The flower of the rhododendron belongs to the Vereskov family. There are quite a few species of rhododendron - more than eight hundred, but, for example, in Russia under natural conditions, there are only eighteen species. But, despite such a small number of species, in our territories you can often see rhododendrons in someone's gardens and this is not surprising, because these plants look simply amazing, and their bright colors pleasing to the eye.
The classical color of the rhododendron is pink, but there are yellow rhododendrons, as well as purple, lilac - it all depends on the variety. The height of the rhododendron can also be completely different. There is a rhododendron creeping, that is, its height does not exceed and ten centimeters, but there are also such species that sweep to a height of up to thirty meters. Therefore, when choosing a variety of rhododendron, you need to be careful and careful not to plant one, wanting something completely different.
Having dealt with the common features of these beautiful flowers, let's move on to growing rhododendrons, as little to admire - it is better to have rhododendrons in your dacha area to enjoy them personally and be proud.
Rhododendron - planting and care
Place of planting . The whole process begins, of course, with the choice of the landing site. Since the rhododendron plant is rather whimsical, it is necessary to choose the place for its planting with the utmost care, for otherwise you will not see a beautiful flowering. Rhododendrons love the sun, but still their "place of residence" should be protected from direct sunlight. In addition, it all depends on the variety of rhododendron, as some of them are more sun-loving than their counterparts. Also, the site for planting rhododendron should not be particularly blown by winds. Like most plants, rhododendrons do not like stagnation of water, so it should not be. Also, to the whims of rhododendron can be attributed acid soil. In addition, it is desirable that near the landing site of the rhododendron there was some kind of pond, and if there is no pond, the flower will need to be sprinkled with water, since it loves moisture. And the last whim of the rhododendron is dislike for the trees nearby, as their large root systems "steal" the plant.
Planting of rhododendron . Plant rhododendron best in the spring. If you grow rhododendron from seeds, then they need to germinate a little earlier, so that the mold is already planted in the soil. With the landing site, we have already decided before, so it only remains to plant the rhododendron in the chosen place. Plant a rhododendron in a pit filled with a substrate, while it is important to ensure that the neck of the plant is not too deep. After planting, the soil around the rhododendron is desirable to wallow . For these purposes, a pine bark or peat is best.
Rhododendron: care and cultivation
The plant is planted and now the question arises: "And how to take care of the rhododendron?". Let's take a closer look at this important issue.
Despite the fact that the rhododendrons are rather capricious plants, caring for them is not so complicated, especially if the substrate in which the plant was planted was of high quality.
- Watering . Too much watering the rhododendrons is harmful, but you can not let the soil under them dry up. We need to find the so-called golden mean. Water for watering rhododendrons should be soft, river water is best for these purposes. And to ensure that the soil substrate does not become alkaline, you can add a little sulfuric acid to the water for irrigation.
- Pruning . For better bloom, faded inflorescences should be carefully removed, because wilted flowers spoil not only the appearance of the plant, but also prevent it from developing properly.
- Wintering . Proper wintering is very important, because it depends on it, how the rhododendron will blossom, so the question of how to hide the rhododendron for the winter is the most important of all questions on the topic of caring for this flower. The degree of power of the shelter depends on the plant variety, since some rhododendrons carry the winter
better, and some worse. For some varieties there is enough shelter from the layer of mulch from peat and fallen leaves, and for other varieties of rhododendron it is necessary to build "shelter houses", and even "wrap" them with polypropylene or something like that.
Reproduction of rhododendron
Reproduction of rhododendrons is most often carried out by cuttings (vegetative method), but they can also be propagated by seeds. Here it is necessary to choose who is more comfortable and who is more used to what method of reproduction.
Planting and caring for the rhododendron is not that difficult, although the plant is rather whimsical.