Rhododendron has become a favorite of many gardeners as an unpretentious ornamental shrub with bright beautiful flowers, some of which emit a fragrance. In order for an elegant bush to please the eye in the area, you need to know the rules for planting and caring for rhododendron.
Content:
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general description
Rhododendron is an evergreen shrub of the heather family. There is a wide variety with up to 3000 species. Among them there are both creeping shrubs and trees reaching thirty meters in height.
There are deciduous varieties. Translated from Latin, rhododendron means a tree of roses.
Rhododendron is represented by a large species diversity
Indeed, the flowers formed into lush clusters resemble pink flowers, which differ in size and shape depending on the variety. The smallest ones are a few millimeters in diameter, and the largest ones reach 20 cm.
- purple
- red
- yellow
- orange
- pink
- crimson
- white
- The shape of the flowers is diverse, there are: funnel-shaped, tubular, bell-shaped, wheel-shaped. From the flowers a fruit is formed, which is a five-fold box filled with seeds up to 2 mm.
- Decorative egg-shaped leaves form an elegant crown. There are specimens with deeply planted leaves and petioles. The roots have a superficial system of many thin layers, which greatly facilitates plant transplantation.
They grow wild in the coastal zones of the seas, rivers, on the northern slopes of the mountains of the countries of Southeast Asia.
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When is the best time to plant a rhododendron?
You can plant a garden rhododendron in the ground in spring (from April to May) and autumn (from September to November) period. The optimal time for planting is indicated, although it can be carried out in a different period, the main thing is that the plant is not flowering. In northern latitudes, it is recommended to plant cold-resistant varieties.
For planting, choose a shaded place with loose, well-fertilized acidic soil. With high groundwater, a raised bed is made to avoid decay. In order for the bush to grow well, you need to carefully select the surrounding trees. It should not be planted in close proximity to crops whose roots are located at the same depth as rhododendrons.
Spring and autumn are the best times to plant
You can plant a garden rhododendron in the ground in the spring (April to May) and autumn (September to November) period. The optimal time for planting is indicated, although it can be carried out in a different period, the main thing is that the plant is not flowering. In northern latitudes, it is recommended to plant cold-resistant varieties.
For planting, choose a shaded place with loose, well-fertilized acidic soil. With high groundwater, a raised bed is made to avoid decay. In order for the bush to grow well, you need to carefully select the surrounding trees. It should not be planted in close proximity to crops whose roots are located at the same depth as rhododendrons.
- pear
- Apple tree
- Pine
- larch
- oak
These trees have deep roots. And poplar, elm, alder, maple, chestnut, linden will take water and food from the bush. If it is not possible to avoid such a neighborhood, materials such as roofing material, geotextile, polyethylene film will come to the rescue, which separate the boundary of the plant's growth.
How to plant
The main condition for planting is the acidity of the soil, in addition to the fact that it must be well fertilized with humus. You can check for acidity in a simple folk way. For this, currant or cherry leaves are poured with boiling water.
Throw a handful of soil into the cooled water. If the water changes color to blue, then the earth should be acidified. This is done by introducing rotted needles or sawdust of coniferous wood into the soil.
Fertilize the soil before planting
If the water changes color to green, this indicates the neutrality of the soil, and to red, then everything is in order, the earth has the desired acidic composition. A hole is dug half a meter deep and 60 cm wide. Pour a mixture of peat, loam, taken in a ratio of 8: 3.5, tamp. Make the hole larger than the root system of the plant.
Seedlings are prepared for planting, they are kept in water until the rise of air bubbles stops. The seedling is lowered into the hole so that the basal neck is level with the ground.
The soil around is compacted. The bush should be watered abundantly, the soil around should be mulched with moss, peat or oak leaves by 5 cm. If there are a lot of flower buds on the bush, some of them are removed so that the main forces of the bush are spent on rooting.
If the plants are planted singly, they are tied to support pegs, which are removed after the final rooting.
Care
A beautiful rhododendron is the result of proper care
The earth around the rhododendron cannot be manually loosened to avoid damage to the roots located close to the surface.
- watering
- weeding
- spraying
- top dressing
- bush cutting
- control of harmful insects and diseases
Watering
Rhododendron is a moisture-loving plant, but excessive watering causes root rot. Watered with soft water: settled or rain.
Over watering harms the plant
You can soften the water for irrigation by adding a few handfuls of peat a day before watering. The plant is sensitive to both drought and excess moisture. Here you need to be careful. Watering is carried out when the leaves lose their elasticity and luster.
Weeding
Weeds must be pulled out by hand
Weeds are recommended to be pulled out by hand, as wielding a chopper can damage the roots of high-lying plants.
spraying
Needs frequent spraying
Since the rhododendron comes from countries with a humid climate, frequent spraying of the bush with soft water is shown.
top dressing
The plant needs constant feeding, even if the bush was planted in the current year. Fertilize start in early spring and finish at the end Julywhen flowering ends and young shoots begin to emerge.
Top dressing is made from semi-rotted cow dung. Manure, diluted with water in a ratio of 1: 15, stand for several days. Before fertilizing, the bush is watered.
Long lasting fertilizer
From mineral fertilizers are shown: phosphate, nitrate, potassium sulphate, ammonium sulphate, calcium and magnesium sulphate, superphosphate. Calcium, magnesium and potassium fertilizers are taken in a very small proportion: 1.2: 1000.
Nitrogen-containing fertilizers are applied in early spring - 50 grams of magnesium sulfate and the same amount of ammonium sulfate per 1 m2. In early June, after flowering, use 20 gr. potassium sulfate and superphosphate, 40 grams of ammonium sulphate per 1 m 2. Later, in July, 20 grams are added. potassium sulfate and superphosphate.
bush pruning
Rhododendron almost does not need to form a crown, as it has the correct shape. Periodically, pruning should be carried out to remove dried branches, rejuvenate a strictly bush. Sometimes it becomes necessary to regulate certain sizes of the bush.
Rhododendron pruning is carried out in the spring
Pruning is carried out in early spring. Places for cutting branches up to 4 mm thick must be treated with garden pitch. Pruning should be small, leaving at least three-quarters of the bush.
Rhododendrons bloom luxuriantly in a year. To have a beautifully flowering bush, it is recommended to remove wilted inflorescences immediately after flowering every year. This will provide an influx of strength to the plant for the formation of new buds next year.
Fight against harmful insects and diseases
Mealybug
Due to poor air access to the roots, rhododendrons are susceptible to infection by fungal diseases.
- rust
- chlorosis
- leaf spot
- crayfish
Yellowing of the leaves indicates a disease of chlorosis. To get rid of it, iron chelate is added to the water for irrigation. You can use a solution of citric acid with iron sulfate. Copper sulphate preparations are used to combat spotting and rust.
Spraying the bush with Bordeaux liquid helps well in early spring and late autumn. It also prevents the occurrence of cancer. If symptoms have already appeared, diseased shoots are pruned.
- weevils
- scale insects
- mealybugs
- spider mites
- bedbugs
- rhododendron flies
- slugs, snails
Shellfish are harvested by hand. For preventive purposes, the plant is treated with an 8% solution of TMTD fungicide. Weevils, bedbugs and mites are destroyed with diazinon. Against flies, mealybugs, scale insects, karbofos is used.
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reproduction
Rhododendron is propagated:
cuttings
plant cuttings
For cuttings take semi-woody shoots. Cuttings are cut 5–8 cm long. The lower leaves are removed and placed cut down in the root growth stimulator for 16 hours. Then they are placed in a peat mixture with sand in a ratio of 3: 1. Covered with polyethylene, forming a transparent dome. Open during watering.
The term of rooting in deciduous plants is up to 1.5 months, and in evergreen plants - up to 4 months. Planted in boxes with a mixture of peat with pine needles (2: 1). In winter, put in a room with a temperature of 8-12 degrees.
In the spring they are planted in the ground along with a box, a year later they are transplanted to another place.
layering
The easiest way to propagate rhododendron
The easiest way is to propagate by layering. They take the lower shoot, bend it to the ground in a pre-dug groove, press it in the middle and cover it with earth with peat.
Tie the top of the branch to a vertical peg. Water with an adult bush. After rooting, they are transplanted to another place.
seeds
Rhododendron seeds
Seeds are sown in containers with moist peat or heather soil mixed with sand in a ratio of 3: 1. Sprinkle the top of the seeds with sand. Covered with glass. Periodically ventilate and water as the earth dries. The seeds usually germinate in a month.
As soon as two leaves appear, the sprouts are transplanted at a distance of 3 cm to form a root system. During the year they are kept in a greenhouse in cool conditions. A year later, planted on beds into open ground. The flowering of the plant begins only at 6 - 8 years.
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Flower tea helps with colds
Rhododendron contains ascorbic acid in large quantities, tannins, essential oils, phytoncides, rutin, tannins, arbutin, andromedotoxin, ericoline, and many other elements that make it possible to put it among medicinal plants.
Caucasian, golden, Dahurian, Indian rhododendrons have pronounced healing properties.
Preparations prepared from the leaves and flowers of the plant give the effect of:
- Bactericidal properties used in the fight against staphylococci, streptococci, pathogenic microorganisms.
- Decoction of flowers helps in the treatment of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. It is part of the diuretic drug for urolithiasis.
- Rubbing in sore spots tincture of leaves and flowers helps with polyarthritis, osteochondrosis, neuralgia, sciatica. The ability to remove fluid from the body is used in many diseases, as it helps to cope with swelling, which contributes to better health. Used to treat diseases of the heart and blood vessels, hypertension.
- leaf preparations relieve the condition of bronchial asthma, epilepsy, soften dry cough, have a beneficial effect on the lungs, relieve fever. The calming effect improves falling asleep, relieves irritability, nervousness.
- Leaf infusion used as a douche for uterine erosion.
- flower tea relieves pain in the head, throat. Effective for colds.
- Alcohol tincture on flowers and leaves taken for poisoning with mercury vapor, inflammation of the mucous membrane.
- Nursing mothers
- Women in position
- Patients with acute renal failure
The content of a large amount of essential oils makes rhododendron in demand in the perfume industry. Extracts from the plant are used to make perfumes.
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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 during the first frosts. This is not surprising, since the plant was incorrectly selected.
There are instances suitable only for warm edges. Planting just such bushes gives an unsuccessful result.
Among rhododendrons there are cold-resistant varieties
Residents of the Leningrad region, Moscow region can grow a rhododendron in their backyard if they choose the right variety. And then the bush will delight gardeners with its exotic beauty.
Among rhododendrons there are cold-resistant varieties. These are deciduous plants of the variety: Phukan, Kamchatka, Schlippenbach, yellow, Japanese. Of the evergreens suitable: Kavtenbiysky (hybrids: Nova Zembla, Abraham Lincoln, Alfred, Kenningham), Smirnova (hybrids Laika, Dorothy Swift, Gabriel), the largest, golden, short-fruited.
Northern Light plants are suitable for the cold 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 mixture of soil by mixing peat with garden soil and needles. A mixture for rhododendron can be bought at the store. Complex mineral fertilizer is added to the ground. It is necessary to plant a bush in compliance with 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 clayey, a layer of broken bricks of 15 cm is poured into the bottom of the pit. The hole should be twice the size of the plant container. When planting, it is not recommended to deepen the root neck 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 regular garden look.
It is necessary to adhere to certain rules, these are:
- maintain soil acidity at the proper level, avoid alkalization. Avoid getting ash, dolomite, lime into the soil, as these substances alkalize the soil
- do not loosen the soil around the planting, since it is possible to damage the root system located close to the surface of the earth. Instead, use mulching
- plant rhododendron on the northern shady side of the site. Protect the bush from direct sunlight by covering with cloth, gauze
- do not flood the plant. During summer, water twice a week.
Constantly falling rains in autumn can cause the rapid growth of numerous shoots. Since they, not having time to ripen, die with the onset of cold weather, their appearance can be avoided by spraying a bush of 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, fixed with twine to prevent cold air from entering.
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The plant has many varieties. Consider some of them, common in the regions of Russia.
pink rhododendron
Deciduous shrub variety native to Canada. Frost-resistant, withstands cold up to -30 degrees. The leaves are ellipsoid, up to three centimeters in size, covered with villi. The height of the bush ranges from one to three meters.
The inflorescence contains up to 9 flowers. Flowering begins with the appearance of the first leaves in April and lasts two weeks. The plant prefers rocky soil, preferably planted in groups. Avoid places with underground groundwater.
Propagated by layering, bending the shoots to the ground, and seeds. If the plant is provided with proper care, it can delight with lush flowering twice a year.
Rhododendron Katevbinsky "Grandiflorum"
This type of shrub has a magnificent view during flowering. This plant reaches a height of up to 6 meters. The overgrown semicircular dense crown has a diameter of up to two meters. Used in group plantings. Complements landscaping, can be used as a hedge. Likes lighted places, afraid of drafts.
The bark has a brown tint. Elongated leaves of dark green color up to 15 cm long and up to 5 cm wide. Above - dark and shiny, below - matte and light with visible dark streaks.
Flowers in the form of bells of lilac, white, purple, purple-red. In the inflorescence there are up to 20 flowers with a diameter of about 6 cm. The flowering plant is a grandiose spectacle, capable of decorating the most exquisite landscape from May to June. The fruits are formed in October, have the form of boxes.
The plant is used to decorate fences, paths, arbors. With the help of plantings, you can create colorful compositions, combining with other cultures. They look beautiful next to thuja and cypress.
Since the shrub grows well up, pruning is recommended in the form of pinching individual shoots. The plant is moisture-loving, so in hot weather it is best to provide deep watering.
Rhododendron Helsinki
Winter-hardy evergreen variety, bred in Finland. This is the most resistant shrub to weather changes and cold.The height of the bush reaches 1.7 m with a crown diameter of 1.5 m. Dark green leaves reach 15 cm in length.
Pale pink flowers with dark red dots in the upper part of the petal have a funnel shape with a diameter of 7.5 cm. A distinctive feature is the slightly wavy edges of the petals. Flowers are collected in inflorescences with up to 18 flowers. Young plants bloom in early summer (June).
Shade-loving plant can bloom even in the shade of trees and buildings. The bush tolerates frosts up to -40 degrees.
For better flowering, faded inflorescences and seed pods are removed. For a successful wintering, the plant is watered. Good watering should be ensured in hot weather - 12 liters per bush twice a week.
Weeding is done by hand, leaving weeds next to the bush for mulching. Propagated by cuttings and seeds. Planting seeds does not make it possible to get a flowering bush in a short time, flowering begins only in the fifth or sixth year.
From this side cuttings are effective. Flowers appear in a year. The plant reproduces well by layering, providing flowering in a year.
Planting is carried out in separate groups, I select plants of various colors. To select the composition, they are combined with evergreen shrubs, differing in the height of the bush.
The beauty of rhododendron flowers is especially impressive against the background of the dark crown of firs, cypresses, and pines. It goes well in composition with creeping crops in rock gardens.
Rhododendron Nova Zembla
This is a hybrid variety, which got its name in honor of the island of the same name on Novaya Zemlya, pleasing to the eye with bright red lush inflorescences. The size of the flowers reaches 10 cm. In the inflorescence there are up to 12 bell-shaped flowers.
The ruby color of the petals with brown blotches in the center and golden anthers are a magnificent sight. Elongated leathery leaves with a dark green surface and light on the back. The branched trunk is gray in color.
The evergreen shrub is cold hardy. The bush grows rapidly, reaching a height of two meters. Has a spreading crown. Branched grey.
A distinctive feature is that it can be grown without shelter for the winter, hibernates at a frost of -30 degrees. In conditions of a particularly severe winter in the Urals and Siberia, the bush is covered for the winter with a protective frame. Young fragile shrubs also require shelter with the onset of cold weather.
The bush blooms in May-June. Light places are the preferred landing site. It is better to grow on the northern slopes of the mountains, in the shaded corners of the site. The plant does not like strong winds. Feels good in planting next to pine trees.
The plant looks beautiful on large personal plots, in the garden, near water bodies in the form of group plantings. Effective combination with other varieties of evergreen rhododendron, which benefits from the use of contrasting colors. It turns out an enchanting spectacle.
The main ways of propagating shrubs are cuttings and layering. Propagation by seeds for evergreens is not particularly used, since this method leads to the loss of varietal characteristics.
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This type of rhododendron is distinguished by the fact that it does not shed its leaves for the winter, but they only fold, returning to their original form in the spring.
- golden
- Adams
- Alfred
- Yakushimansky
- Roseum Elegance
- Katevbinsky
golden rhododendron
A low wild shrub in the regions of the Far East, Siberia, Buryatia.
Reaches a height of up to 60 cm, sometimes up to one meter. Elongated dark green elliptical leaves reach a length of 8 cm, a width of 2.3 cm.
Golden-yellow flowers reach a diameter of 5 cm. Inflorescences have up to ten flowers.The pubescent filaments terminate in anthers up to 2 mm in size.
In artificial conditions, it does not take root very well. Although there is evidence of successful cultivation from seeds. It is successfully grown in the Baltic States and Finland. Outside the zone of natural growth, due to the diversity of natural conditions, the bush is difficult to take root. Gets sick and dies.
Rhododendron Adams
Also known as Buryat tea, fragrant wild rosemary, Belogorsk tea. The natural habitat is the rocky slopes of the highlands of Buryatia.
It is a low shrub growing up to half a meter in height. The elongated leaves reach two centimeters in length and one centimeter in width. Green leaves change color to reddish-brown with age.
Hairy shoots are covered with scales. Light pink flowers 1.5 cm in diameter are collected in inflorescences that contain up to 15 flowers. Flowering occurs from June to August.
The shrub has medicinal properties equivalent to ginseng and lemongrass. Energy-restoring and stimulating preparations are prepared from it. For the preparation of medicinal fees use inflorescences and leaves.
Drugs are used to restore immunity, from colds, as a sedative. It is used in gynecological practice in the fight against infertility.
Tea brewed from the petals and flowers of the plant improves heart rate, improves cerebral circulation, thereby improving mental performance.
Rhododendron Alfreda
Hybrid shrub up to 1.2 m high with a one and a half meter crown.
Elongated shiny leaves of dark green color reach a length of 15 cm, a width of 5 cm. Large purple-red flowers with an olive spot in the middle reach a diameter of 6 cm, collected in inflorescences of 20 flowers.
Flowering begins in June and lasts about 20 days. Used for both single and group planting in shaded areas.
Rhododendron Yakushimansky
Beautiful evergreen shrub with pale pink flowers at the beginning of flowering. As it blooms, the color changes to dazzling white.
Flowers with a diameter of 7 cm are collected in inflorescences of 7 pieces. Flowering starts at May and ends in June.
The bush is distinguished by a rather wide crown with a diameter of 1.5 m and a height of up to one meter. Another feature that is pleasant for gardeners is that the plant is resistant to diseases and pests.
Roseum Elegance
The shrub reaches a height of 3 meters. It has an almost regular spherical shape.
Funnel-shaped flowers with wavy petals along the edges are collected in inflorescences up to 15 pieces. A flowering plant has a beautiful appearance, which makes it the preferred choice for landscape design.
Only the leaves that have appeared have a reddish color, which changes to dark green during the growth of the plant. We love gardeners for their decorative effect at any time of the year and frost resistance.
Rhododendron: choosing a place, planting, care
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