Beautiful azalea: what do the flowers look like when the plant blooms and when it already fades? Photos and Care Tips

What epithets are not awarded to Azalea during the flowering period: beautiful, amazing, chic, gentle, royal and this is not all. Of course, they are all deserved, when the flowering period begins, then all the whims of this beauty are immediately forgotten.

She conquers at first sight and, of course, everyone wants to have such a miracle at home in order to be able to admire the flowers of unreal beauty indefinitely.

From our article you will find out when and how long the rhododendron blooms (this is the second common name for azaleas), in the photo you can see how the flowers look; We will tell you how to care for the plant, including when it is already fading.

Plant life cycle

We can definitely say - how beautiful Azalea is, so much it is picky. If not enough attention is paid to it, then it may not bloom at all, therefore, it is imperative to take into account all the nuances and carefully care for it. This is the only way to achieve the result - flowering. There is a clear dependence of plant development on the time of year.

1. Azalea Life Cycle Before Flowering - during this period, flower buds begin to form (October - December), for the correct process it is necessary to ensure a temperature in the range of 6 - 10 degrees, not higher.

   Further, when flower buds appear, a higher temperature will be required to stimulate flowering, approximately 16-18 degrees (January - February). It is also important to provide enough light at this time, otherwise the plant may lose its buds.

2. Flowering Life Cycle - in this period (spring), the plant puts all its energy into the flowering process, and how long this process will last, a lot depends on the conditions of detention. The required temperature at this time is 12 - 15 degrees, if provided, then flowering will continue for two months.

   But if you can’t create the ideal temperature, then Azalea can bloom in just two weeks. Also, you need a fairly bright light.

3. Life Cycle After Flowering - this period falls on summer and autumn, at which time the plant should fully recover and be ready for the next flowering. Azalea will need to be cut off (all faded and elongated branches) and transplanted into a new pot.

   In summer, a temperature of no higher than 25 degrees is desirable, fresh air is very useful for the plant - the plant will feel great in the shade of a bush, for example, in a country house.

You can find out how many times a year and when the azalea blooms here.

What does a blooming rhododendron look like?

When Azalea blooms, it immediately becomes a center of attraction. A large number of buds simultaneously begins to bloom on the plant. When the flowers are opened, they cover the entire foliage, the impression of a soaring cloud of flowers, so tightly arranged to each other. Some types of indoor azalea have a delicate, pleasant aroma.

The flowers can be ordinary five-petalled with long stamens or large double, the edges of the petals are also different - smooth, fringed or corrugated. The colors are very diverse, the most common are red, pink and white shades, but there are also yellow, purple, orange, lingonberry flowers. And they can be motley - with various stripes, dashes, dots and spots of contrasting color, it turns out just a riot of colors.

Features of this period

Azalea is usually acquired at the time of its flowering, but it’s best to choose a plant that is just beginning to bloomwhere there are many unopened buds. Then it will be possible to admire the flowering for as long as possible, moreover, it is during the flowering period that this plant can be moved and rearranged without any damage to it. If it turned out to buy a flower not at the time of flowering, then, of course, questions arise:

• At what point after purchase expect the flowering of Azalea - you must always remember that this plant blooms only at a certain moment in its life cycle, this moment comes in the spring (end of winter - beginning of spring).
• How often does Azalea bloom - It blooms once a year (annually).
• How long does flowering last? - flowering can last from two weeks to two months (it all depends on the care).

Photo

In the photo below, you can see how the azalea (rhododendron) blooms.

Why does not give buds and what to do?

Unfortunately, it also happens that Azalea doesn’t want to bloom again, let's see why this happens.

Reasons: improper conditions of detention, first of all, too high air temperature, insufficient watering and dry air affects the lack of flowering.

What to do: do everything possible to create the desired indoor air humidity and temperature, level the watering mode, and you also need to remember about the correct lighting.

Read here what affects the flowering of azaleas.

Step-by-step instruction: how to care?

Although Azalea is considered to be a very capricious and difficult plant for home cultivation, but this is not a reason to abandon it, you just need to create good conditions for the “princess”. How to care for a flowering plant in a pot, this instruction will prompt.

1. Choosing a place to plant - in winter, Azalea is best placed on a closed loggia or balcony, but carefully monitor the temperature, it should not fall below 5 degrees.

   ATTENTION! As soon as it gets colder, then the plant immediately needs to be moved to the room and placed on the western or northern window. At the same time, dry hot air should not allow Azaleas to harm, so the heating battery will have to be closed or disconnected.

   And in the summer, the flower can be placed in the garden in a small shade or on the balcony (also in the shade).

2. Lighting - the plant does not like bright sunlight, the best is bright diffused light or partial shade. Window sills facing north, east or west are suitable, you do not need to put on the south window (but if there are no other windows, then put the plant about a meter from the south window). In winter, of course, daylight will not be enough, therefore, additional illumination with a phytolamp will be required.
3. Humidity - Azalea is very fond of high humidity, therefore, regular spraying is required (only not for flowers), in summer this procedure needs to be done daily. When the heating season begins and the flower is on the windowsill, you can still increase the humidity in this way - put the pot with the plant in a special tray with water, where pebbles or sand is poured (you can even lay moss).

   The best option for creating the necessary humidity, of course, is a special air humidifier, it is useful for both plants and humans.

4. Temperature - The ideal temperature for this flower will be very cool - from 10 to 15 degrees in the winter and within 20 - 25 degrees in the summer. Of course, it would be just wonderful in the winter to provide the desired temperature on a frost-free balcony or loggia, and in the summer to take out a flower to the country. Well, if you have air conditioning in your apartment, then there will be no problems to set the desired temperature.
5. Watering - the main rule here: the soil must be moist always, in no case do not dry out. In summer you need to water often, maybe even every day (look at the condition of the ground), and in the cool time, of course, less often, about once a week (again, look at the state of the ground).

   Watering can only be done with soft, warm water, settled or filtered. A wonderful option - rainwater or melt. It is sometimes useful to pour a little acidified water, you need to add a couple of drops of lemon juice per 1 liter of water. If it still happened that the plant was dry, you need to try to save it - immerse the pot in a basin with water for two hours, then put it on a wire rack so that all the excess water in the glass is put into the pan.

   IMPORTANT! Prior to transplantation, purchased Azalea needs to be watered through a pallet. After watering, it is absolutely necessary to drain excess water from the pan.
6. Top dressing - Of course, special fertilizers are required for Azalea. the best option would be ready-made fertilizer "Azalea", in it all the necessary microelements and useful substances are balanced. It is only necessary to follow the instructions, do not overdo it with the dosage.

   You need to feed once a week in spring and summer, in autumn and winter you do not need to fertilize anything. Also, even at the time of bud formation, it would be good to feed the plant with Zircon or Kemira-Lux, Azalea will bloom even more magnificent.

How to understand what is fading?

When the flowering period at Azalea ends, it becomes obvious when observing the plant: the flowers begin to wither, lose their colors, dry and crumble, some remain on the bush in a dried form (they must be removed).

In general, the plant at the end of flowering looks like this: some of the leaves dried up, some leaves turned brown, the bulk of the flowers, of course, showered, but some of the dried flowers with pedicels remain on the bush. Some species of Azalea immediately after flowering discard all leaves. and the bush remains completely bare (when buying, you must definitely specify the type of plant).

Further plant care

It is necessary to remove all thin thin shoots on the bush and thin out the crown, if there is a thickening. Right now, the most suitable time for the formation of the crown is to give it any attractive shape. You also need to cut (or cut off) all faded flowers that did not fall off themselves, carefully pinch off the elongated shoots (so that they begin to scrub).

After these manipulations, wait a week and the plant needs to be transplanted (or reloaded) into a new pot with new soil. It is necessary to transplant extremely carefully, because the root system of the flower is superficial, it is impossible to destroy an earthen lump, therefore it is better to simply transfer the plant. A new pot needs a shallow, but wide, soil only to take special "for Azaleas" and drainage will be required.

To learn how to care for azalea when it has faded and what to do next, click here.

Possible problems and solutions

All problems, mainly, appear only due to errors in the care of the flower. The most common:

1. Buds and leaves fall - means too dry air and high temperature. It is necessary to increase humidity and normalize the temperature.
2. Sparse flowering, yellow leaves - the flower is planted in improper soil and watered with hard water. Urgently transplant Azalea and irrigate only with standing water.
3. The appearance of a spider web on leaflets - this means that a spider mite has settled on Azalea, that is, the plant lacks moisture and coolness. It is necessary to wash the flower under a warm shower with soap and normalize humidity and temperature.
4. Dry spots on the leaves - Damage occurred due to direct sunlight, these are burns. It is necessary to rearrange the flower to another window, protecting it from the bright sun.
5. Leaves turn white and curl, buds crumble - this disease (fusarium) can appear due to too high a temperature. An urgent need to treat the plant with any fungicide.

For details on why azalea does not bloom and how to eliminate these problems, read our material.

Conclusion

What can be said in the end? Yes, the plant is ambiguous, it will require troubles and cares, but it is so beautiful and attractive that it is simply impossible to refuse it. Azalea looks gorgeous in any interior, it can be hung in a flowerpot (basket) near the window, can be put in a beautiful flowerpot. And it is also perfect for creating a bonsai, this form is truly amazing and refined.

Watch the video: How to Grow Azaleas Flowering Plant for Every Garden (November 2024).