Growing rhododendron, photo and description of the best varieties
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Rhododendron is an ornamental perennial plant, it is very thermophilic and does not tolerate frost well. Therefore, it is difficult to grow it, and all conditions must be observed. Another name for the rhododendron is "Rose tree".
The best varieties of rhododendron
Rhododendron Adams
A small shrub up to 0.5 meters tall, blooming with a scattering of small pink flowers. This variety is very good for traditional medicine.
Rhododendron Vasey
This variety begins to bloom in May. It has large, light pink flowers that are very different from other varieties. Moreover, this variety is not whimsical at all in cultivation.
Daurian rhododendron
This variety is very hardy and often grows in Siberia. A shrub of this variety grows from 2 to 4 meters, with large purple flowers. It begins to bloom profusely in April. In folk medicine, they are treated with the gastrointestinal tract, acute respiratory viral infections, thrombophlebitis.
Rhododendron yellow
Also called "Pontic azalea" it grows 3-4 meters in height, grows very much. Flowers of this variety begin to bloom before the leaves of the bush begin to turn green.
Caucasian rhododendron
Very hardy, not tall, has large white flowers. This plant grows slowly, but it is a honey plant. Although this honey is poisonous and is used to treat mercury infections.
Rhododendron Ledebour
This shrub grows in height from 0.5 to 2 meters, and blooms from June to July, as well as repeatedly from August to September. This variety has large, dark pink flowers.
Rhododendron soft
The variety came to us from China and blooms from April to June. It grows up to 2 meters in height. Its flowers are yellow and have a pleasant aroma.
Rhododendron Schlippenbach
It grows in the form of a tree, has large, pale pink flowers. It grows from 2 to 4 meters, and begins to bloom when the first foliage appears.
Japanese rhododendron
This variety has large orange-red flowers. This bush grows up to 2 meters high. It blooms from May to June, and is not afraid of frost.
Yakushiman rhododendron
The variety that came from Japan blooms for a month with large white leaves. Sufficiently frost-resistant.
Growing instructions
It is quite difficult to grow a rhododendron because of its thermophilicity, but thanks to the few frost-resistant varieties, this will be easy to do if you follow all the rules for planting and care.
It is better to plant rhododendron in spring or autumn in a place where the groundwater is deeper than 1 meter. There should be no trees growing nearby, otherwise they will take all the nutrients from the soil. The best place is flower beds or garden paths. Can also be planted as a hedge.
Rhododendron is planted with seedlings obtained by dividing the bush, and the bush should not be older than 4 years. The seedling should be intact, with well-developed roots. The soil for planting rhododendron must be prepared in advance, and planted from April to mid-May, or from September to November.
For planting, you need to dig a hole 40 cm deep, and add fertilizer. The seedling must be placed in the water in order for all the air to escape, then it is placed in the hole strictly in the center and covered with earth. Tamp well and watered abundantly.
Rhododendron care
Top dressing in the rhododendron bush should be applied twice a year, in spring and autumn. Regularly remove weeds, and regularly water with settled water, and watering should be abundant.
The plant sprouts very well, but they must be removed in early spring. Moreover, old frozen and damaged branches are also removed with a sharp pruner, and the cut points must be treated with garden pitch.
For winter, the rhododendron is prepared in advance, the plants are watered until frost, and as soon as frost sets in, the roots that lie almost on the surface are necessarily insulated. A frame is made around the plant and, with the onset of -10 degrees, it is covered with protective material. And they remove it in the spring when the frosts completely pass and the earth warms up.