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Azalea: whimsical perfection in a flower pot

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It's hard to resist the blooming azalea - you just want to bring home a bush, completely covered with flowers. (It would be more correct to call this plant a rhododendron, read about the name and history of culture in detail on the page Azalea).

Azalea becomes especially attractive in winter, when there are so few other flowers, and it reaches the peak of its splendor. But at home, this plant can cause a lot of trouble if you do not follow some of the rules of care, which are based on its natural adaptations. Indoor azaleas evolved from species that live in temperate climates in places with high air humidity, regular rainfall, acidic and well-drained soils. The life cycle of an azalea is subject to a strict change of seasons; there is a pronounced dependence of its growth on the season. After the winter rest in the coolness, warming sets in, and with it the flowering time - spring, followed by a moderately warm summer, during this period there is an active vegetative growth. Then comes a cool autumn, when flower buds are laid, with them azalea and fall asleep until spring.

If you do not create suitable conditions, the plant may die or not bloom again. But the most difficult thing to care for will be to provide azaleas with a cool winter.

Requirements for the conditions of detention 

  • high air humidity, 70-80%;
  • coolness, the temperature in summer is not higher than + 25 ° C, from October to December + 6 + 10 ° C, January-February + 10 + 15 ° C, in the spring, during flowering, + 17 + 20 ° C;
  • bright diffused light;
  • acidic substrate;
  • soft water for irrigation;
  • regular watering.

This plant will feel great in a winter garden, in a greenhouse or on a frost-free loggia.

Indian Azalea (Azalea indica)

 

How to choose the right plant

When buying, you should give preference only to a flowering plant with buds. After dissolution, each flower is kept in a warm room for 7-14 days. However, azaleas with underdeveloped small buds may not open. You should not buy a plant with crumbling leaves, flowers and buds, with a very dry substrate. The buds are covered with dry scales on top, which fall off when the flower opens, this is a normal phenomenon and should not be confused by their presence.

Azaleas peak sales in the winter months, after purchasing the plant, you need to take care of protecting it from the cold during transportation, carefully pack it in several layers of paper and not expose it to cold for a long time.

Room care

Indian Azalea (Azalea indica)

Most of all, the azalea at home suffers from dry air and the heat of the batteries, we must try to create comfortable conditions for it.

Transplant immediately after the bidding successfully. The best time to transplant is immediately after flowering. The azalea has very delicate thin roots, therefore, it should be transplanted only by careful handling, without disturbing the earth's coma. Azalea roots are superficial, and it is better to choose a low pot, in the shape of a bowl.

Azalea has special requirements for the soil. Symbiont fungi live on its roots, which help it nourish the plant. These fungi do not tolerate alkaline soils, with their death under unfavorable conditions, the azalea also dies (which is why it is not yet recommended to wash the roots of the plant). The soil must be acidic (pH 3.5-5), loose, it is good to pass water and air. In all respects, the shipping soil is well suited for azaleas. When preparing a substrate for transplanting into soil for azaleas (based on high-moor peat), you can add coniferous land (1-2 parts of coniferous land, 1 part of peat substrate). Young plants are transplanted every year, older specimens - every 2-3 years with the obligatory careful replacement of the top layer of the soil (azalea does not like loosening, while its surface roots suffer). When transplanting, the volume of soil is not increased much each time, the diameter of the hoop is only 3-4 cm.

Location choose away from hot batteries. In the life cycle of a blooming azalea, spring has come. You can't force her to have a rest period, put her out in the cold. The optimum temperature for the flowering period will be + 17 + 20 ° C.It is desirable that the azalea stand on a cool windowsill, but if there is a battery nearby, then you should protect the plant from the hot air with a screen or place it in a tall container (aquarium). You can also place it in the back of the room, but in this case it is imperative to provide artificial light for 10-12 hours a day, for example, using a table lamp with a phytolamp or at least an energy-saving fluorescent lamp of 20 or 36 watts. This will allow you to enjoy flowering for a long time and will help the plant to survive the most difficult winter time in the apartment.

The optimal place for keeping azaleas all year round is on a frost-free balcony. In autumn, in the cool (+ 6 + 10 ° C), the azalea will lay buds, there it will safely spend the rest of the winter (+ 10 + 15 ° C) and bloom profusely with warming. In summer, in partial shade, it will grow well. If there is no frost-free balcony, then for the period from the end of the spring night frosts in the spring to the onset of autumn, it is better to take the azalea out to the balcony or in the garden. For the winter, before the onset of the threat of frost, it is necessary to bring the azalea home and place it in a specially prepared place on the windowsill - behind a transparent screen or in an aquarium turned towards the window, separating the azalea from the hot room and creating a special cool microclimate.

Azalea does not tolerate direct sunlight, so protection from the midday sun is required. On the balcony or in the garden, it is better to place it under the light shade of other plants.

Indian Azalea (Azalea indica)

Watering azaleas play a very important role in life. What matters is the quality of the water, its temperature, the regularity and abundance of irrigation. There is a very persistent misconception that the azalea should be watered with water from the refrigerator or covered with ice. Watering with cold water leads to the fact that the roots cannot assimilate it, the difference between the temperature of the air and the roots is a great stress for the plant. This is a signal that autumn has come and it is time to shed the leaves.

Water for irrigation should always have either the temperature of the room where the flower stands, or 2-3 degrees higher, then the roots easily absorb it. Over time, acidic soil from calcium and magnesium salts in irrigation water can become alkaline, which will destroy the plant. To avoid this, it is better to water with softened water. To do this, boil the water for several minutes, cool and carefully drain only the upper half, without capturing the sediment (calcium salts partially precipitate from boiling). It is sometimes useful to water with acidified water, for this it is enough to add 1-3 drops of lemon juice per 1 liter of water. If the azalea is in the garden in summer, then irrigation with rainwater will be beneficial.

Azalea does not tolerate prolonged drying out of the substrate. At the first signs of wilting, it is urgent to water the flower abundantly, but it is better not to allow this. If the peat soil is still dry, then it is better to water the azalea by immersing the pot in water for a few minutes. Watering should be done regularly, the soil should always remain moist, only light drying of the very top of the substrate is permissible. The frequency of watering depends on the size of the pot and plant, the stage in which the azalea is (rest or active growth), the environmental conditions (hot-cold, wet-dry, light-dark). Do not leave the water in the pan for a long time or water it too abundantly, delicate thin roots with waterlogging and oxygen starvation are highly susceptible to decay. Drying out or excessive dampness of the substrate leads to leaf fall, shedding of buds and flowers.

Azaleas need to be high air humidity. At temperatures above +18 ° C and dry air, regular spraying is required, several times a day, and only on the leaves, on the flowers, drops of water can leave stains. It is better to take boiled water for spraying, it leaves less salt sediment on the leaves.

Pruning and shaping the crown best done immediately after flowering.Azalea grows rather slowly, modern varieties are also selected for the compactness of the crown, so there is no special need for pruning. Only fattening and too long shoots are shortened in order to give a rounded shape. Usually, immediately after flowering, the stage of active growth of young shoots begins instead of inflorescences. It is not worth tightening with pruning, since the stage of laying the buds will come soon. For this reason, no pruning is carried out from late summer until flowering. Azalea can also be formed in the form of a standard tree or used for growing in the bonsai style.

Indian Azalea (Azalea indica)Indian Azalea (Azalea indica)

Blooms azalea once a year in the spring. In the first year after purchase, re-flowering often occurs after a few months. To lay the buds, a cool autumn is needed, with the formed flower buds, the azalea goes into winter rest. During budding and the beginning of flowering, in order to avoid bud fall, it is necessary to strictly observe the watering regime and avoid excessively high temperatures.

Top dressing are produced regularly from spring to autumn with special complex fertilizers with microelements for rhododendrons. In winter, when the plant is resting, all feeding should be canceled. Azalea responds well to foliar dressing on the leaves, by spraying. For this, mineral fertilizer is taken in a concentration 10 times less than for root feeding and in the early morning or late evening (not in the sun) both sides of the leaves are sprayed (once every 1-2 weeks). Low concentration and rapid assimilation of elements by leaves will help at the first signs of starvation. In case of chlorosis, spraying with Ferovit and magnesium sulfate is effective.

Reproduction methods

Seed reproduction unacceptable for modern azaleas that are hybrids. In addition, it is laborious and is only used when breeding new varieties.

Difficult growing varieties propagate inoculation, but at home this is a very painstaking and unreliable method. Azalea is mainly propagated cuttings... It is best to take apical semi-lignified cuttings immediately after flowering. The length of the cuttings is usually 5-8 cm. The lower leaves must be removed, an oblique cut must be made from the bottom, treated with a rooting stimulator (Kornevin or Heteroauxin) and planted in a sterile mixture of peat and sand (1: 1). The planted cuttings must be placed in a greenhouse and into the light. Azalea is not very willing to root, therefore, it is advisable to use bottom heating to facilitate rooting. The rooting temperature is approximately + 25 ° C. Duration of rooting is 1-2 months, the yield of rooted cuttings is about 50%. Only after 2 years, an azalea grown from a cuttings will reach an adult state and can please with flowering.

Azalea pests and diseases

Azilia fungal disease

Azalea pests are amazed spider mites (with dry air and insufficient watering), aphids, mealybugs, weevils.

About pest control measures - in the article Houseplant pests and control measures.

When agricultural technology is violated, there are often fungal diseases... They are characterized by the appearance of spots on the leaves of a brown, gray or reddish color, often on the affected areas of the leaf, the mycelium of the fungus is visible, the leaves can curl and quickly fall off. Drying of shoots is also observed. With systematic waterlogging of the substrate, the roots begin to rot.

It is necessary to normalize care, reduce the moisture content of the soil and air, avoid overheating the plant, ventilate the room more often, collect and destroy the affected leaves, treat the plant with Oxyhom or Fundazol.

Damage to the roots (mechanical or chemical), unbalanced feeding (lack or excess of nutrients), soil salinity will negatively affect the state of the azalea.

Possible growing problems

Yellowing and staining of azalea leaves
  • leaf fall can be caused by improper watering (when the substrate dries out or waterlogged), fungal diseases, too dry air, high temperature, too bright light, spider mite damage, watering with hard or cold water, a sharp change in conditions.
  • spots on the leaves can appear with fungal diseases, lack of nutrients, too hard water, from sunburn.
  • leaves turn yellow when the soil is alkalized.
  • absence or weak flowering is observed when the temperature cycle is disturbed, too warm content in autumn and winter.
  • bud fall occurs from drying out or waterlogging of the substrate, too high a temperature during flowering.

If it is not possible to create the necessary conditions for azaleas, then, having received it as a gift, enjoy its flowering, treat it like a bouquet, water and take care of it as much as possible. And after flowering, give it to friends who can provide content that meets its specific requirements.

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