Azalea how to care Beautiful species and varietieshailing from China, Japan, Southeast Asia, Europe and North America. Voronkovidny flowers - white, pink, crimson, bright red - monophonic or two-color - are collected in brushes or corymbose. The most valuable are the varieties derived from the species of the Indian rhododendron and Sims rhododendron, blooming with large flowers in the winter until the very spring. Japanese azaleas have small flowers, it blooms in April, sometimes at Christmas. In eastern countries, azaleas are cultivated as the most beloved flowering plants from ancient times, their flowers are a symbol of joy, peace and freedom. With careful care, azaleas are becoming more beautiful every year. After flowering, you need to cut off all faded flowers and thickened shoots (caution: rhododendrons may contain toxic substances!). Pruning shoots needed several times in early summer to form a lush bush. Also pinch young shoots that form immediately before, or during flowering. Azalia love light to the penumbra, but can not stand the sun. Provide her with coolness (autumn and winter 5-10 degrees for bud aging, with swelling of buds 18 degrees) and plenty of fresh air, from the beginning of May you can keep outside in partial shade. Watering with soft water, not allowing waterlogging or dry land. Watering in the summer is abundant; in the fall, for watering, reduce watering. In the spring and summer spray. In the summer, once a month, put the pot for a short time in a bucket of water, wait until the excess water is drained and replace it just as it was on the window (mark the pot with electrical tape), otherwise a change of position relative to the light may cause the leaves to fall.
Young plants are transplanted annually, oldonce every 2-3 years in rhododendron soil (or prepare a mixture of peat, turf soil and sand in a ratio of 5: 1: 1 yourself), plants do not tolerate lime. When transplanting azaleas, it is undesirable to disturb the root ball (since there are useful soil fungi on the roots), instead of transplanting, transshipment with the addition of fresh substrate is recommended. From late February to August, 2 times a month, feed with flower fertilizer without lime, or add low concentration rhododendron fertilizer to the water for irrigation. If the temperature is too high and the air is dry, it is affected by a spider mite, which can lead to yellowing and leaf fall. A spider mite or red spider is a very small sucking pest; on the underside of the leaves it forms an interlacing of thin white threads. Rinse the leaves of the plant with a stream of water from the shower, covering the ground with cellophane, and treat the leaves with the preparation until the pests disappear. Due to their toxicity, treatment with chemicals is undesirable in a residential area, so prepare and use preparations from plants: decoctions and infusions of tobacco, onions, garlic, pepper, yarrow, calendula, etc. Increase the frequency of spraying not only the plant itself, but also the space Around him . The air humidity can be raised by using an electric humidifier, as well as placing a wide flat pan of water next to the plant. Azaleas are suitable for creating bonsai, but you need to take into account that the trunk is a little brittle and when gently bent it you need to support it with your hands. In autumn, well-groomed azaleas are given the desired shape (semi-cascading or panicle) and transplanted into bonsai dishes.
