Fertilizer for rhododendrons in spring. Seasonal top dressing of rhododendron: how to fertilize an ornamental shrub in spring and autumn. Organic fertilizers for azaleas and rhododendrons

So that the rhododendron does not give strength to the seeds, all faded inflorescences must be removed. This work does not tolerate fuss. And almost all gardeners love her very much. Sit on a bench and carefully, slowly remove the inflorescences. This can be done with your hands, twisting the inflorescence at its base, you can use scissors, only the scissors should have sharp ends. The most important thing is not to damage the kidneys, which usually protrude quite actively. These are future escapes.

I never throw the removed inflorescences to the side, but I throw the rhododendron "under my feet", let them rot, create mulch.

Mulch for rhododendrons

Mulch generally means a lot to rhododendron, as it lightens the ground, acidifies it, and retains moisture. Where there are no harsh winters, the mulch can not even be changed, it is natural. But in reality, after our northern winter, it’s better to change it anyway.

Since it may contain unwanted mold, some sores. Inflorescences and withered flowers can be safely thrown into the mulch, but dried and fallen leaves are best removed. The fact is that rhododendron does not change leaves like other trees, its leaves should last about 3 years. If the leaves fall often, then it means that they are not just old, but sick. Therefore, they must be collected and burned.

How to water a rhododendron

In a typical Russian summer, it is enough to water abundantly once a week. Feel free to pour 50 liters under a large bush. Naturally, with a break, so that the water is absorbed.

But most importantly, do not forget about air humidification. I already wrote that water for irrigation should not be from a well.

But anything can happen - a dry summer, and there is not a drop in the barrel, or the barrel is far away, it is hard to water. Therefore, if you have to water from a well, pour water into a watering can, and add something sour to it.

Can vinegar 2 tbsp. spoons for 10 liters of water. Or citric acid - 3-4 gr. for 10 liters of water

Easiest to use colloidal sulfur.

Like this a package of 40 g should be sprinkled once or twice a year into trunk circle for a small rhododendron, if the rhododendron is about a meter high and above, then two packs are needed. This is enough to acidify the soil.

There is also advice that I read on the web garden forum, but I have never tried to do this, although experts say that this is the best option.

"It is better to acidify the soil with sulfuric acid (electrolyte for car batteries) A teaspoon of electrolyte per 10 liters (bucket) of water and evenly water the soil around the rhododendrons. To reduce the hardness of water during irrigation, I also add sulfuric acid in the same dose.

It seems to me that fiddling with sulfuric acid is not very safe, and it is much easier and safer to use colloidal sulfur. I have used it several times and have had good results.

This is the application of organic and mineral fertilizers, which is necessary for better growth and development, disease prevention, maximum fruiting and recovery after it.

Plant life cycle before winter

Rhododendron, being perennial shrub, preparing for a dormant period:

• the length of the day is reduced, the temperature of the air and soil decreases, and this leads to a decrease in the amount of growth-stimulating hormones and an increase in growth inhibitors (retarders);
• metabolism becomes slower, the development of branches and leaves stops, cells lose moisture;
• some varieties of rhododendrons shed their leaves.

Is nutritional support needed at this time?

Since the rhododendron is preparing to go to sleep for the winter, it does not need growth-stimulating top dressing. However, after flowering, flower buds are laid for next year. It is important that there are enough of them and that they endure the winter well. This is the purpose of feeding rhododendron in the fall.
Does the plant need to be repotted? You can find out more about how and when to transplant rhododendrons in the fall.

How to feed azaleas in autumn?

How can you fertilize azaleas? For autumn feeding use phosphorus and potash mineral fertilizers, as well as organic:

• rotted manure;
• bone flour;
• needles;
• peat.

You can mix them. The root system of rhododendrons is very compact and located close to the soil, therefore Fertilizers are best applied in liquid form..

Mineral fertilizers

Since rhododendrons love acidic soils, physiologically acidic mineral fertilizers are used for top dressing:

• superphosphate- improves the laying of flower buds;
• magnesium sulfate- necessary on acidic soils, where magnesium is contained in insufficient quantities;
• potassium sulfate (20 g per 1 sq. m)- helps to ripen the wood of rhododendrons.

Attention! You can not feed the rhododendron with fertilizers containing chlorine.

organic

Commonly used:

• half-rotted manure- increases soil fertility, makes it moisture and breathable;
• horn shavings(a mixture of ground horns and hooves, otherwise called "bone meal") - contains phosphorus and other macro- and microelements, slowly decomposes in the ground, providing the plant with nutrition for a long time.

In addition to applying in liquid form, both mineral and organic fertilizers can be poured into the near-trunk circle of rhododendron (it is important to remember that the plant does not tolerate digging due to the nearby root system).

Mulch and coniferous turf

As a fertilizer for rhododendrons, a mulch is used, consisting of:

• high peat;
• pine or spruce needles;
• bark or sawdust from coniferous trees.

Also the so-called heather compost contains microscopic fungi that help the plant extract and absorb nutrients from acidic soil.

How to understand what is needed?

• A change in the color of the leaves (they become light, yellowish, lose their gloss) is always an alarm: azaleas do not have enough food.
• A sign of a lack of micro- and macroelements after flowering is also a slight increase in young shoots (these are green non-lignified shoots) and massive leaf fall even on evergreen varieties.
• Flower buds are not laid at all or there are few of them - also evidence that the azalea needs mandatory feeding.

The difference in the procedure for indoor and outdoor flower

Azalea - one of the varieties of rhododendrons - can grow both in the garden and at home:

• for home azalea, liquid fertilizers are used under the root and for spraying;
• for gardening, you can use dry dressings, bringing them into the ground near the trunk.

What is suitable for a pet from the world of flora, which is at home?

What drugs will help the garden beauty?

Schedule

• 1st- at the end of July-beginning of August, when flowering ended and the laying of flower buds for the next year began - with a complex fertilizer for rhododendrons.
• 2nd - late autumn- the introduction of phosphorus and potassium (30 g of superphosphate and 15 g of potassium sulfate per bush) and complex fertilizers with trace elements, but without nitrogen.
• 3rd- mulching before shelter for the winter and preparation of heather compost.

Step-by-step instruction

2–3 weeks after the flowering of the bush (end of July), organic top dressing is applied to the soil:

1. Manure is bred in warm water in a ratio of 1:10.
2. Insist for several days before the end of fermentation.
3. Then dilute again until light brown.
4. Water plants under the root.

You can add potassium sulfate (20 g) and superphosphate (20 g) to the solution - per ten-liter bucket.

Mulching:

1. pour a layer of high-moor peat (20–30 cm) under the bush, gently mix with the soil;
2. collect fallen needles, sprinkle with a layer of 5 cm around the bush, mix with the ground, trying not to damage the roots;
3. grind the pine bark and sprinkle around the bush with a layer of several centimeters;
4. 10 cm of soil from areas of the pine forest on which lingonberries, wild rosemary grow, - coniferous turf - carefully dig out, trying not to mix the layers, and lay around the bush.

Mineral supplement:

1. 30 g of superphosphate, 15 g of potassium sulfate and 10 g of complex mineral fertilizer dilute in 10 liters of water. Water under the root.

   Top dressing accelerates the lignification of shoots.

2. Dilute 20 g of ammonium sulfate, 10 g of potassium sulfate and 10 g of superphosphate in 10 liters of water and pour under the root.

If a mistake was made

Mistakes in feeding	What to do
Young plants were fed with granular fertilizer, which is poorly absorbed	Water generously after fertilizing
After applying granular fertilizer, the rhododendron began to form new shoots that would not have time to lignify by winter and could freeze	Use granular fertilizers designed not to be used in cold climates, for example, Russian-made
They fed the rhododendron with ash, which reduces the acidity of the soil - this can lead to chlorosis	Add physiologically acidic mineral fertilizers to the soil
Used fertilizers containing chlorine (kills beneficial fungal microorganisms)	Mulch the bush with coniferous turf containing useful microscopic mushrooms
They added too much superphosphate - it leaches iron from the soil	Feed with iron-containing fertilizer (Ferovit)

Rhododendron is a plant of the genus of evergreen trees. Its name means a tree with roses, appearance the shrub is very similar to the azalea. This is a fairly common plant, with about three thousand varieties. There is a rhododendron from North America to East Asia, most often grows near water bodies. This plant in its natural habitat reaches up to thirty meters in length, and some species spread like a carpet. Rhododendron is one of the favorite crops among gardeners in Russia and Ukraine, as it is distinguished by its beauty and endurance.

Description of culture

Garden rhododendron is a shrub that is quite popular all over the world due to the beauty of its foliage and magnificent flowering. Some species of this plant emit a bright floral aroma. The foliage of the culture is annual or perennial, depending on the variety.

The fruits of the shrub are a small box with seeds. The bush has a rather superficial root system, which makes it easy to transplant the plant to another place.

Rhododendron is an excellent early honey plant. Very popular with beekeepers.

Conditions for planting rhododendron

In our area, you can only plant frost-resistant rhododendron, since the roots of this plant are located close to the surface of the earth, and in harsh winter high risk of crop failure. Landing is best done in early spring or late autumn. In general, it can be transplanted into open ground any time, except during the flowering period.

The landing procedure is quite simple.:

• It is necessary to dig a hole about 50 cm deep, fill it with a mixture of peat and clay. The contents of the recess are strongly tamped, and then dig a small hole in it the size of the root system of a shrub. Before planting a plant, you need to hold its roots in water.
• The planted bush must be covered with earth and trampled down well. The root neck cannot be buried, it must be flush with the ground.
• After planting, water the bush abundantly.

Grows best in shade, in mineral-rich, acidic soil. Excellent neighbors with oak, pine and other deep-rooted and fruit trees. But alder, maple, chestnut and linden will destroy the rhododendron.

shrub care

This plant is unpretentious and easy to care for. Care includes the usual procedures: weeding, watering, spraying, top dressing and pest control.

You can not loosen the soil next to the shrub, as the root system of the plant is located high, and there is a risk of damaging it.

Watering should be plentiful and regular, especially during the flowering period of the shrub.. You can determine when to water a flower by the state of its foliage: if it ceases to be glossy, then the plant needs water.

AT summer time at high temperature air you need to spray the plant. Watering should be regulated so as not to overmoisten the roots.

plant pruning

Usually this shrub does not require pruning, as it forms a beautiful crown on its own.. Sometimes you need to trim some branches or cut off frozen or dry shoots.

To fulfill correct pruning, you need to carry it out in early spring. Cut points to be processed charcoal or garden pitch. After about thirty days, buds form on the shoots, the renewal process starts.

This shrub has such a feature: abundant flowering is observed in one year, and much less inflorescences are formed in the next season. To get rid of such a disadvantage, it is necessary to prune half of the plant alternately in a year.

Shrub fertilizer

This plant must be fertilized, even in the case of a recent planting. The first feeding is carried out in the spring. Before fertilizing, the plant must be watered. From organic fertilizers, manure diluted with water is suitable. Since the shrub grows in acidic soil, nitrogen products and potassium phosphate can be used from mineral fertilizers.

It is best to fertilize the plant in the spring with nitrogen-containing fertilizers, and in early summer with sulfuric acid.

Diseases and pests

Most often, the following pests threaten the rhododendron:

• mealy worm;
• spider mite;
• bedbugs;
• weevils;
• slugs and snails.

To combat these pests, you need to treat the plant special solutions insecticides and diazinones. Many pests die from karbofos.

fungal diseases arise due to waterlogging and poor ventilation of the roots. Most of these diseases can be eliminated with a solution blue vitriol.

Affected shoots and leaves should be removed and pruned.

Features of spring care

In the spring, it is necessary to remove the shelter from the plants after temperature regime set to positive. It is recommended to remove the shelter from the rhododendrons gradually, which will protect the shoots from the negative effects of direct sunlight. The old mulching circle from the trunk circles should be removed. The first watering should be water-charging. For this purpose, warmed up in the sun and settled water is used.

In the presence of a large accumulation of melt water, it is necessary to take measures to remove it from the plantings of rhododendron. AT spring care rhododendron plantings include activities such as watering, nutritious top dressing, weed removal, loosening, pruning and spraying against pests.

Cutting technology

In the spring, excessively tall bushes are pruned, as well as the removal of shoots frozen in winter or the rejuvenation of old plants. The event is held before the start of the sap flow.

All sections must be processed with a garden pitch. Approximately three weeks after pruning, buds awaken on the shoots, and part of the shoots is updated. It is important to remember that very old or very frostbitten in winter period bushes must be cut at a height of 35 cm from the ground. To reduce the indicators of the frequency of flowering, it is recommended that immediately after flowering in the spring, timely breaking out of all wilted inflorescences is recommended.

Watering and fertilizing

Rhododendrons belong to the category of moisture-loving plants, so watering is given important role. It is recommended to supplement irrigation measures with fertilizer application. Rhododendrons grow quite slowly, but for full development they need periodic top dressing. The main dressings are applied in the spring, after flowering, as well as at the stage of active growth of young shoots.

In early spring, a mixture of fertilizers based on ammonium sulphate, potassium sulphate and superphosphate can be applied under the plants in a ratio of 2:1:1. The use of such a fertilizer involves the consumption of 80 g of the mixture for each square meter. For adult and old plants, additional organic matter can be applied in the form of rotted manure or compost at the rate of 1 bucket for each bush.

Plants respond very well to fertilizing with granular fertilizers. Kemira-universal, which should be evenly distributed over the surface of the soil (1 tablespoon of granules for each square meter of area). For older and profusely flowering plants, it is advisable to double the application rate of this fertilizer.

For further top dressing, you can use a solution of potassium sulfate. It should be remembered that in the last decade of summer, rhododendrons do not need top dressing, as they often cause late secondary growth and freezing of unripened shoots in winter. For the same reason experienced growers do not recommend the use of mullein for dressing.

Pest protection

As a rule, rhododendrons are affected mealybugs, scale insects, spider mites, bedbugs, weevils, rhododendron flies, as well as snails and slugs. For the destruction of gastropods, manual collection and preventive treatment plants with 8% fungicide "TMTD" or "Tirama". In order to protect landings from spider mites, rhododendron bugs and weevils, spraying of the rhododendron and the soil around the plants with the Diazinon preparation is used. The treatment of flower beds in the spring with a standard solution of karbofos has a good performance.

reproduction

Rhododendron reproduces at home in several ways:

Varieties of rhododendron

There are species and varieties of this beautiful shrub. great amount. Below are the most popular ones..

In our latitudes, this beautiful shrub normally tolerates small frosts, but it is still better to cover it for the winter. It does not require special care and successfully reproduces. Such a plant will become a real decoration of any garden or garden. suburban area.

Features of landing in the Moscow region, Siberia and the Urals

This plant is thermophilic, so for the Moscow region you need to choose varieties that can survive winter frosts. Due to the superficial location of the root system, the probability of freezing the shrub remains even under cover.

Rhododendron in Siberia. Planting and caring for such a shrub should include mandatory mulching and shelter for the winter. You need to choose deciduous varieties of rhododendron: Japanese, Kamchatka, yellow and others.

Rhododendrons in the Urals. Care and planting of a plant in this region begins with the selection of a cold-resistant variety, for example, The Hague, Mikkeli, Rosie Lights. Be sure to cover the rhododendron for the winter to avoid hypothermia.

The unique beauty of rhododendron inspires gardeners; for many, caring for an exquisite heat-loving shrub becomes a real pleasure and develops into a hobby. Growing a rhododendron cannot be called easy, you need to choose the right place where to plant it, monitor soil moisture and protect it from pests. But if you make an effort and provide the plant with proper care, then this is rare. beautiful plant will be a real gem in any garden.

Rhododendrons are increasingly found in park areas and on garden plots in many regions of our country. And if those who grow flowers and shrubs in parks and squares know well how to take care of all flowering plants, then summer residents can not always produce the right autumn color for their flowering perennials.

This article was written to help them - it will tell you what kind of care rhododendrons need in the fall and how to prepare them for the winter.

Features of caring for rhododendron in the fall and preparing for winter

Many gardeners believe that flowering shrubs need care only during the summer, while they continue to bloom. And when the flowers have fallen, then you can do nothing further - the bushes in further care dont need. But this is not so, and this flower is no exception. It is on how the rhododendron is prepared for winter that the growth and abundant flowering of this perennial in the next season depends.

And especially care must be taken in the fall about young plants that were planted in the current season. Moreover, you need to know which varieties of rhododendrons were planted.

Although most of these perennials are quite pampered plants, but recently breeders have bred varieties with high frost resistance that can withstand colds down to -35 C and below.

These bushes are evergreen perennials, so their foliage evaporates moisture during the winter. Therefore, watering the rhododendron does not stop not only in autumn, but also in winter.

Pruning rhododendron in autumn

Shrub pruning is one of the mandatory procedures to which all perennial bushes are exposed. And the rhododendron is no exception. Like other plants, it has three types of cutting:

• sanitary;
• formative;
• rejuvenating.

When it is better to carry out each of these procedures - you should understand especially. But usually this event is held either in spring or autumn. But during flowering it is better not to take pruners. The only thing that can be done in the summer is to remove dried inflorescences and broken branches. And, of course, you have to remove diseased aerial parts if pests or diseases attacked the bushes.

Why prune a rhododendron

It would seem that a lush flowering perennial does not need this procedure at all - it grows, blooms and is good. And even though broken or frostbitten shoots are visible in some places, they don’t really spoil general form this plant. However, this should not be said.

The purpose of any cut is to preserve nice shape of this perennial, remove all damaged or frozen shoots through which pathogenic microorganisms or pests can enter and cause irreparable damage to the plant.

BUT anti-aging pruning allows you to restore youth to a shrub that has already begun to grow poorly, practically does not bloom during the summer. Therefore, pruning this pink perennial is necessary procedure. You just need to know which type of pruning of rhododendron is best done in spring, and which one in autumn.

When is the best time to prune rhododendron - in spring or autumn

It cannot be unequivocally said that these flowering shrubs should be cut only in spring, or only in autumn. You need to figure out when which type of these procedures to carry out correctly.

Sanitary pruning usually carried out early spring when it is already noticeable how the shrub endured the winter. All broken and frozen shoots should be removed. If the stem breaks off less than half, then such a branch can be saved. Usually, an elastic bandage is applied to the broken place, and a support is placed under the shoot. The support should be left for several seasons.

Frozen branches should be cut back to healthy wood. In deciduous varieties of these shrubs in very coldy the bark of the shoots may crack. In this case, it is necessary to cut out all damaged areas to living tissue.

Also in the spring, after planting seedlings in open ground, start pruning perennial. In evergreen bushes, the crown is usually already formed, but deciduous shrubs sometimes you have to trim to give the plant a more decorative look.

Formative pruning plants are carried out in March, when sap flow has not yet begun in the shoots. In this case, the branches are cut to sleeping buds.

But in this article we are talking about pruning rhododendrons, which should be carried out in autumn period. In autumn you can anti-aging pruning shrubs, all other types of this procedure for rhododendrons are produced in the spring.

Timing of pruning rhododendron in the fall

Anti-aging pruning of rhododendrons in the fall should be done in a couple of weeks before frost and 10-14 days after fertilizing the soil. Usually depending on climatic conditions in this region, the timing of this event can vary from late September to mid-October. Places of cuts should be covered with a special varnish-balm.

How to prune rhododendron in autumn - instructions and diagram

Anti-aging pruning in the fall should be carried out gradually so as not to weaken the rhododendron. Therefore, at the end of the first season, one half of the plant is cut off, and the other half the next autumn.

In evergreen shrubs, the shortening of old shoots usually awakens dormant buds from which new shoots grow.

Deciduous rhododendrons should not be cut radically - flush with the ground. To rejuvenate the old shoots of this variety of evergreen perennials, it is enough to shorten them by 0.3-0.4 m.

Pruning should be carried out with a well-ground secateurs, trying not to squeeze the wood of the shoots.

Video: preparing rhododendrons for winter - pruning in the fall and shelter

Important! To get a beautiful and voluminous bush, it is necessary for the first few years after planting the seedlings to pinch all the tops of the shoots in the first decade of June. And in the fall, remove weak young shoots growing inside the crown.

Care after pruning, top dressing

As mentioned earlier, the evergreen varieties of this flowering perennial require regular watering not only in autumn, but also during winter (despite the fact that the soil may freeze). However, if the autumn is rainy, then you can do without watering the rhododendron.

On a note! Watering is done with soft, slightly acidified water with a pH of about 4.5. To do this, dilute a teaspoon of citric acid in a bucket of water.

For top dressing rhododendrons in autumn should be taken seriously. After all, it depends on the correct and timely application of fertilizers how strong and powerful the “rose tree” will grow, as well as the active and abundant flowering of its shoots. Under them, fertilizers should be applied in small portions, top dressing should be applied in liquid form, and not dry - then they will be absorbed by the root system faster.

The main signs that the plant is missing nutrients , is a change in the color of foliage, inactive flowering, small increase new shoots, mass fall of old leaves in mid-August.

Usually, at the end of flowering (at the end of summer), top dressing from mineral fertilizers containing superphosphate and potassium sulfate - 8 g of the first fertilizer and 6 g of the second are enough for a bucket of water.

In autumn, as a top dressing of rhododendron, you can add not completely rotted manure. It will simultaneously serve as mulch and fertilizer, which will completely decompose by spring.

In the last decade of September or in the first decade of October (a couple of weeks before frost), the “rosewood” should be treated with a Bordeaux mixture or any other fungicide that contains copper. This preventive measure will prevent the development of fungal diseases.

Shelter of rhododendron for the winter

It is necessary to cover the rhododendron for the winter in accordance with all the rules in order to prevent the bushes from freezing. And even if the variety of this shrub is frost-resistant, it is necessary to add a layer of mulch to the trunk circle. This precaution allows you to protect the root system from freezing.

Do I need to cover the rhododendron for the winter

"Rose Tree" must be covered for the winter in order to preserve growth and flower buds from freezing and burns during the cold season. These buds appear in the plant already in the third decade of September. And if they are not protected from frost in a timely manner, then next season the bush may not bloom well, and the number of new shoots will be small.

Therefore, the timely shelter of rhododendrons for the winter is a precautionary measure that protects the plant from the cold and contributes to active growth and abundant flowering"Rosewood" in subsequent seasons.

Another purpose of shelter is to protect this flowering shrub from cold strong wind and too much snow, as they more often destroy rhododendron shoots than low temperature air.

How to cover a rhododendron for the winter

Evergreen species of "rosewood" overwinter worse in cold regions than deciduous ones.

How to properly cover rhododendrons that shed foliage for the winter? To do this, it is enough to sprinkle bushes with a height of more than 0.8 m with a layer of peat up to 15 cm thick, and if the bush is more than 1.5 m high, then the protective layer should be at least 25 cm.

Important! Do not hill or cover the base of the shrub with a protective layer. Better make it big river sand so that the bark on the trunk does not rot.

In the last decade of October - the first decade of November, when the air temperature is consistently low, all shoots are neatly tied. Bushes over 1.5 m high must be tied to a wooden stake. Varieties with flexible shoots are best tilted to the ground so that they hibernate under snow cover.

Near the bush, it is necessary to drive in a support and put any covering on the bush light material to protect the shoots from the bright spring sunshine.

Video: how to cover rhododendrons for the winter

What are the features of preparing for winter in different regions

The main nuances of protecting these plants in winter and early spring are the protection of shoots and evergreen varieties from the rays of the sun, which can cause burns on wood and foliage. To prevent this from happening, middle lane(in the Moscow region), in the Volga region, in the Urals and in Siberia in the third decade of February - the first decade of March, it is necessary to shade the bush from the south and west.

These regions are less prone to burning in early spring the following varieties:

• dwarf;
• Vazeya;
• Canadian;
• Ledebour;
• Pink;
• Adhesive.

And large-leaved evergreen rhododendrons tolerate bright spring sunlight worse.

Typical mistakes in caring for rhododendron in the fall and in preparation for winter

Often beginners make the following errors when caring for rhododendrons in the fall and in preparation for winter season:

• do not make top dressing under the bushes in the fall;
• forget about the need for autumn watering;
• do not cut the bushes in the fall;
• plants are not properly covered for the winter.

From right autumn care behind the "rose tree" and timely shelter for the winter depends on how this perennial will grow and bloom next season. Therefore, all necessary agrotechnical measures in order to maintain the high decorativeness of these bushes as long as possible.

Video: wintering rhododendrons

In contact with

Following several important recommendations, you will ensure that rhododendrons will definitely take root in the garden. Due to the huge variety of species, planting and care may vary somewhat. But they are still united general tricks cultivation.

The best time to plant rhododendrons is in spring. Per summer months plants will take root, get stronger. When choosing seedlings, do not chase age plants. It is better to get a baby who will take root faster in a new place. Most often, deciduous and evergreen plants are on sale.

Choosing a place to land

The best place for rhododendron will be partial shade. Plants must receive Sun rays at least half a day. Rhododendrons feel good when trees grow nearby or buildings are located. This will further protect the seedlings from strong winds. In the open sun, rhododendrons will not be comfortable.

The soil

An important component of success is the preparation of the soil. Rhododendrons do not tolerate clay, heavy, damp places. Therefore, it is so necessary to properly prepare the landing hole. The size of the hole depends on the size of the root system. Experts advise a depth of about 50 cm. But it would be more correct to focus on the root ball. The hole is dug 20 - 35 cm deeper than the height of the root ball and 10 - 25 cm more than its width. Rhododendrons have a superficial root system, and it is very important to put drainage at the bottom of the pit (expanded clay, coarse sand, broken brick, fine gravel), the layer of which is at least 20 cm.

The soil for filling the pit is prepared separately. Such a mixture is suitable: leafy ground (3 parts), litter conifers from the forest (1 part) and peat (2 parts), you can also use small coniferous bark. About 60 - 70 g of mineral fertilizer per pit is added to the mixture. Fertilizers should not contain chlorine and calcium. You can use the fertilizer "Kemira wagon" (now it has a different name, "Fertika"). When planting, care must be taken not to deepen the root neck of the rhododendron. It is necessary to plant a plant as it sat in a pot. Planting is allowed 2 - 3 cm deeper, taking into account the draft of the plant.

Care

With good fuel landing pit, rhododendrons can do without additional feeding for two years. In the future, two main nutrient top dressings are introduced annually. The first - in early spring in a dry form. It includes urea (nitrogen, 2 parts), superphosphate (1 part) and potassium sulfate (1.5 parts). Large doses of superphosphate are dangerous for rhododendrons. Phosphorus inhibits the absorption of iron, important element in the development of plants, which becomes noticeable on the leaves (chlorosis).

The second time in liquid form contribute complex fertilizer. It is desirable that the nitrogen content in it be low. It is better to feed in small concentrations. Extra salt rhododendrons do not accept.

In dry weather, plants need watering, spraying. Rhododendrons love wet air. after rain or abundant watering you can loosen the earth around the roots. This should be done carefully, not deep, so as not to tear the roots. The best way out is mulching with peat, forest needles, sawdust.