Rhododendron is an excellent ornamental plant that adorns the garden with its flowering in spring and early summer. Any kind of this plant is effective and beautiful. Among all their set there are tall and dwarfish, evergreen and deciduous, frost-hardy and whimsical. And for the latter, you need a special care for the winter.
At what temperature is the rhododendron covered?
In the middle belt, cold - resistant varieties of rhododendron winter very well. But less frost-resistant varieties are better sheltered for the winter in order to avoid troubles during wintering associated with sharp weather changes and the probability of severe frosts.
You can cover rhododendrons in November, if the air temperature is lowered to -9 ... 10 ° C. At higher temperature indices, it is not worth wrapping the bushes. And in general - you do not need to use dense materials as shelter, let it be better something light, but also reliable.
How to cover for the winter deciduous rhododendron?
As a rule, deciduous varieties of rhododendron are more cold-resistant and better tolerate winter than their evergreen brethren. Deciduous rhododendrons like the Japanese, Canadian, Daurian, yellow Ledebour and Schlippenbach do not need a serious cover. It is enough to sprinkle their root neck with foliage or peat.
The question arises - should we shelter the rhododendron for the winter? Only if it is still very young and fragile, it can be covered on top with a cardboard box, leaving a few holes on the sides. And to protect the box itself from getting wet, it can be covered with a film.
Another option - to build around the bush house of spruce lapnik. Remember that you do not need to over-cover the rhododendron, and especially the deciduous one. From this, he can perish and perish.
How to hide the evergreen rhododendron for winter?
More capricious evergreen varieties require a different approach when hiding for the winter. Everything should happen in several stages: first you need to cover the soil at the base of the bushes with peat, and as soon as frost begins, you can begin to build skeletons for the covering. Without a frame under the weight of snow, the bush can break.
While the ground near the rhododendron bushes is not frozen, you need to stick high arcs of thick strong wire (wire rod 6-8 mm or insulated wire 10 mm). The size of the frame will depend on the size and height of the bush. It is important to leave a clearance of air for 15-20 cm from all sides of the plants.
And now, when the autumn sets a constant cool weather at the level of -9 ° C, it's time to do the hiding of the rhododendrons directly. You can use lutrasil or spandbond, folding it in 2-3 layers depending on the density of the material, and on top of the layer 1 layer of strong film.
Be sure to keep the covering material from touching the bushes, otherwise under the weight of the fallen snow it will press on the flower buds. If they break down, next year on the bushes there will be no flowers.
After laying lutrasil and films, it is desirable to press them down with the same arcs as under them. From the bottom of the ground you need to pour lutrasil and film on the ground to limit the entry of cold air and wind inside the shelter.
When to clean up the shelter?
It is important not only to know how to cover the rhododendron for the winter, but also how to properly release it from the shelter. It is best to take shelter when the soil completely recovers and warms up. The weather on the opening day should be overcast.
Do not rush to open the rhododendrons too early. In March, the sun and heat are still very deceptive, especially since the roots of the plant are still dormant and can not absorb moisture. And if you open the bushes too early, then the leaves of evergreens will fall under the scorching sun, which will turn black and dry.