Azalea or "Rosewood": features of care and growing at home with a photo

Azalea is an oriental beauty, a guest from Asia, Japan, and China. Translated, this name means "rosewood." Although the flowers come in many different colors - white, purple, variegated, red, a wide variety of shades of pink.

Azalea belongs to the genus Rhododendrons of the Vereskov family.

Azalea grows with a bush - a miniature tree with many branches, dense small leaves. Feature - very magnificent flowering.

Features of growing indoor rhododendrons in a pot

Picturesque azalea moody flower. She needs special care close to natural conditions. In the greenhouses, the azalea feels great, but the “apartment” climate is not at all suitable for this beautiful houseplant. If you follow the rules of care at home, then the flower will please you more than once with its magnificent flowering.

At various times of the year

In autumn and until the end of January, the ideal temperature for azaleas is 10 - 12 ° C during the day and 6 - 8 ° C at night. Humidity is high. Azalea does not tolerate dry air. It should not be placed on window sills near batteries that dry the air during heating. If in the summertime the azalea was in the garden or on the loggia, it must be transferred to the house before the heating season to adapt to room temperature. In autumn, due to the short daylight hours of azalea, additional lighting is required for 2 to 3 hours with special lamps. You can find more information about the features of azalea care in the fall here.

During flowering

Basically, azalea blooms in winter, early varieties begin to bloom in December. Later varieties bloom at the end of winter, by March. The flowering is magnificent, bright, saturated, but not long. An Asian guest dumps her flowers pretty quickly.

You need to “clean” the flower a bit - immediately collect dry pedicels, inflorescences. Dried leaves are also removed.

In a couple of weeks, young leaves will appear - shoots. The top must be clipped - the first time in May, and in the summer the procedure is repeated 2 times. The pinch forms a beautiful tree with a magnificent "crown" - a hat. Before and after flowering, azalea perceives a cold shower. The substrate is pre-closed with a plastic bag so that the soil is not washed out and the root is not wet.

How to care: step by step instructions

Place of landing in the apartment

Do not place pots in direct sunlight, azalea loves coolness, southern windows are not recommended, azalea feels better in the southeast. There will be enough light and heat. If it is very hot in the summer, it is better to shade the windows with white paper or a light curtain.

The soil

Better to buy the substrate in the store. Suitable soil for ferns and orchids.

The composition of the substrate for azalea:

Option number 1

• Sod or leaf land - 2 parts.
• Sand - 1 part.
• Horse peat - 1 part.
• Coconut flakes so that the substrate is loose and does not cake - 1 part.

Option number 2

• Heather land - 2 parts.
• Sheet earth - 1 part.
• Humus - 1 part.
• Shredded pine bark - 1 part.

Option number 3

If there is no heather or turf land, you can take the land in the forest, where pine trees grow - the most optimal and easiest option. 2 to 3 hydrogel granules can be added to the substrateso that moisture does not linger.

Drainage is required, expanded clay can be used. You can take a pot of low ceramic, plastic or clay - there are no special preferences for azalea in choosing a pot.

When transplanting, the pot should be larger in diameter than the previous one.

Temperature and air

1. The light must be diffusedBetter tolerates penumbra azalea.
2. In summer, you can take out pots in the gardenavoiding direct sunlight. Summer rain will not damage the azaleas. In southern latitudes, it can be planted in open ground when breeding, observing all conditions of care.
3. High humidity is required. In summer, additional moistening is desirable - regular irrigation of leaves with cold water. To prevent the substrate from hardening, it is advisable to water it by immersing the pots in a large container for 1 - 2 hours so that the roots are well moistened. Water should not get on the flowers.
4. Loosening the substrate is not recommended., azaleas have very delicate roots, they can be easily damaged.
5. It is very important to observe the temperature regime: in winter - no higher than 14 ° C, and in summer it is permissible with good humidity 20 - 21 ° C.

Watering

Water should be purified, soft and chilled.

In winter, you can “water” the flower with ice cubes or snow, by spreading a small amount on the surface of the soil in a pot. In the summer, ice cubes can be frozen for such cooling.

Top dressing

Fertilize beautiful azalea in the spring - summer period once a week with special fertilizers for azaleas or use a solution of nitrate and potassium sulfate - 15 - 20 g per 10 liters of water. Usually, fertilizing is combined with watering. When forming buds, you can feed the flower with a solution of superphosphate, the doses are the same.

Many mineral fertilizers are not suitable for azaleas, they have a lot of salt, which is why a white coating appears on the inner walls of the pot. This can harm the roots.

You can use special liquid fertilizers for orchids, or experts recommend using fertilizer with special candles. They comprehensively, gradually and evenly fertilize azalea throughout the season. The candle is inserted into moist soil along the walls of the pot at a distance of 10 - 12 cm.

Mulching

This care technique is required for azaleas, especially for garden varieties. Usually mulch the soil around the trunk, thereby protecting it from overheating and drying out. And in winter, mulch protects the root from freezing. Mulch does not allow weed growth, maintains soil acidity, and makes azalea care easier.

The mulch layer should not cover the neck of the root. The mulch layer consists of peat, needles, moss, oak leaves, fine straw, sometimes peat is mixed with sawdust.

Spraying

In summer, azaleas are especially difficult. It helps to maintain moisture spraying. Azalea loves cold water. It is pre-boiled and cooled. It is necessary to refresh the underside of leaves well.

Pruning

Florists recommend pruning azaleas from a very early age. Each spring after flowering, rhododendrons are pruned. In time, clipped azalea blooms well and abundantly, and most importantly - new buds are formed.

The azalea pruning procedure is simple:

1. It is necessary to disinfect with alcohol tools - a knife or secateurs.
2. At first, long shoots are cut, exceeding the length of all shoots.
3. Then thick shoots need to be thinned out.
4. Weak, diseased shoots are removed.
5. Slicing areas are treated with charcoal or Runnet paste.
6. After 2 weeks, new leaflets will begin to appear.

Thanks to pruning, a miniature tree is formed with a bare trunk and a lush crown.

Transfer

Young azalea is recommended to be transplanted every year, and an adult is enough 1 time in 3 years.

The best time for a transplant is when the azalea has already dropped its flowers, and only young shoots have appeared.

To transplant azalea, you need skill and abilities, the procedure must be followed:

1. A drainage of at least 3 cm is poured into the pot.
2. Azalea is extracted from the previous pot.
3. Pre-well soak the root.
4. In a container of water, the root falls together with an earthen lump for 30 to 40 minutes.
5. The old substrate is removed, washed with a watering can.
6. Water is used only purified.
7. It is necessary to clean the root from diseased and dried roots.
8. Renewed azalea is placed in a pot and filled with a new substrate on the root neck.
9. To build up the root system, azalea can be fed with a zircon solution.
10. Combine top dressing with watering 3 to 4 days after transplantation.
11. You can fertilize the flower only 2 months after transplanting.

If the old substrate is not infected with fungus and other pests, it is better to transplant the azalea by transshipment - moving the flower into a new pot with an earthen lump. Adaptation in this case will be painless. Florists recommend that beginners use this particular method.

A step-by-step azalea transplant is well represented in this video:

Photo

How to care for the azalea flower at home is shown in the photo:

Problems keeping the plant home

• The leaves darkened and began to fall off - the result of improper watering. Azalea root is very thick and dense, so the flower begins to be capricious with drought and with excessive watering. It is necessary to adjust watering.
• If the leaves turn yellow and the azalea looks lifeless - it lacks nitrogen, magnesium or iron. Lack of nitrogen inhibits the growth of leaves and stems. The process of photosynthesis is disrupted, the leaves become pale. It is required to feed the flower with complex fertilizers.
• When transporting in winter, you need to pack the pots well so that the flower does not freeze.
• The buds have become brown - the flower is sick, the azalea will not bloom. Special care is required - quarantine.
• The leaves wrinkled and spots appeared on them, their tips began to blacken - the azaleas were hot. It is necessary to increase the air humidity, lower the temperature with ice, and obscure the windows, especially at lunchtime.

In addition, the plant may wilt if proper care is not organized after the purchase. Here is what we did in detail about what to do after acquiring azalea and how to preserve its beauty at home.

Diseases and Pests

The most common problems of beautiful azalea:

1. Chlorosis Azalea leaves begin due to too hard water or improper substrate composition. It is necessary to change the conditions of watering - watering should be slightly acidified with water. It is advisable to feed the flower with iron chelate. If the substrate does not fit, it will need to be replaced.
2. Late blight - rotting of the root, this disease gradually spreads to twigs and leaves. It is necessary to adjust the breathability of the substrate. It will help spraying the leaves with a phytoderm.
3. Necrosis Azalea begins to hurt from a sharp freezing, from drafts. Leaves turn brown. It is necessary to adjust the temperature and rearrange the azalea in a lighter place, avoiding the influence of drafts and air conditioners.

The most dangerous pests for azalea:

• Strawberry mite - the most dangerous pest. He eats flowers, buds, young leaves twist, fade and fall away. The flower may die. Save phytoverm or neoron. Processing will be required 3 to 4 times with an interval of 8 to 9 days. You need to process the pot, and the window, and the windowsill, this pest is very tenacious, it is difficult to remove.
• Spider mite braids branches and leaves with a thin cobweb, eats juice, leaves become brown - gray and fall off. If the disease is not started, washing the leaves with soap and water will help. You can spray with a solution of Actellik: 2 ml per liter of water.
• Mole Azalea twists the leaves into a tube. Leaves dry and fall off. Caterpillars quickly crawl onto healthy leaves, quickly destroying them. Helps with this ailment sulfur.
• Mealybugs bend leaves, affect young shoots and the flowers themselves. A warm shower and spraying with a solution of any insecticide - 1 ml per liter of water are very useful here.
• Rhododendral Bedbugs - The main pests of azalea. They leave ugly pigment spots on the leaves, lay eggs on the inner surface of the leaves. Diazine treatment will be required.

Azalea pests and symptoms of their appearance, as well as ways to deal with them in this video:

Now, when your friends give you this beautiful flower in a pot, you will not feel the timidity of a novice gardener just because you do not know how to properly care for it.
Azalea is a delicate flower, it needs special care, proper watering and high humidity. The flower is very delicate, susceptible to various diseases and pests. But all the efforts and efforts will be paid for by the chic, exquisite flowering of the beautiful azalea.

Video

Video on how to care for azalea at home:

Watch the video: How to Plant Azalea or Rhododendron (May 2024).