, pine soil, any organic fertilizer or simple humus are added to the peat. Also, be sure to add half a bucket of river sand to the mixture. A litter of needles is placed at the bottom of the hole, a thoroughly mixed mixture is poured, a hole is made for the root and a bush is planted there.

The drainage should be about 15 centimeters thick. From above, the drainage is sprinkled with a mixture of peat, needles, tree bark, as well as mineral sulfate fertilizers. Then a hill is poured over this base from a mixture of earth for planting and a rhododendron is planted on such an elevation. Thus, its roots will always be in an acidic soil layer, isolated from the main soil layer in the garden.

Rhododendron propagates by seeds, cuttings and air layers. Growing from seeds is quite popular, since the species produces good shoots, and the seed does not require special preparation. The seeds are planted in a small container. A drainage layer of small pebbles or brick chips is poured onto its bottom. The soil for the seeds should be acidic, with a pH of 3.5-4.5. It is best to take land for azaleas, mix it with rotten needles in a 1: 1 ratio, you can use pure high-moor peat, which is sold in flower shops.

The finished mixture is moistened and seeds are sown there. The container is covered with foil and placed in a warm and bright place, with a temperature of 18 to 24 degrees. If the planting and care were correct, the first shoots should appear in a period of time from a week to two months. If the plant was planted in winter, it must be highlighted so that the daylight hours for the shoots lasts at least 16 hours.

Ready seedlings should be placed in a cooler place in order to accustom them to outdoor conditions. When real leaves appear on them, the plants are transplanted into separate pots. Young rhododendrons can be planted in open ground in the spring, in mid-April.

An equally popular breeding method is cuttings. It is carried out after the rhododendron has faded. Cut a branch about 15 centimeters long and plant it in acidic soil, approximately the same as for seeds. Rooting takes a month and a half. It is advisable to wrap the stalk in plastic wrap or cover it with a glass cap. After the branch has taken root, it is transferred to another vessel. In the spring, you can plant the plant in the garden.

Schlippenbach's rhododendron takes root well with the help of air layers. To do this, in the middle of summer, after the end of flowering, one branch of the shrub is added to the ground and watered regularly. In late summer or early autumn, it takes root. The branch can be cut and gently dug up. It is transferred to a pot to be planted in the garden next season.

How to propagate?

Schlippenbach's rhododendron reproduces successfully by seeds, layering and cuttings.

• Seeds - this method is often used because the seeds have very good germination. The seeds ripen in July - you can start growing immediately.
  1. They are sown into moist, loose (acidic) soil, the container is tightened on top with a film or covered with glass and at a temperature of 20 - 24 degrees, shoots are awaited. They appear in about 2 to 6 weeks.
  2. After the formation of real leaves, the seedlings are transplanted into pots and placed in a cool place.
  3. In the spring (in the second half of April) they can be planted in a permanent place in the garden.
• Cuttings - cut the apical shoots (about 15 cm each), place under the film. You can plant it in the ground after a year.
• Layers - after the end of flowering (in June - July), the branch is added dropwise and constantly watered. By the fall, its own root system will already be formed there, but it is better to separate and transplant a new plant separately in spring.

What is this plant?

Definition

Deciduous rhododendron belongs to the numerous heather family - there are about 900 representatives of this genus of rhododendrons. The literal translation of rhododendron is "rose tree", that is, a flowering and fragrant exotic plant. Grows evergreen, semi-evergreen and deciduous - with falling leaves, bushes and miniature trees.

WARNING: Deciduous rhododendron is an evergreen or semi-evergreen shrub. The homeland of the deciduous rhododendron is considered to be Japan, China, the Himalayas, Southeast Asia and even northern Australia.

Description

The average height of a deciduous rhododendron is about 1 meter. Some varieties can grow up to 8 - 10 meters and can be a flowering hedge of houses and parks. The flowers themselves look like intricate bells or funnels with graceful iridescent stamens. Inflorescences can be voluminous, and can be collected in 2 - 3 flowers, it all depends on the bred variety. Sometimes one inflorescence unites up to 20 flowers - the crown becomes thick and dense.

The flowers themselves are quite large. The flowers of the deciduous rhododendron amaze with a variety of colors and shades. There are bright red, scarlet, sunny yellow, pale pink, light lilac.

The deciduous yellow rhododendron, which is very popular among domestic flower growers. It grows up to a meter in height, loves light and moisture very much. The flowers, depending on the variety, can be bright sunny in color, and some have a golden hue. They have a light pleasant aroma. Flowering occurs simultaneously with the blooming of the leaves - this is a feature of this type of deciduous shrub.

The surface of the leaves is glossy, the leaves are tight, of medium and small size - 3 - 6 cm. In domestic floriculture, about 20 sub-varieties of deciduous rhododendron are bred. Deciduous rhododendron is quite resistant to diseases and garden pests.

Features of growing in cold climates

Some gardeners, having chosen a beautiful specimen of rhododendron and planting it on a plot in the Moscow region, are disappointed, since the bush does not take root, it freezes at the first frost. This is not surprising, since the plant was not chosen correctly.

There are specimens suitable only for warm edges. Planting just such bushes gives an unsuccessful result.

There are cold-resistant varieties among rhododendrons

Residents of the Leningrad Region, Moscow Region can grow a rhododendron on their personal plot, if they choose the right variety. And then the bush will delight gardeners with its exotic beauty.

Among the rhododendrons, there are cold-resistant varieties. These are deciduous plants of the variety: Phukan, Kamchatka, Schlippenbach, yellow, Japanese. Of the ever-green ones, they are suitable: Cavtenby (hybrids: Nova Zembla, Abraham Lincoln, Alfred, Kenningham), Smirnova (hybrids Laika, Dorothy Swift, Gabriel), the largest, golden, kortkoplodny.

Northern Light plants are suitable for the cold weather of central Russia: Spicy Lights, Pink Lights, Rosie Lights. For the harsh climate, Finnish varieties have recently been bred: The Hague, Elvira, Mikkeli.

It is not enough to have a cold-resistant variety, you need to plant it correctly and provide the necessary care.

Having chosen a shady place, you need to prepare a soil mixture by mixing peat with garden soil and needles. Rhododendron mix can be purchased at the store. Complex mineral fertilizer is added to the ground. It is necessary to plant a bush with respect to the distance from other trees, the distance should be at least a meter so that the roots do not interfere with the development of the bush.

If the soil is clay, a 15 cm layer of broken brick is poured onto the bottom of the pit. The size of the pit should be twice the size of the container with the plant. When planting, it is not recommended to deepen the root collar of the bush, it should be flush with the ground. Having tamped the soil, the rhododendron needs to be watered.

Plant care is the same as for a normal garden look.

It is necessary to adhere to certain rules, these are:

• maintain the acidity of the soil at the proper level, avoid alkalization. Avoid ingress of ash, dolomite, lime into the soil, as these substances alkalize the soil
• it is impossible to loosen the soil around the planting, as it is possible to damage the root system located close to the surface of the earth. Mulching is used instead.
• plant rhododendron on the northern shady side of the site. Protect the bush from direct sunlight by covering with a cloth, gauze
• do not flood the plant. In the summer, watering is carried out twice a week.

Constant rains in the fall can cause numerous shoots to grow rapidly. Since they, not having time to mature, die with the onset of cold weather, you can avoid their appearance by spraying the bush with potassium monophosphate or sulfate (1.0%). Such a procedure prevents the development of young shoots, promotes the laying of flower buds.

It is impossible to water the plant after spraying, even if dry weather sets in.

Before the onset of cold weather, the bush is covered with a frame with a film, secured with twine to prevent cold air from entering.

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