Azalea or potted rhododendrons

Azalea Flower Photo
It belongs to the family of heather, it is an evergreen shrub ranging in size from 40-50 and up to 150 cm with a small drooping dark green leaves. Its flowers are single or double with flowers of different colors. Azalea, depending on the varieties of flowers from November to April, a period of from 40 to 60 days.

Azalea requires shading and does not tolerate direct sunlight.

Watering Azalea: it should be watered abundantly, for this a few times a week, the pot should be placed in a container of liquid to saturation. At low humidity should be placed in pots of moist peat. Water the azalea should be soft water without lime.

The temperature of the content of azaleas: dry air and high temperatures is not suitable for azaleas, it requires a cool winter light room at a temperature 5-6 °C summer azalea requires open air.

Land mix for azaleas: very good fit mixture of river sand, peat, softwood land (1/6 1: 1).

Reproduction azaleas: grafting, seeds, cuttings.

Features of cultivation of azaleas: every 10-14 days during the period from April to July, the plant should be fed acidic chlorine free fertilizers (ammonium nitrate, ammonium sulfate, potassium sulfate, superphosphate). Azaleas grow well hydroponically. For azaleas can stick such pests as the azalievaya moth and spider mite.

Rainbow palette of rich and vibrant colors of yellow, white, pink, orange, red and purple colors are spectacular sight to our eyes, and this belongs to the flower as azalea (Rhododendron – botanical name). The name Carl Linnaeus gave the azaleas, which means “dry”, it is confirmed by the fact that until the flowers bloom, azaleas have observed small rough leaves, causing the association with the word “dry”.

This flower is a symbol of female beauty in the East. Azalea belongs to the family of heather plants. It is prevalent in sub-tropical and temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere.

Pawn prosperity azaleas will be cool and light place, because she does not like the heat. Between March and September fertilizing plants should be carried out during each week of special fertilizers, ie require acidic soil.

In winter, the plants are kept in a cool place, where the optimum temperature will be 5-8 0 C. In the summer watering azaleas to spend plentiful in autumn watering should be reduced, to cause stimulation of growth of buds. Since azalea likes moist air, for this reason, as soon as the buds appear, they should be sprayed regularly. The flowers that have withered, it is necessary to remove the force of growth and education went on flowering. The plant, which is faded, it is better if he can find a place on the balcony or in the open air in the garden.

As for the propagation, then it can be done all year round, but it is better to carry out mainly between March and June. This process is as follows: 5-8 cm long cuttings should be cut with semilignified shoots age of 4-6 months. . Then planted in the substrate of the coniferous soil, sand and peat at a depth of 1-3 cm and this will be useful to treat their growth stimulator, which include: kornevin, Appin, IAA. Planted cuttings need abundant watering and shelter film. When will be a week, you should raise it daily and spray the cuttings with water. Only with the appearance of roots on cuttings, the film is removed. This occurs in 1.5-2 month in the conditions of temperature 20-25 ° C in humid air.

For the formation of the crown of young plants should be regularly pinch. the first pinching time is necessary then, as soon take root and grow up a little cuttings. Time second pinching occurs in August – on the 5th sheet pinch out side shoots. The third time, azaleas should be cut and it is carried out in early spring, before they start to the growing season.

As important information is not necessary to forget that pot azalea remove faded flowers regularly, then the plant does not lose strength on the formation of seeds, and gives more buds. It should be noted that it is important not to damage at this closely spaced adjacent flower buds.

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