Room rhododendron - a beautiful decorative plant

Rhododendron - a beautiful decorative woody plant, which is the most numerous genus of the heather family. This deciduous, evergreen or semi-evergreen shrub, on average grows up to 2-meter height, rarely - a low tree. In the genus, there are up to 1,300 wild species. Horticulture uses about 600 species and up to 8000 varieties. The decoration of this beautiful shrub is not only the flowers that are collected in lush inflorescences at the ends of shoots, but also a rich green. Flowers can be very diverse in form - funnel-shaped, bell-shaped, tubular. Coloring of flowers, the number of which in the inflorescence reaches 20-30, varies: it can be white, pink, golden yellow, creamy-yellow, red, dark-violet, blue-violet, lavender-blue, etc. Against the leathery Glossy leaves, a branch of a flowering plant looks very beautiful - like a bouquet.

Room rhododendron is often called azalea, although in fact it is the same rhododendron, only azalea leaves are smaller and thinner and in flowers they have five stamens, while in rhododendron - ten. The plant has a superficial root system and therefore it is better to grow them in wide, rather than deep pots and pots. It is impossible to cover the root neck of the plant when planting, it is better to lightly cover it with rotten oak leaves, rotted pine needles or fine-grained pine bark. Room rhododendron, like all rhododendrons, is a lover of acidic soils. For good growth and well-being, they need an acidity index of pH 4-5. Preferred drained, rich in humus and potassium soil.

Some plants require regular pruning. It is produced in May, when the plant fades. In this case, all patients, dry and strongly sprouted shoots are removed. Young shoots of azalea pinch, leaving only 4-5 leaves - this promotes a more lush bloom. With a strong thickening of the crown, flowering will not be abundant. When buds and buds appear, the plant is planted, removing excess shoots and leaving only flower buds on the main shoot.

Up to 3 years, room rhododendron is desirable to replant every year. A transplant can be performed a month after the plant has blossomed. It is important that the soil under the planting is moisture-permeable, saturated with nutrients, sufficiently acidic, free from chlorine and lime. In summer the plant will perfectly feel in a shady corner on the balcony or an open veranda, without drafts and subject to regular watering. For irrigation, if possible, you need to use soft (without chlorine) water. It is desirable to regularly spray the leaves of rhododendrons.

Room rhododendron grows very slowly - over 10 years, the increase may not exceed 50 cm. This tender plant is often affected by various kinds of fungi, in which the leaves become brown and dry up. Azaleas suffer from spider mites, mealybugs, azalea aphids. The lack of nutrients is characterized by a change in the color of the leaves (their luster diminishes, they become light), the flower buds are not laid, and the leaves begin to fall heavily in August-September.

The rhododendron plant is considered to be thermophilic and exotic, however, many of its species have successfully adapted to survival even in severe snow winters. Some types of plants need easy shelter in winter; they are: Forchun's rhododendron, Pontic, carpal, Atlantic, hard-horned, etc. Without hiding, rhododendron short-bred, dendritic, plumaceous, sea-buckthorn, pink, Daurian, Japanese and many others are able to winter.

According to the period of flowering plants are conventionally divided into 2 groups:

• Early blossoming, in which flowers begin to appear from the middle of spring;
• Late-flowering, beginners bloom in early summer.

The plants differ in lightness. Scattered, soft but intense light is preferred by rusty, golden, dense, Japanese, yellow, Kamchatka, equally high and Atlantic rhododendrons. To the photophilous one can include the rhododendrons of Schlippenbach, Kochi, Albrecht. For shaded areas it is better to choose shade-tolerant varieties: Daurian, Caucasian, Pontic, sea-buckthorn, Smirnov, holotvetkovy, the largest and Rhododendron Fortuna.