Meet Azalea - a moody beauty! Photos and best growing tips

Azalea is the most beautiful and most capricious houseplant. It has two names - Azalea or Rhododendron. It is quite difficult to care for him, in particular, it will bring a lot of difficulties to beginner gardeners. Often the blooming azalea, which was purchased at the store, cannot adapt to the conditions of the apartment - it discards leaves and soon dies. To prevent this from happening with a houseplant, you need to find out everything about it, it is important to carefully read the information about this houseplant.

From the article we learn what kind of rhododendron plant it is, what the names of the main species are, and you can also look at the photos of these beautiful flowers in full growth, both in pots and in other containers.

Biological characteristics of a home flower

According to the description and characteristics, Azalea flower (Rhododendron) is an evergreen shrub reaching from 50 to 150 cm in height. Depending on the variety, the flowering period falls from November to April, and it lasts two months. Flowering plants are plentiful, flowers are always large and have a different color. Azalea (rhododendron) can become an apartment decoration, however, it is important to know about the specifics of such a flower, otherwise cultivation will become impossible.

What does it look like?

Look carefully at what it looks like and what kind of indoor flower and plant Rhododendron is. The leaves are shiny above, have a dark green color and are soft to the touch. Evergreen shrubs are characterized by drooping leaves with double flowers. The color can be either white or purple.

In shape, the flowers are divided into 3 types:

1. Simple. They have 5-6 petals and 5 stamens.
2. Terry. The number of petals is different, some of them go straight from the stamens.
3. Flower in flower. 112 petals and a cup forming the petals.

You can find out how azalea differs from rhododendron and gardenia here.

Passport and country of origin

Azalea and the genus Rhododendrons belong to the Vereskov family, and Asia, the Carpathians, and the Caucasus are considered the birthplace from the history of the flower. There are about 1000 species of such plants. Azalea is a small-sized shrub that blooms in the room at the height of winter.

It is better to place the azalea in bright rooms, with good ventilation and ventilation.. In a cool room it can be at a temperature of 12-15 degrees, and in a warm room at 18 degrees.

ATTENTION: During flowering, as well as in summer, abundant watering is needed, and in winter it should be moderate. The name azalea comes from a group of species that belong to the subgenus Rhododendron.

Interesting Facts

Interesting facts about rhododendron can be considered that it is very often confused with:

• Violet.
• Pelargonium.
• Eustoma.

Lifetime and can it be extended?

Azalea can grow for 5-6 years. But if the florist has a desire to increase the life span, then he must follow the rules based on natural adaptations. The life cycle of azaleas depends on how the plant goes through a change of seasons.

It is necessary to arrange for her a period of rest and sometimes to take it out in the cold. The plant loves bright light, but does not tolerate the sun. On the east window, flowering will be as plentiful as possible. If the position changes with respect to the window, leaves may fall. It is important to keep the plant in a bright, cool room. Ideal would be a winter garden, a conservatory or a frost-free balcony. Azalea responds well to outdoor activities in warm weather, which means that rhododendron can easily endure adverse conditions on a windowsill in a regular apartment in winter.

Benefit and harm

Some people may think that azalea is a useless plant, however, this is not at all. Just looking at him makes a person feel better. And florists say that those who grow azaleas are less likely to suffer from depression.

The flower perfectly purifies the air and leaves a pleasant floral freshness in the room.. If barley appears on your eye, you can attach the petals to the affected area and after a while everything will pass.

As for the harm, it is worth noting that azalea leaves are not recommended for consumption. If this is allowed, the heart rate will be disturbed and intestinal colic will begin. It is better to keep the plant away from children and animals.

Read about the harmful and beneficial properties of Adams rhododendron and other species of this plant in our material.

Watch the video about the benefits and harms of room azalea:

Description and photo of a houseplant Rhododendron

There are two main types of azaleas., of which, in turn, subspecies occur:

Indian

In the Indian Azalea or Sims rhododendron, the shoots are covered with bristles and luxurious flowers, which have the appearance of a funnel in the size of 3.5 cm.

Japanese

Japanese azalea or blunt rhododendron has glossy leaves and flowers 3 cm in diameter. It blooms in May, loves shaded areas and good watering. In Japan, it is a recognized national plant that can be equated with sakura. Both varieties are dwarf shrubs reaching 30-50 cm in height.

Watch a video about the features of Japanese azalea:

Where is it sold and how much is it?

You can buy a plant in a garden store or in a nursery. The price of one bush starts from 300 rubles.

Purchase Rules

It is worth following such recommendations for buying a plant.:

• No need to buy too large or small instance. Large ones may have problems with adaptation, and small ones will not have enough forces for transportation.
• It is important to check that the plant is not flooded or dried. The soil must be moist.
• Shake the azalea to see how strong its leaves are.
• Inspect the leaves. They should not have cobwebs or insects.
• Do not immediately remove the flower from the pot, it must stay in it to adapt to the new climate.
• Put the pot in a suitable place and do not forget about watering, spraying.
• If the plant is too dry, you can water it abundantly.
• After some time, you can spray the flower with Zircon.
• If the leaves wilted and lost their tone, the plant should be immediately watered.

Features landing and care

Indoor plant Azalea (Rodendron) has its own characteristics of planting, which must be observed in order to grow a healthy and beautiful plant (for how to plant and root azaleas, read here). The soil should be heather, a mixture of coniferous and peat land in a ratio of 2: 1 is also suitable. In specialty stores you can buy a soil mixture, which is used to grow acidophilus plants.

The capacity for planting should be shallow, since the azalea has a surface root system. Before planting, it is important to prepare a drainage layer of broken brick or pebbles. After that, prepared soil is placed in the tank and azalea cuttings are planted, deepening them in the ground. After planting, they need to be covered to ensure a good greenhouse effect and high humidity. If the humidity is at 80%, the seedlings will form strong roots after 2 months.

Step-by-step care tips:

1. Creating air humidity at the level of 70-80%.
2. In summer, the temperature should be +25 degrees, and in winter 6-10 degrees.
3. Scattered light is suitable for the flower.
4. The substrate must be acidic.
5. Water for irrigation is necessarily soft.
6. Watering is regular.

In nature, azaleas grow in an atmosphere of constant fog, drizzling rain and coolness.. That is why, in order for the Rhododendron flower in the pot to feel at home well, it is important to create optimal conditions for it.

Choose a bright and cool room for the flower, which shows the temperature by season. Most of all, azalea suffers from dry air and heat from batteries. Transplanting a plant after purchase is not recommended, since it needs to be given a little time to recover. The roots of home rhododendron are very thin, so the transplant is carried out by a gradual transshipment, trying not to violate the integrity of the earth coma. The roots of the azalea are superficial, and the pot is better to choose a low, in the form of a bowl.

Azalea needs a special earthen substrate, which is now on sale in any store. In summer, the pot must be taken out to the garden, finding a place for it where there is no draft. Over-dried soil is especially dangerous for such a plant. This is why the pot needs to be immersed in water once a week.

Watering rhododendron is better with acidified water. To do this, take a 10-liter container with settled water and stir a teaspoon of citric acid in it.

IMPORTANT: The life cycle of azaleas often depends on the changing seasons, so it grows differently at different times of the year. After winter, spring comes and during this period growth is often very active. Next comes autumn - the time of laying the buds and going to sleep until next spring.

Read about how to grow lush azalea on the stem in our article.

Watch the video about planting azaleas and the rules for caring for her:

When do buds open?

At home, the Azalea (Rhododendron) flower blooms in winter, and in the garden in summer. Flowers can be double and simple, their shape is funnel-shaped. To ensure lush flowering, it is important to pinch and prune the shoots on time. To maintain flowering, the plant is kept in cool conditions.

If the foliage is lush, flowering will be sparse. It is important to remove wilted flowers immediately. If you start to rearrange the pot from one place to another, the azalea will drop the buds.

Lack of flowering is often associated with improper care:

• Keeping in warm conditions.
• Poor soil nutrition.
• Placement in the open sun or in a dark place.
• No pinching or trimming.

You can find out about which varieties of rhododendron tea is made from and what useful properties it has.

Breeding methods

Reproduction of rhododendron can be carried out in the following ways:

• Propagation by cuttings. This process is a lot of difficulties, in addition, it also requires effort and patience:
  1. The stem of an adult plant is taken, which reaches 5 cm in length.
  2. Also, a substrate is prepared in advance from peat and coniferous land.
  3. The cutlery before planting is lowered into a potassium permanganate solution, and then deepened by 2 cm.
  4. In one pot there can be 3-4 cuttings.
  5. Rooting is carried out in the dark, so it will not be superfluous to cover the jar with a cloth. It will take 2-3 years to grow Rhododendron flowers.
• Reproduction by dividing the bush.
  1. In the spring, the bush is pulled out of the soil and divided at the base with a sharp knife.
  2. It is important to be careful, because the roots of the plant are thin, easily vulnerable.
• Vaccination propagation.
  1. It is carried out in early summer.
  2. Take a stalk, 15 cm long, whose roots are well developed.
  3. After create oblique sections on it and wrap it with plastic wrap.
  4. The graft with stock should be covered with a glass jar or planted in a greenhouse.

Pests

Like all indoor plants, azalea is susceptible to attack by pests. The most common are:

1. Shields. According to the description of a houseplant, these are plaques on leaves and stems that suck out cell sap. Over time, the leaves become faded and fall off. To cleanse the plants using a soapy sponge. After the azalea is sprayed with an actellic solution.
2. Spider mite. May form if air is too dry. Leaves become lethargic and fall off. The plant needs to be washed under a warm shower, and also treat each leaf and stem with an actelik.
3. Mealybug. It affects not only leaves, but also flowers with shoots. The plant begins to die. Soap solution will help remove such a pest.

Learn more about the diseases and pests of azalea, as well as see the photo, here.

Watch the video on azalea pests:

Disease prevention

TIP: A plant, like a human being, needs increased attention. Therefore, everyone who keeps azalea at home should be prevented by treating rhododendron with copper chloride. It is enough to do this 2 times a month.

Such prevention will prevent the development of fungus and diseases. And to improve the protective functions of the plant, you can also use organic fertilizers, which contribute to the phase of active growth.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it is worth noting that despite some difficulties in care, azalea can become a favorite plant of each grower. All that is needed is to follow simple rules and in every way help the flower for the house to actively grow and develop.

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