Azalea (Azalea) - a colorful and decorative species of plants that turns any area into a bright attractive place. Azalea in gardening is becoming increasingly popular. Botanists continue to develop new hybrid varieties.
Azalea garden - what kind of flower is it, to which family belongs
Azalea shrub is a perennial from the Heather family from China, Japan and North America. There are many varieties in the natural habitat. A few decades ago, the plant was considered suitable for growing in pots and greenhouses. Shrubs for outdoor cultivation are currently popular.
Azalea garden
The height of the azalea can reach from 30 cm to 3 m. Small elliptical leaves are located on thin shoots covered with light bark. A wide range of color inflorescences: white, pink, yellow, purple, red or orange.
Interesting to know! Due to the fact that many varieties of azalea are frost-resistant, they are suitable for cultivation in the central and northern strip of Russia.
Selection history
At the beginning of the 19th century, Captain Velbek managed to bring a flowering azalea bush from India and transfer it to the botanical garden near London. The species became the ancestor of all hybrids obtained by scientists as a result of long selection. In Russia, the first shrub cultures were in botanical gardens. Later, breeders and botanists bred more than 12 thousand all kinds of hybrids.
Popular winter-hardy plant varieties, their description
Russian flower growers prefer deciduous varieties of shrubs that are winter hardy and large inflorescences of various shapes. Common winter-hardy varieties:
- Chanel
- Freya
- Klondike;
- Tunisia;
- Sonya
- Golden Lights;
- Golden sunset;
- Bright Orange Gibraltar.
Note! Winter hardiness is the ability of a plant to tolerate environmental influences throughout the winter. Frost resistance is the ability of a plant to maintain vital activity when exposed to low temperatures.
Most deciduous varieties are characterized by frost resistance when the temperature drops to -26 ℃. All shrubs are slow growing, reach their maximum height after only 10 years.
The lowest varieties are Golden Sunset and Gibraltar, reaching a height of not more than 1 m. Other representatives of the species grow upward from 1.4 m to 2 m. The leaves are olive to dark green, change color to red-orange in autumn. Inflorescences can be both monochromatic, and interspersed with a second color. Deciduous azalea prefers a sunny place with a small shadow, standard top dressing and a large amount of moisture.
Azalea Gibraltar
Planting and care of garden azaleas in open ground
Shrub azalea prefers to grow on acidic soils containing sand and peat. For the full development of a perennial bush in the country, the acidity of the soil is maintained at a level of 4.0-4.5 pH.
Japanese Azalea: planting and care in the open ground
Azalea seedlings are recommended to be planted in early spring before the movement of the juice begins or in early autumn, so that the plant has time to take root before the onset of cold.
The right place to plant is important for the care and cultivation of azaleas in the garden. It should be a sunny place with diffused lighting. At the selected site, dig a hole in the size of the root system. Street azalea is removed from the transport pot along with an earthen lump and placed in the center of the pit, the roots are covered with a substrate from above.
Additional Information! The depth of the pit should be such that a lump of earth with roots enters there and another 15 cm should remain. Before landing, a drainage layer is laid at the bottom.
Watering plays an important role in caring for Japanese shrubs. Azalea requires a lot of water (up to 20 liters per adult plant). It is important to monitor the soil moisture around the bush, to prevent drying out. During the day, a bush is sprayed from the spray gun, and containers with water are placed near the plant.
Another important point when growing garden azaleas is a properly selected substrate. It should be acidic and breathable. The substrate is prepared from the following components in equal parts:
- humus;
- sand;
- peat;
- leaf, turf and coniferous land.
The first feeding of the flower occurs 3 weeks after planting, the next is carried out after 20 days. Any fertilizer for decorative flowering plants is suitable as a fertilizer.
Azalea pruning
In the spring, sanitary pruning is carried out, removing only dry and diseased stems. This is due to the fact that in spring the plant has formed flower buds. The decorative formation of the bush is carried out in the fall after the wilting of inflorescences. As a result, only healthy, strong shoots remain, all dry branches and dried flower stalks are removed.
Important! If the old shoots are not removed in time, then in a few years the bush will grow, the branches will block the access of light and air, which will subsequently cause the development of diseases.
With proper care of the young plant, after 2-3 years it will please lush flowering. Many flower growers consider azalea a capricious plant and do not want to get involved in growing an ornamental Japanese bush.
Winter Azalea Care
Caring for azaleas in winter is just as important as in other seasons. Often they prefer deciduous shrubs for frost resistance, but more sensitive species need additional shelters from agrofiber, roofing felt, frames. In the spring they are removed.
Evergreen shrubs moisturize, after watering around the bushes spread a layer of compost from pine bark, peat and oak leaves. This agrotechnical method protects the roots from drying out and temperature fluctuations.
Features of flowering plants
Depending on the timing of flowering, all types of garden azaleas can be of 3 types:
- early flowering (the first flowers appear in December);
- medium flowering (the appearance of flowers occurs in February);
- late blooming (flowers appear in April).
For the first time, a young plant blooms for 2-3 years after planting. With proper care and comfortable conditions, this process lasts from 2 weeks to 2.5 months.
On a note! If during planting buds the plant is transplanted to a new place, flowering may stop. In this case, you need to return the flower to its original place.
Azalea flowers are tubular or flat, one-color or two-tone. Some varieties are characterized by a rich aroma. 4 main types of flowers are distinguished by shape:
- Simple (5-6 petals).
- Terry (the number of petals is different, some are formed from stamens).
- A simple "flower in flower" (10-12 petals, a cup forming the petals).
- Terry "flower in flower" (30 or more petals).
Azalea Inflorescences
Flower propagation methods
Decorative shrubs are propagated in several ways: seeds, cuttings, layering (dividing the bush). The seed method is rarely used, because the flowering plants will have to wait a long time. Cuttings are a labor-intensive process that lasts 1.5-4 months. Make in early spring.
The easiest way to propagate the crop is through layering when the lateral shoots are fixed as close to the ground as possible and sprinkled with earth. After rooting, they are separated. It is best performed in the spring, before the movement of the juice.
Propagation by layering
Growing problems, diseases and pests
Azalea garden can suffer from fungal infections and pests with improper care. The most common diseases of the bush are rot, rust, leaf spotting. In the fight against infections, spraying with fungicides or copper sulfate helps.
Additional Information! Solutions of insecticides help get rid of parasite insects (aphids, spider mites, whiteflies, black thrips).
Sometimes flower growers are faced with a phenomenon such as a lack of flowering. There may be several reasons:
- improper soil acidity;
- lack of ambient light;
- lack of moisture;
- increased air temperature;
- shortage or oversupply of fertilizer.
Fungal infections
Original decorative bushes require careful care. Without regular watering, they wilted, but, if all the requirements are met, the azalea will thank with long flowering.
