Azalea: home care after purchase. Professional azalea care in winter: rules and useful tips

Azalea - decorative perennial, which pleases with lush flowering, if you follow it correctly, choose a good place in the garden, provide proper watering and feed. Azalea will feel comfortable in partial shade of varying intensity (depending on the type of plant), but it should not be a deaf solid shadow. It will interfere with good flowering. The plant does not like places where there are drafts. Not happy with dry soil either. It is necessary to choose flat places on the site where there will be no spring floods. When landing at the house, you can choose any wall, except for the south. Neighboring plants can be spruces, as well as lindens and oaks. It is good if there is a reservoir next to this plant.

In the sun, the azalea will not die, but it will not bloom well. Direct sunlight is detrimental to the good growth and flowering of the garden azalea. If the soil is dry, then during the flowering period, the plant will begin to stress, and it makes no sense to wait for good results. If, nevertheless, this plant got such a sunny and dry place, then it is necessary to moisten the plant and soil well.

How to plant an azalea

How to choose azalea seedlings

Buying a seedling is possible only in the spring. When choosing it, you need to pay attention to the volume of the container. It's better if he big size. The earth in it should be well moistened, in required quantity(not a lot). Dry soil in a container is a sign of a bad, sick and weak plant. You can determine the quality of a seedling with a single manipulation. The seedling can be easily pulled out of the pot. If it comes out well and easily with a clod of earth, then this is not a good sign - the plant has taken root poorly. In the garden, such a seedling may also not take root. The plant should also look healthy and strong.

There are several types of azaleas. When buying, you need to take this into account. And get all the information about the group to which this plant belongs, and find out its characteristics. Different types may behave differently and require different approaches to care.

Soil requirement

It is necessary to take into account the type of soil at the proposed landing site. Loam and calcareous soil are poor options. The plant may simply not be accepted or quickly die. If, on the landing site of the azalea, there was unsuccessful soil, and the place seems ideal to you, then you can replace upper layer according to plant preference. You can buy an earthen mixture for these types of plants, as well as use special preparations. The soil should be loose and fertile. If the soil is alkaline, then it is necessary to make a bulk bed, use peat or a mixture for these plants. If you ignore this wish, then the plant will either turn yellow or not be accepted at all.

Azaleas grow in acidic soil. It should not be dry, otherwise the flowers will not form well, and will also dry quickly. In the event that the soil turned out to be such, it is necessary to ensure good moisture. With a lack of elements, the soil must be well nourished with special means. To feed the plant, it is worth using humus, peat, moss, shavings.

Planting azalea seedlings from containers occurs in spring or summer. The landing depth is 50 cm, the width of the pit is 70 cm. Or you can calculate the depth based on the size of the root with an earthen clod, plus 15 centimeters. Drainage is needed in the pit. For these purposes, the use broken brick and sand is the best option. Just can not take limestone rubble.

The height of the drainage layer should reach 20 cm. A deeper pit means a thicker drainage layer. The next layer is peat and soil. The seedling itself must be planted along with the clod of earth in which it grew. You can't shake off the ground. root collar Azaleas should not be covered with soil.

Next, we proceed to the direct planting of the seedling and its watering. Mulching around the plant is also necessary. For these purposes, you need to use needles, moss, peat, crushed bark or leaves. This will make it possible to retain moisture, which is so necessary for azaleas, and also protect the roots of the plant from pests and sunlight. This procedure must be carried out regularly.

Azalea garden: how to properly care for a flower

How to water an azalea in the garden

Azalea is a shrub that requires abundant watering and moisture. But at the same time, you need to take into account the type of soil and the place where it is planted. If the soil feels dry to the touch, watering is necessary. The shrub needs to be sprayed often, and you can also put containers with water next to it. Irrigation itself is possible either by general soil filling or by spraying. During flowering, water more abundantly. After the end of the flowering period, spraying is no longer necessary. It is also necessary to reduce watering in the fall. During this period, moisture is sufficient. In the period before the onset of winter, you need to water only in dry weather so that there is no rot.

Features of plant nutrition

Azalea bushes need to be fed exactly three weeks after it was planted. Further, the procedure should be repeated regularly every three weeks. For good growth and flowering of the plant, you need to use acidic water, which is used to water the azalea every month.

Top dressing is underway in early spring, during the flowering period and immediately after its completion. For this, a phosphorus-potassium fertilizer mixture is suitable. The humus is also used to feed azaleas. You can water the infusion of mullein. Thanks to this, the roots of the plant receive all the necessary substances to ensure good growth and lush flowering of the azalea. Fertilizers should not be applied under the root itself, but at some distance from the center. Aggressive fertilizer components will not affect the root system. During a drought, the bushes need to be additionally sprayed. Young plants require top dressing with phosphate fertilizers from early spring to summer.

soil care

Soil quality - important condition for the growth and flowering of azaleas. The best option the soil will be acidic. If the soil has settled over time, then you need to add it and additionally mulch. Do not add ash to the soil, as well as use fertilizers containing chlorine and lime. Weeding can be carried out around the bush. But for this you should not use a chopper, because root system plants are superficial and can be damaged. But it's worth removing the weeds.

Rules for pruning azalea in the garden

Two weeks after the end of flowering, the azalea needs to be cleaned of excess shoots and leaves. It is necessary to cut off the shoots that have already withered. You need to remove extra branches that greatly thicken the plant. Such shoots must be cut off completely, others by one third. Pruning should be carried out throughout the bush, then the splendor of the plant will be preserved. At the end of the trimming, the sections are treated with paint or garden pitch. To start developing new flowers, you need to remove the old, dried ones.

reproduction

Reproduction of this shrub occurs in the summer, and you can also do it in early or mid-spring. It is produced from cuttings or seeds. To obtain good young azaleas, it is necessary to cut cuttings from the main plant (length 10 cm). They are cut with secateurs at an angle of 45 degrees. You need to connect the earth with needles or make a mixture of earth with sand and peat. Shrub cuttings are planted in this acidic soil, adding a stimulant for better growth plants. Planted new plants must be covered with glass. Cuttings need regular watering. They need two months to root. A comfortable temperature for the growth and development of young plants is 20 degrees. Humidity - 80%. They also need ventilation. A month and a half must pass before it will be possible to plant young plants in open ground.

It will take much more time to propagate azaleas from seeds. Landing is possible in a year. Seeds are planted in containers, covered with glass or film, airing and good soil moisture are monitored. After the seeds germinate, they are swooped down and planted. You can propagate the plant by dividing the bush. The procedure is carried out in the spring. This requires a sharp spatula. She separate part of the bush and transplant to the chosen place. The parent plant must be sufficiently developed, with a good root system, to have at least two shoots.

Caring for an azalea is quite difficult, even for a lot of people. experienced gardeners What can we say about beginners. However, the effort is worth it! A capricious plant strikes with a variety of colors, grace and originality of forms, and splendor of flowering. It's hard to take your eyes off this beauty.

To this luxury flower and further pleased the eye with its flowering and did not wither, it is necessary to make every effort to maintain it in proper condition. The undoubted advantage of the azalea over other indoor plants is that its activity falls on the cold season.

Shrub varieties

The birthplace of a luxurious evergreen is considered to be East Asia, the Caucasus and the mountainous regions of the Carpathians: areas with a cool climate and fertile soils. Similar climatic conditions positively affect the shrub, which, with all the desire, cannot be called unpretentious, and contribute to its development.

Azalea, translated from Greek, its name sounds like “dry”, is a plant that reaches a height of 40 centimeters to one and a half meters (depending on the species). At rest - a nondescript shrub with rough, small and dry foliage. But when the azalea begins to bloom, its fabulously beautiful flowers visually resemble roses.

At home, it is customary to grow two types of azaleas: Indian and Japanese. Garden azalea is also very popular among flower growers, the cultivation of which differs little from indoor varieties.

Indian is more suitable for keeping at home. Its height reaches up to 60 centimeters, the flowering time lasts two months: from December to February. Its flowers are larger than those of the Japanese, but the latter can be used after flowering as an ornamental evergreen shrub. The Japanese azalea is not distinguished by the splendor of flowers, its advantage is a rich green crown.

Maintaining the right temperature in the room

One of the important points for the successful life of the azalea is the appropriate temperature in the room.

Many flower growers regretfully complain that immediately after the first flowering, the azalea shed its leaves and withered. It is not surprising, because the shrub does not tolerate either heat or cold, these natural or artificially created phenomena are extremely dangerous for him. Therefore, when choosing a place where the plant will be located, you should consider natural environment his habitat. These must be cool places. clean air and scattered sunlight.

It is very important to maintain the required temperature in the room. The best temperature for stimulating azalea flowering is from + 10 to + 15, but not more than + 18 degrees. From heating appliances, azalea should be placed as far as possible. The room needs to be ventilated more often - drafts for the plant are not terrible. Windows should face north, east or west.

In winter, for example, an azalea can be moved to an insulated loggia, where it will be quite comfortable.

It is important to know the two most important points, this is the key to the successful development of the plant:

1. The optimum temperature in the room during the formation of the plant's buds should be at least +5 degrees. When the azalea begins to bloom, the temperature will need to be gradually increased.
2. If the room is too hot, experienced flower growers advise lowering the flower pot into cool water or overlaying it with ice cubes.

Proper watering

Azalea was brought from countries with a humid climate, therefore, the land in which it grows should not be dry, the soil must be moistened. However, the plant should not float in water, this will destroy it.

When watering, the following rules should be followed:

1. The colder the room, the less often you should water the shrub and, conversely, the hotter, the more often it is recommended to irrigate the soil with water.
2. If the earth is dry, the pot must be immersed in a basin of water for 2-3 hours. Watering azaleas is recommended to be resumed only after three days.
3. Spraying and watering is done only with cold boiled water.
4. In the hot summer period, you need to water at least 2 times a day and systematically spray the leaves.

Never use regular tap water to water an azalea! Use settled thawed, rain and distilled.

When the kidneys are laid, watering should be less frequent. Lack of water can cause the azalea to lose foliage and turn yellow. Excess water is no less harmful to it, it is fraught with decay of the root system.

How to create the right lighting

Despite the fact that the azalea loves heat, it should be prudently protected from bright sunlight; a room with diffused lighting is best for it. Otherwise, the leaves of a tender plant may get burned, this manifests itself in the form of dry twisted tips. If the room is small and you can put a pot of azalea only on a windowsill with a south-facing window, then the shrub must be closed from hot sunlight using a plastic sheet with matte surface. So the twilight will be created in the room, which is so necessary for a capricious plant.

In the cold period, the azalea, on the contrary, lacks light. Following the example of experienced gardeners, you can install additional electric lighting near the pot.

Humidity in the room

What azalea loves is a humid environment that needs to be maintained indoors, although it is difficult. To do this, a pot with a shrub must be placed in a large basin filled with cool water. Moss or pebbles should first be poured into the pallet.

If the air in the room is too dry, then azalea leaves should be periodically sprayed with water using a spray bottle (at least twice a day). It is necessary to try to keep the drops very small, otherwise the plant will be covered with spots.

Fertilization

No uses special means and when caring for an azalea is indispensable. With the onset of summer, the shrub is treated with nitrogen fertilizers, starting from August and ending with the flowering period, using phosphorus and potash fertilizers. Top dressing should be done once every two weeks, this process cannot be neglected, as the plant may die. When choosing a product, it is recommended to consult with a specialist and strictly follow the recommendations written on the fertilizer packaging. The consequences of underdosed top dressing can be unpredictable, up to the death of the plant.

It is necessary to maintain the acidity level of the soil and water the azalea with a solution of citric acid (1 tsp per 2 liters of water). The water should have a slightly sour taste.

As an additional nutrition, it is desirable to use superphosphate. Fertilizers are best applied evening time days.

During this wonderful period, the azalea can be turned over and moved for convenience, but after that the pot with the plant must be returned to its original position and the buds and flowers should not be touched. Flowers that have faded must be removed immediately, otherwise the azaleas will have to spend energy on seed maturation. A faded azalea is forming a crown.

While maintaining the correct temperature regime flowering will last up to 2.5 months, if incorrect - only up to 2 weeks.

If an already blooming azalea is purchased in a store, it should have several flowers that have formed.

After flowering

In order for a beautiful plant to continue to please with beautiful lush flowers, it is necessary to carry out proper care for it even at the end of the flowering period. An important point is a timely transplant of a shrub into a new pot, you first need to remove faded flowers, young shoots, dry leaves and branches. Only soil intended for rhododendrons is used.

The reason for the transplant is an overgrown root system or rotting of the substrate.

The transplant procedure should be done to a young plant 1 time per year, to an adult - 3 times. The pot should be free, but shallow, as the azalea is a surface plant. Loosening the soil is not recommended, so as not to damage the roots.

Reproduction occurs by cuttings. Cuttings are harvested either in spring (March-April) or in summer (July-August). In both cases, the plant must have been pinched out in the past year.

Cuttings are harvested only from healthy plants and not more than 1 time per year. To do this, an undercut is made under the lower bud of a semi-lignified shoot 7-10 cm long. The lower leaves are cut off completely, the upper ones - in half. Tie the cut cuttings into a bundle and place them in a solution of heteroauxin or root with the lower cut. Plant out after 6 hours in a container with pre-prepared soil.

At room temperature After 2 months, the cuttings will give roots. When using special heating, this will happen in 20-25 days.

As soon as the cuttings take root, they should be transplanted into larger pots with coniferous soil and pinched after 2 months. This procedure is necessary for the formation of a bush. It is better to remove the first buds, they prevent the young azalea from developing. Pinching and pruning should be done in a timely manner. Pruning is done immediately after flowering, when you need to cut off the wildly overgrown shoots and form a crown so that it does not become too sprawling. Pinching helps stimulate flowering.

Not enough good care can provoke bush diseases. Violation of the temperature regime, untimely or excessive moisture, illiterately selected fertilizers and non-compliance with the dosage when feeding are direct sources of threat to the health of a delightful azalea.

Azalea ailments are determined by the following symptoms. Timely intervention will help correct the situation:

1. The foliage withered and fell off - lack of watering or direct sunlight on the plant.
2. The flowers turned yellow and fell off - the use of bad water.
3. The appearance of cobwebs, yellowness and falling of buds - the pest appears with insufficient air humidification and watering. The shrub should be washed first with soap and water, then rinsed thoroughly with warm water.
4. Young leaves take the form of a tube, many small buds are formed instead of 2-3 large ones, flowers do not open, the plant either does not grow at all or grows very slowly - the plant is attacked by a strawberry mite. It is very difficult to deal with it and is possible only with the help of special pest control products.

The beautiful azalea is a very capricious plant, but with experienced care, she will thank her master with beautiful flowering.

Video: how to properly care for azalea

A flower from the genus Rhododendron is one of the most beautiful indoor flowers. The desire to prolong the pleasure of admiring the summer colors of various plants in winter is characteristic of every flower lover. Azalea is considered a symbol of peace, happiness, joy in China, North America, Southeast Asia, Japan, southern Europe, where numerous plant species live in nature. A low perennial bush, decorated with a bright hat of beautiful flowers of any shade, pleases the eye against the backdrop of the winter landscape outside the window. Often an elegant pot is chosen for a gift. At this time, many problems arise: how to keep this beauty longer, prolong the growth of azalea for years, not throw it away after flowering? The information is interesting for choosing a variety, proper care at home.

Two are most commonly grown: Indian or Azalea Sims and Japanese azalea. They look like small bushes up to 50 cm high, characterized by different timing of the appearance of flowers. In the role of pot culture, a few varieties of 600 wild-growing species of azaleas are grown. Now there are numerous hybrids bred by breeders based on crossing wild plants.

Indica (Azalea indica)

The branching indica bush is covered with small leaves, bristly hairs of a red hue. The leaves are dark green, glossy, oval. Flowers collected in fluffy inflorescences have different shades white, red. Inflorescences are bicolor, in small spots, stripes.

Exist modern varieties with terry, corrugated, funnel-shaped flowers.

Popular are the Snezhinka variety with lilac flowers located on a sprawling bush. Albert-Elizabeth variety, snow-white with a raspberry edge of large flowers, pink-blooming variety Prof. Walfbers, crimson azalea Celestma, others.

White (Rhododendron simsii)

A bush up to 60 cm high looks like a jasmine. Terry, simple flowers are snow-white or tinged Pink colour. This type of azalea should not be kept next to other varieties.

She quickly changes the shade of its colors. The variety of white azalea Kermesina Alba looks spectacular. A huge number of small fragrant flowers bloom on the branches, resembling a snowdrift, if you take care of it properly.

indica mix

The plant has an erect stem, reaching a height of about 50 cm. It has small lanceolate leaves of a dark, green color. Downy brown hairs are visible on young stems.

In the leaf axils 2 to 6 colors are formed. They are simple, terry, monophonic, two-color, in small dots, stripes. The range of their shades can be any: pink, white, red, yellow.

Standard

Based on the varieties of Indian and Japanese azaleas, flower growers form a bole bonsai trees using the methods of ancient Japanese technology. Often used evergreen white or mixed plant varieties. Gradually, a small lignified stem is formed, resembling a miniature tree.

Plant it in small pots, fulfilling the care requirements in accordance with the variety you like. In the greenhouses, a real park of standard azaleas is created. Belgian breeders have obtained varieties Princess Mathilde, Albert Elizabeth, which have a pyramidal shape.

Pink

At home, numerous varieties of Indian, Japanese rosalia are grown, which have pink flowers. Works of breeders different countries made it possible to see blooming pink azaleas in different months of the year.

They can be a gift for the spring Easter holidays, such as Lorna-Carter, Inga, Erie, Doberlug, Dresden 1936, Enzett Dagmar. Open your tender buds before Christmas, like Madame Petryk.

Varieties of pink azalea Kyiv waltz are in demand. Scarlet flower, Impromptu, Suzirya, bred by breeder S.N. Prikhodko.

Basics of home care

One of the beautiful indoor plants It is considered not easy according to the requirements of care. Soil composition, temperature, lighting, humidity matter, not allowed to be ignored at least one factor.

The reaction of the plant is manifested in the wrinkling of the leaves, the fall of unopened buds, the appearance of pests, and the rapid death of the flower.

Watering, moisture, top dressing

In nature, azalea grows in moist forests. These same needs of the flower must be fully provided in the available housing. For creating high humidity it is necessary to constantly spray with settled water, use a modern air humidifier.

next to a plant have additional water containers increasing the evaporation area. IN summer period, with dry air in the apartment, it is recommended to carry out careful spraying.

It is forbidden to get drops formed during spraying on delicate flowers. They quickly darken, fall off.

Azaleas should be watered regularly, observing the soil in the pot. The earth ball must be moist. When it dries, it is necessary to lower the pot into a container of water for three hours.

water before watering it is recommended to stand for several days. It can be cool, which contributes to lush flowering. Especially if you add a couple of drops once every 10 days lemon juice. Sometimes pieces of ice are placed to cool it. At the same time, you need to know that cold water is not absorbed by the roots of the plant, provoking stress, leading to leaf drop.

Use tap water not possible due to the presence of chlorine, a destructive element for individual indoor plants. When watering into the pan, you should not allow stagnation of water, general waterlogging of the plant. This is bad for root development.

Falling leaves are a sign of lack of water. I need to increase watering.

Temperature, lighting

The flower feels comfortable only in the rays of diffused light. Harmful to the flower, direct sunlight should be excluded.

East window sill is considered the best place for a flower. For the formation of flower buds that give birth winter flower, it is necessary to additionally irradiate the plant with luminescent emitters in the autumn.

A dangerous signal indicating increased dryness, high temperature is a reduction in the duration of flowering, development spider mite. It is necessary to immediately wash the leaves of the plant, treat with the appropriate insecticide.

Creation optimal temperature important for plant development lush flowering, considering main problem Azalea care.

A cool, frost-free balcony is not always available. In a residential area, it is necessary to provide a temperature of 5 to 10 degrees during the formation of flower buds from October to December. During flowering, it should be 14-18 degrees.

soil, fertilizer

Experts offer a proven composition of the soil for the effective cultivation of a flower, taking into account its biological features. Among the numerous proposals, a fresh composition is chosen for carrying out specific actions: planting a plant in the main place, sowing seeds for seedlings. They differ in the content of mineral elements. At long-term storage soil chemical composition is changing.

If the soil for azaleas is prepared independently, then it must be borne in mind that an acidic environment is necessary for the life of the fungus on the roots of the plant involved in the supply of nutrients during the growth of the azalea.

An alkaline environment leads to their death, and then to the destruction of the entire plant. The acidity of the soil for azaleas has a pH value of 3.5 to 5.5 units. The following composition is considered optimal, including six soil options: two parts of leafy, coniferous land, one part of lowland, high peat, heather, sand.

For feeding azaleas, it is recommended to use well-known complex fertilizers balanced composition for specific type plants, for example, Uniflor-Buton, Kemira-lux. The presence of the optimal amount of iron and magnesium chelates helps in preventing the appearance of leaf chlorosis.

It is convenient to combine top dressing with watering plants once every ten days at the rate of 20 g per 10 liters of water. It is recommended to do this during the period of bud formation, opening of flowers in the form of root, foliar dressings. The first time fertilizer is applied no earlier than three weeks after planting.

Make sure the fertilizer expiration date is valid. Expired bags will bring irreparable harm azaleas.

Now available ready-made forms liquid fertilizer, created from natural humic compounds with the addition of micro, macro elements. They help the formation of a powerful root system, improve the decorative qualities of the flowering crown.

As organic fertilizers often use a solution of high-moor peat, a small amount of rotted manure, preferably in the form of a diluted slurry.

Regular feeding is beneficial when sowing seeds, growing seedlings, during the growth of plants in a permanent place.

Pot selection

Special ceramic pots for azaleas has a wide base. It is filled with expanded clay, moss, has the ability to contain a small amount of water. The edges of the pots are low, which provides convenient air access to the roots of the plant.

Features of winter care

The optimal winter temperature for azaleas are the values about 15 degrees reminiscent of the foggy warm season of early autumn. Dry air coming from working heating devices in apartments leads to the destruction of the azalea.

summer heat the flower is more easily transferred to closed balcony, loggias on the western side of the house. At the time of flowering, the azalea is allowed to turn, move to another place. The buds will not fall off like some houseplants.

In winter, during the flowering period, the requirements for the amount of light increase. Additional lighting created by artificial lamps different type, timely compensate for the lack of daylight.

The advice for using cold ice cubes to lower the temperature from a working home heating system should be used with caution. Its rapid fall will lead to the dropping of buds and flowers.

reproduction

By saving the first flower that appeared in the house, you can test your experience in beautiful plant. This is done with the following options:

1. seeds. The method is used by professional flower growers.
2. . In doing so, perform the following actions:
   1. cut after flowering semi-lignified cuttings. At the same time, it is taken into account that green cutting fades quickly, does not give roots. A cutting taken from an old branch takes root for a long time. best time for cutting 10 cm cuttings, summer is considered.
   2. Perform treatment with a growth stimulator.
   3. For planting use acidic, coniferous soil, sphagnum peat.
   4. The planted stalk is covered with plastic, glass jar, creating humid, greenhouse conditions. The root system is formed heavily, after two months. After that, they are seated in separate containers.

• . An adult four-year-old bush is carefully divided into several parts. Planted in separate pots.
• layering. For this, last year's shoot is pre-fixed in the soil. copper wire, hairpin. Throughout the summer season, this place is watered with a solution of heteroauxin, which accelerates the number of roots to multiply. After a year, the layers are separated. Young bushes bloom in the current season.

Transfer

The question of transplantation arises immediately after the first flowering of the acquired azalea. This should be done in the spring as follows:

1. Necessarily determine the state of the root system during thorough washing.
2. Transplantation should be carried out using the transshipment method, keeping the earthen ball on the roots. They cannot be damaged.
3. Choose a flat, wide pot.
4. Cut off all dry flowers, shoots, branches before planting.
5. Find acidic soil. It is better to buy a ready-made Azalea mixture.
6. in a pot provide good drainage.
7. Do not cover the root neck of the plant.

Young seedlings are transferred to a different pot every year. Mature plants are transplanted once every five years.

At proper care azaleas bloom luxuriantly all the time, which is why flower growers respect them.

Diseases, pests

A beautiful flower is attacked by numerous pests. Among them is gray rot, fusarium, rust, azalea moth, mite, whitefly. You have to fight them with chemicals without delaying the process for a long time.

The result of improper care are rapidly progressing diseases, for example, yellowing of the leaves, drying of flowers, death of the plant.

The process is accelerating great content clay in the soil, high temperature during flowering, use of cold water, insufficient watering. Most often, ferovit, preparations from Micro-Fe, Agricola are used to combat specific diseases.

When it blooms

Flowers on the bushes appear in winter, which enhances the attractiveness, the desire to see a blooming garden on your window.

Many flowers rest in winter. Perhaps this is only with strict observance of the temperature regime, other requirements of home care.

If the plant is waiting to be transferred to the house on the balcony, plot, then this should be done gradually before the start heating season.

A temperature drop, a change in the humidity regime leads to the fall of foliage, emerging buds.

Why are there no flowers

The plant must go through all stages of growth under the correct conditions of existence determined by nature. Flowers do not appear in case of violation of lighting conditions, humidity, watering, improperly composed soil, drafts.

Careful monitoring of leaf quality will tell you the reason for the reluctance to form buds, flowers.

How to make it bloom

Important for a plant strict shift life cycles under optimal temperature conditions.

In summer, indoor types of azaleas are at rest. This is the easiest period of plant care. In the cool autumn, buds of future flowers are laid. In winter, it's time for flowers. To make it lush, beautiful against the background of the implementation of the main rules of care, the plant is pruned.

On young shoots leave up to five leaves. If next to flower buds shoots formed, then they are plucked out. To increase the duration of flowering, all faded buds are regularly removed.

Flower buds are laid on the tops of young shoots in early autumn. To create a lush bush, there must be a lot of these buds. Therefore, it is impossible to tighten with pruning.

A useful action in creating a lush bouquet is drop in temperature by a few degrees at the time of the formation of the first flowers, this will make the plant bloom in the future.

Having mastered all the agrotechnical activities of growing azalea at home, you can learn how to create beautiful bonsai-style compositions using a small azalea tree grown on your own.

You will need

• - soil;
• - ice;
• - cold water;
• - boric or citric acid;
• - pine needles;
• - ash or activated carbon;
• - sand
• - the drug "Zircon".

Instruction

Get it azalea from a pot of earth and lower the roots into a basin or bowl with cold water. Rinse the roots gently and very carefully with your fingers, trying to free from clods of earth so as not to damage. After the root system is freed from the substrate (this may take more than one hour, especially for the first time), lower for a few minutes azalea under the flow cold water.

Trim the wilted leaves of the plant and plant the washed azalea in freshly prepared soil. Use a special substrate for this type of flower, or take an all-purpose soil and add some sand and ash to it (or activated carbon). The next day, cover the ground with ice, watering with very cold water. Do not expose the plant to direct sunlight, especially if you are resuscitating azalea in summer.

Take liter jar settled for two days of water, add a few drops of pharmacy boric acid. Pour the resulting solution azalea several days until there is a visible result. Once a week, instead of boric acid, you can use a drug that regulates plant growth, for example, Zircon, at the rate of two to three drops per glass of water. If damage has affected only a small part of the flower, try watering it with acidified water. citric acid.

Place the pot with the transplanted on a tray with wet claydite. Keep the plant in a draft, it is not afraid of the cold. In hot summer, it is permissible to put the flower in the refrigerator for a day. Water every other day azalea in a cold bathroom running water with a shower head. If possible, lay pine needles on the top layer of the earth. And often pay attention to the diseased plant, stroke the leaves, talk to him. It is believed that the azalea is very susceptible to both positive and negative energy mood of the owners.

Sources:

• Azalea: care

Azalea can be called unpretentious plant. She is easy to care for and rarely gets sick. However, the azalea may start shedding its leaves. There may be several reasons for this phenomenon. It is important to understand what is happening as soon as possible, otherwise the plant may die.

High room temperature

One of the reasons why an azalea can shed its leaves is that the room temperature is too high. Most often, gardeners are faced with this during the heating season. It is important to remember that this plant does not like heat. Due to this, dry spots appear on the leaves of the azalea, the plant begins to hurt. In this case, it is best to move the flower pot away from the battery, then it will feel much better.

Low air humidity

Low humidity can also cause azalea leaf drop. Mist the plant daily to help restore moisture balance. If this measure did not help and the leaves still fall off, you should place the plant in plastic bag for 20 days. From time to time it must be removed to ventilate the azalea. After 2 weeks, the flower will feel much better and the leaves will stop falling off. After 20 days, the package can be removed.

Wrong watering

Azalea can drop leaves due to improper watering. Most often this happens when gardeners flood the plant too much. This can not be done, it is recommended to water after the soil in the pot has dried. Do not use tap water for watering, as it is very hard for azalea. Rain or peat water is best suited for it.

Mite

If azalea, then the culprit of such an unpleasant phenomenon may be a tick. To see if this is actually the case, you need to carefully consider the leaves. If they have small dots, as if from needles, then a tick lives on the plant. To withdraw it, you must purchase flower shop the drug "Aktellik" and process it 3 times with the plant and what was nearby. Snow also helps against ticks. It is necessary to impose them on the plant, then the insects will die. For these purposes, in the summer, you can use ordinary ice.

small pot

It is not uncommon for an azalea to shed its leaves because of a small pot. After all, its roots occupied almost the entire space. If the plant does not bloom, then it can be transplanted. The process will be less painful if you do not change the earth. You should take a pot 2 times larger and transplant the azalea along with the ground. The missing one can be added. After that, it is recommended to water the flower with "Zircon". Further watering exercise after a few days, also do not forget to spray the plant from time to time.

How to care for an azalea

Azaleas are difficult to tame or adapt to. room conditions. This flower grows in the wild in the mountains of Asia, so it loves coolness. To some extent, breeders have succeeded in instilling a tolerance for moderate temperatures in the warm season, but in winter the azalea must be kept in bright room with air temperature not higher than 13 ºC.

Do not water the rhododendron too often, try to keep the water balance: the soil in the pot should not be allowed to dry out, but at the same time, the water should not stagnate in the roots of the azalea. This can be achieved by placing the plant pot on a tray of wet pebbles so that the roots do not touch the water. In this case, the air around the plant will be quite humid.

In no case do not rearrange the azalea in heat, trying to speed up the onset of flowering - this is a frequent and, alas, fatal mistake of many florists.

As soon as the flowers have blossomed, the plant needs to be provided with additional support in the form of wooden slingshots. Withered buds should be carefully cut off - this measure will prolong the flowering of the azalea.

After the end of the flowering period, the rhododendron does not look very attractive, since all the forces of the plant were invested in this process. To breathe life into the plant, the azalea needs to be transplanted. Rhododendrons love heather and deciduous soils, and clay soils are contraindicated for them. The optimal soil pH for azaleas is pH 4.0-5.5.

Azalea care in summer

At the end of May, when there are no more frosts at night, azaleas can be moved to the balcony. In the summer, it is better to keep the rhododendron on the windowsill or in the fresh air, organizing protection from drafts for it. If the summer is too hot and dry, it is advisable to wrap the flowerpot with damp moss, the moisture of which is maintained by spraying. If at home, despite all your attempts to achieve coolness, it is too stuffy, transplant the azalea to open air, straight into the ground.

We buy azalea - how to choose

When choosing an azalea in a store, you need to pay attention to the condition of the soil in the flowerpot - it should be moderately moist. Do not buy an azalea if the soil in the pot is dry - after a while, already at home, some kind of disease may appear in it. Choose an azalea in a pot that is at least half the width of the flower crown. If there are flowers on the azalea, then check that they are developed, not wilted, and have an even color. Leaves must be clean.

• You can not often turn the pot with an azalea - it is very sensitive to changes in lighting.
• Some florists advise watering the azalea with water from wine vinegar. At least sometimes.
• In summer, it is better to shade the window near which the azalea stands with plain white paper.
• Azaleas are very hard going through a change of scenery and, getting into unusual conditions, they begin to get sick and often die. Therefore, if you want to definitely have this flower in your house, try growing it yourself. Buy an azalea in March or April, cut off a cutting from it and root it in peat, putting a transparent plastic bag on the pot with a cutting. In this case, even if the adult azalea dies, you will grow young plant for which the conditions of your apartment will be familiar.
• Recipe for watering azaleas: Dissolve 10 drops of boric acid purchased at a pharmacy in a liter of water. Some flower growers in hot weather recommend putting ice cubes from the refrigerator on the azalea soil instead of watering: they slowly melt and saturate the soil with cool water.