Garden azalea: planting and care in the open ground, the features of growing a perennial shrub and preparing for winter, as well as a photo of a street rhododendron

The amazing world of Azaleas and Rhododendrons is very mesmerizing. These plants seem somehow unrealistic, just unearthly. When you see this beauty during a powerful flowering, it is even difficult to tear your eyes away. Naturally, I want to quickly plant all this at home or on the garden plot. An incomparable pleasure is to sit with a cup of coffee in the garden next to the blooming Azalea. In this article, you can learn how and when to plant garden rhododendron and the features of its cultivation, as well as see photos of perennial azaleas.

How is street rhododendron different from home grown?

REFERENCE! All garden Azaleas that are grown in open ground are commonly called rhododendrons; they have a very wide variety of species and caring for them requires a careful approach.

Differences from indoor:

Garden views differ from indoor views in greater endurance.
Flowering in the open field occurs in spring and summer, at home - in winter.
Indoor plants reach a height of about 30 cm, and garden forms can grow much taller.

Photo

Below you can see a photo of garden azaleas:

There are not only garden rhododendron, but also other varieties. Learn more about varieties of rhododendrons here.

Maintenance in summer, autumn, winter and spring

Spring care - in early spring (as soon as the frosts end) you need to remove the shelter, inspect the bush after wintering and, if necessary, remove broken and dried branches. As soon as the threat of frost passes and the buds begin to form on the plant, you need to feed and water as necessary.
Summer care - at this time, you need to carefully monitor the watering, you must not allow the soil to dry out, and it is also necessary to spray the plant with soft water. Perfect water from the pond or rain, just do not spray on the flowers. We continue to feed (necessarily at the beginning of flowering and at the end).
Autumn Care - gradually reduce watering, do not feed. The main difference from home indoor azalea is that in autumn it needs preparation for winter. Only in this way can the plant survive the subzero temperature. Before frost, you need to deeply shed the bush and mulch well with coniferous needles. When freezing begins, it should be covered with Spabond, having previously built a base in the form of a hut.
Winter care - make sure that the bush does not break due to the abundance of snow, periodically tamp the snow at the base.

What to do after purchase?

Advice! After the purchase, we plant a new young seedling in the garden (it is better to do this in the spring) and then you need to spray it with Epina solution for better adaptation.

Of course, the first time it requires attention is constant, timely watering and spraying is mandatory. Fertilizing in this period is not needed, the plant must first get used to a new place and conditions. And after 2 - 3 months we take care as usual.

How to choose the right one:

Optimal time for landing - The best time for planting is early spring, but if such a need arose - you can plant in the summer; in autumn, it is better to abstain from planting.
Landing place - you need to choose a place in partial shade, protected from the winds and not in the lowland.

How to plant: a step-by-step guide for beginners

Inventory preparation - we need garden gloves, a pruner, a shovel, a bucket and a watering can.
The soil - you need loose, well-drained, fertile, acidic or slightly acidic, if the soil on your site is completely different, then you need to add the necessary additives to the planting hole, otherwise the plant will not develop normally.
How to plant bush street azalea:
1. We prepare the landing pit and the substrate in advance: in equal amounts we mix the turfy soil, leaf humus, sand, peat.
2. At the bottom of the pit, pour broken brick or clay shards (small pieces), pour a little prepared substrate.
3. We put a seedling in the middle and fall asleep carefully. The root neck should remain above the ground from above, it can not be filled up.
4. Then you need to water, wait a bit until the soil settles and pour more.
5. Form a near-stem circle on top and sprinkle a layer of mulch (best of conifer needles).
First watering - after planting, the first watering should be done in 3 days with soft water.
Further care after planting - the plant usually takes root easily, as soon as new leaves begin to appear, it means that our Azalea has taken root. Next, you need to clearly monitor the regime of watering and spraying, fertilizing, remove weeds in the near-stem circle.
When to transplant - just like that, without the need, transplanting a garden rhododendron is not worth it. It is necessary to do this in the event that not a good place for planting was originally selected and the plant does not bloom for a long time.

Possible difficulties

The following can be distinguished problems and difficulties that sometimes, unfortunately, have to face:

Bad landing - you need to carefully choose a suitable place for planting, otherwise the plant will either not bloom at all, or die due to excess water or bright sun.
Difficult wintering - the bush may suffer when, for example, sudden changes in February - March occur from bright sun (during the day) to sudden frosts (at night). Flower buds and parts of the upper shoots that are not covered by snow may die. That's why it is so important in the fall to properly prepare the bush for wintering - here, covering material is simply obligatory.
Weak flowering - occurs due to lack of moisture or lack of top dressing, the rules must be observed.

How to care for the bush on the street?

Where to put in the garden - you should choose a place that will not be flooded with spring water, will not be blown by cold winds and will not be burned in direct sunlight. If you need to plant Azalea near a house or a gazebo, then this should not be the south side, it will be good for her in the penumbra of some conifer (best neighbor).Attention! A wonderful option for planting is a place near a pond or any artificial reservoir (humidity is maintained naturally).
Weeding - in the near-stem circle there should not be any plants at all, let alone weeds. But you need to understand that the root system of Azalea is superficial and you can’t take a chopper and roughly penetrate the topsoil. Weeds should be removed manually, carefully so as not to harm delicate roots.
Top dressing - Too often it is not needed, but 3 times per season is simply required. The first time it is necessary to fertilize in spring (early) infusion of humus and cow manure, the second time we water it with the same infusion plus we add phosphorus with potassium just before flowering (when the first buds begin to open), the third time you need to feed the shrub after flowering with phosphoric and potassium fertilizers . Fertilizing is best around the bush - at a distance of about 20 cm from the trunk.
Watering - the plant loves water, in hot weather it is necessary to water often (1 - 2 times a week, even if necessary), in cool weather, of course, the amount of water is reduced. It is easy to navigate here according to the state of the soil - as soon as the top layer of the soil dries up - we water it. If the bush is young, then 2 buckets of water for one irrigation will be enough, and for a large adult bush you need at least five buckets.
Water must be soft, it would be good to use water from a pond or rain. Also, once a month it is advisable to water a little acidified with lemon water.
Pruning - this shrub has a remarkable ability to independently form a crown, so no special pruning is necessary. After flowering, you only need to remove wilted flowers and you can slightly shorten too long branches (or broken ones).
Mulching - this needs to be dealt with constantly, the best material for mulch will be conifer needles, if there is a problem with them, then you can mulch with wood chips (preferably pine) or sawdust. Periodically, it will need to be poured and updated. You need to pay attention to the fact that the mulch should not lie snugly against the stem, there you need to leave a little free space.
Spraying - in the summer, you must definitely support Azalea with this pleasant procedure. Firstly, spraying increases the humidity around the plant, and secondly, it helps to protect against various harmful insects. Only use the water you need warm, settled or rain.
Protection - the best defense is compliance with all agricultural regulations and the right choice of landing site.
Mistakes in leaving - the most common mistakes are watering the plant too often and introducing superior doses of fertilizers, because of this the root system begins to suffer first and the plant stops blooming, and if the situation is not urgently corrected, it may die.

Watch a video about unpretentious azalea gardening:

Prevention of various problems in a garden flower

For prevention, it is worth several times a season to treat the shrub with Bordeaux liquid, and also in early spring (before flowering) you need to spray with "Oksikhom" and after flowering with "Fundazole". Well, the most important thing is to take proper care so that prerequisites for problems are not created.

Disease

Snails and slugs can settle on the Azalea bush - you just need to collect them manually.
May be populated by: powdery worm, scale insect, aphid and rhododendron bug. First, rinse the bush with water using a hose, and then treat it with Karbofos or Diazin.
Various fungal diseases may occur (due to excess water). In this case, fungicide treatment is needed.
The most common disease is calcareous chlorosis, the leaves change color - first they brighten, then turn yellow. Preventing it is easier than curing - you need to make peat under the bush.
If the stems begin to turn yellow and wilt, then this means that the bush fell ill with Fusarium. Fundazol treatment will help.

Conclusion

Many people notice the fact that when you first get acquainted with Azalea, at first it’s scary to settle this beauty in your garden. Involuntarily, you ask yourself, is it even possible to plant her on the street? Will it take root or not? But if you only take root in one plant, then immediately there is a need to plant more and more soon. I would like to plant shrubs and other colors, and other forms, to decorate these chic exotics just everything around.