Rhododendron is a fairly popular type of perennial shrub among gardeners. The name of this species consists of two parts: "rodon" means "rose", and "dendron" means a tree. Its flowering can decorate both the garden and the room, and its unpretentious care makes the plant a good choice for beginners. But it is important to know a few nuances about how to plant and grow rhododendron in a garden plot.
General landing rules
Rhododendron is an evergreen shrub plant belonging to the Vereskov family. Belonging to the family explains the similarity of the flowers of this bush with rose flowers. There are about 1000 varieties of rhododendron, among them there are not only shrubs, but also trees and indoor varieties.
Blooming Rhododendron Nova Zembla
Dwarf varieties of bushes, as described by flower lovers, are successfully grown in apartments, especially on balconies and loggias. Most often, rhododendron is present as a tree in garden plots or cottages.
The house will look good rhododendron bonsai
Rhododendron planting in open ground in summer
In the summer, planting a rosewood is not recommended. Arid weather and intense sunshine adversely affect the survival rate of seedlings.
If you need to plant a plant in the summer, it is important to consider several rules:
- Planting is possible only 2 weeks after the flowering period of rhododendron. In a temperate climate, the plant blooms from May to June, which means that the favorable period for planting begins in July.
- It is better to plant a bush in the rainy season. Wet weather will eliminate the risk of seedling drying out, help it root faster.
- It is important to close young plants from direct sunlight. This can be done with the help of a competent choice of landing site or arrangement of a canopy.
Before planting a rhododendron, it is better to remove the flowers on the seedling. In this case, the plant will spend energy not on flowering, but on rooting.
Rhododendron planting in open ground in spring
Experts consider spring to be the optimal time of year for planting rosewood in the ground, or rather, the period from April to mid-May. It is important here not to delay until the flowers begin to tie on the bushes.
note! It is important that the soil is already warmed up. Under no circumstances should this variety of heather be planted in frozen ground!
Sometimes the usual rhododendron is planted in the fall, but for the middle band it is better to choose spring. The plant must have time to take root before the cold, gain strength for wintering.
It is better to plant 2-3 year old seedlings
When and how to plant rhododendrons in open ground
Creating suitable conditions for this bush plant in the open field is much more difficult than in an apartment. You need to adhere to the rules when choosing a place to grow rhododendron, and time for its landing.
Optimal time for landing
As mentioned above, rose bushes are planted in the ground in spring or autumn. But it is important to choose not only the season, but also the right weather.
Quiet cloudy weather, without rain and wind, which will remain for several days after landing - ideal. This will provide the necessary shading and save the drought-sensitive plant from drying out the soil, which means it will simplify the task for the gardener in watering.
For reference! Experienced flower growers can carry out the planting and transplantation of rhododendron throughout the entire growing season except for the flowering time.
Site selection
In the area where it is planned to plant a flower garden, there should be no through wind and direct sunlight. A good option would be a place near the wall of the building, in the courtyard or in the shade of a tall tree.
In this area, the rose flower beds are covered by a tree shadow.
How to water
Watering is best done with soft water. Well-suited well or rain water is perfect. However, it should not be icy so as not to freeze the roots of the plant (it is especially important to monitor this in the early spring).
Well, if the site is constantly filled barrel. In this case, the water will have time to settle and heat up to the optimum temperature, which is useful in caring for other plants.
Rhododendron is a moisture-loving flower. The soil around should not be dry, otherwise the leaves will begin to lose their luster and elasticity. As soon as the leaves become dull, you need to water the plant so that the moisture passes to a depth of about 30 cm.
Wet or dry place
Based on the foregoing, we can conclude that the soil for growing rhododendron should be moderately moist.
Regular watering will not be enough for arid regions. It is important to create lush landscaping of the site, which will help not only to obscure it, but also to regulate air humidity. A good solution would be to install automatic watering turntables.
But frequent watering, as well as a prolonged period of rains, can harm the plant. If the region has frequent and heavy rains, you should consider creating a canopy for the plant.
Landing pit and soil
For rhododendron, both the rules for planting and care in the open ground, and the composition of the soil are important. It should be light enough, permeable to air and water.
Among the components suitable for composing the soil mixture, it is possible to distinguish sand, peat, leaf soil, conifer needles and bark, peat. If the region has coniferous forests, the soil from there is perfect if you mix it with peat in a small amount.
Attention! An important factor is the acidity of the soil. For rhododendron, the pH should be at 4.5-5.5 units.
To check the acidity, you need to stir a little soil in the water, dip a litmus test into it. The desired indicator is its light orange color.
Raising acidity can be harmless to plants by means such as citric acid, sorrel tincture or food vinegar.
PH Scale
Important Notice! For heather, you can not use dung fertilizers, ash and limestone. These components significantly increase the pH level, which will lead to the death of seedlings.
The landing pit should be twice as wide as an earthen coma with the root system of a seedling, in depth - at least 0.5 m. Drainage should be put on the bottom of the pit, for this they’ll fit:
- coarse sand;
- fine gravel;
- fragments of red brick;
- pebbles;
- pine bark.
The drainage layer should be above the maximum elevation of spring water. This is to prevent waterlogging after snow melts.
Features of growing in cold climates
For cold regions (Siberia, the Urals, the Far East) it is better to choose cold-resistant rhododendrons. Growing and caring for a plant in a summer cottage will be easier in this case.
Suitable varieties:
- Golden Lights;
- English Roseum;
- Roseum Elegans;
- Nova Zembla;
- FGM Elite.
The best option in the case of a cold climate is to organize a greenhouse-gazebo on the garden plot. Inside a glass or plastic structure, you can not only plant a rosewood, but also plant other types of flowers, and also set a bench and table for a summer holiday.
It is important to consider that in such regions, seedlings need to be planted only in the spring, when the plant has not yet bloomed. Rhododendron must have time to take root before the onset of cold weather.
In winter, the bushes will have to be closed with classical garden methods to avoid its death during prolonged frosts. It is advisable to open the rhododendron after wintering in March, immediately after the snow melts.
What year does rhododendron bloom after planting
Vegetative varieties of rhododendron can fully bloom the very next year after planting. The first flowering (in the year of planting the seedling) must be cut so that the plant regains strength for active growth and development.
note! There are times when this bush blooms lushly and long for one year, the second year is sparse, and so on. To avoid this situation, you need to immediately cut off faded inflorescences. This will help the woody rose direct juices into blooming buds, not dying ones.
What can you combine rhododendron in the flower garden
Rhododendron garden is important to combine correctly with other plants on the site. The roots of this plant are located shallow in the soil, have a superficial type of system. "Neighbors" should have a core root system. This is necessary so that all plants have enough nutrients in the soil and they do not conflict with each other.
An excellent neighbor in the form of a bush is rhododendron oak, pine or larch. On the one hand, their branches will give the necessary shading, on the other - their deep root systems will not intersect and take away the nutrients of the shrub. Do not plant rhododendron next to a birch, maple, linden, chestnut.
Rhododendron and hydrangea nearby
Hydrangea is a deciduous shrub that is a classic neighbor option for bush rhododendron. For a single flower garden, woody varieties of hydrangeas that bloom well in the shade (Prekoks, Floribunda yellow) are suitable.
In combination with rhododendrons, hydrangeas fill the flowering void in the second half of summer. In addition, the conditions for caring for plants are similar. The only condition is to leave free access to hydrangeas for autumn pruning of shoots.
Breeding methods
Rhododendron plant propagates in three ways: seeds, layering and cuttings. The seed method allows you to get plants with improved properties, but spends a lot of time and effort. The first flowering can be obtained only 5-6 years after germination.
Most often, this flower is propagated by layering:
- In the spring, a small young escape is chosen.
- A groove with a depth of 15 cm is prepared, in which the shoot is placed in the middle part.
- The ditch is filled with soil with peat.
- The upper part of the shoot is tied to a vertical peg.
- In the fall, cuttings are cut from the mother plant and transplanted to a new place.
Layers can be buried both in an arcuate manner and horizontally - it depends on which method is more convenient in this area.
Rooting layering
Cutting of rhododendron occurs as follows:
- Half-lignified shoots are selected, cut along the length of 5-8 cm.
- Leaves are removed in the lower part of the shoots, the cut is placed in the root growth activator.
- After 16-20 hours, the shoots are placed in the soil of peat and sand, covered with a greenhouse.
- Deciduous varieties take root in 1.5-2 months, evergreens in 3-4 months.
Planting rooted cuttings need to be together with the soil that has been bombarded with a rooting tank.
Pruning
Caring for a rhododendron includes pruning a plant in the spring. You need to get rid of dried branches in order to achieve rejuvenation of the bush by the flowering season.
It is not necessary to form the crown of this shrub, since it itself has a neat appearance. With the help of pruning, you can only adjust the height of the bush or the spreading of the crown.
As mentioned above, it is important to cut off faded inflorescences in summer in time.
How to transplant rhododendron to a new place
Since it is rather difficult to take good care of the rhododendron in mid-latitudes, the plant may not have such a bright appearance next year. An unsuccessful place or frosty winters can also greatly affect the splendor and regularity of flowering rosewood.
Transplantation of a young plant will help to correct the situation. This is done in early spring or early fall. It is important to choose a period when the weather is cool enough and the humidity is high.
Tip! When transplanting, you can mark the branches of the plant to the cardinal points. This will help to correctly position the bush in a new place so that its "relocation" is not so stressful.
Winter flower care
Caring for rhododendron after lush flowering consists in its abundant watering in arid weather. Starting in autumn, woody roses can not be watered if the rainy season has begun. In November, you can start warming the bushes at the roots with a dense layer of peat.
In order for the plant to winter, its roots must be covered with:
- a layer of spruce or pine branches;
- one or two layers of burlap.
It is important to shelter young bushes from the wind. Some gardeners build improvised huts from boards, slate and other improvised materials for the winter. The insulation is removed immediately after the snow melts, in early spring.
This way you can warm the bush for the winter
Problems, diseases and pests of the flower
In heather bushes, various pests and diseases are often found. Methods of treatment have long been known, and even inexperienced growers will be able to save rhododendron from death.
Methods of treating rosewood from pests:
- Gastropod insects from the bush will have to be collected manually; Tiram solution is used to prevent their appearance.
- Bed bugs, spider mites or weevils are destroyed by Diazinon. The tool processes not only the bush, but also the surface of the earth under it.
- With the help of Karbofos, the rest of the insects are destroyed.
When using these or other means, it is important to strictly follow the attached instructions. The concentration of chemicals can harm other plants in the flower garden.
Fungal diseases are eliminated in the following ways:
- Rust and spotting are removed using a Bordeaux mixture.
- When yellowness appears on the leaves due to chlorosis, iron chelate is added to irrigation water.
- When cancer occurs, the affected branches are cut off completely or to a healthy part of the tissue.
In order to prevent diseases in the early spring and late autumn, a tree is sprayed with a Bordeaux mixture.
Tip! Most often, those plants in which there is insufficient aeration of the root system overtake the disease.
In advanced cases, a bush transplant to a new well-prepared place will help.
A real decoration of a garden or summer cottage will be rhododendron. Planting and caring for this shrub require effort, but the time and money spent will fully pay off with lush and fragrant flowering for several months.
