Dahurian Rhododendron: description and characteristics of the flower, planting and care with a photo

Rhododendron with the prefix "Daurian" is widespread in Siberia, the Caucasus and the Far East. The locals call it a wild rosemary. When purple flowers appear on a nondescript winter bush in spring, the rhododendron attracts the attention of tourists and the local resident tempted by the beauty. The name "Daurian" was given by the inhabitants of Transbaikalia, as the Russians called them Daurs.

Characteristics, description and origin

Walking in late spring or early summer through the forest beyond Lake Baikal, a flower lover can see a blooming rhododendron. The picture will impress so much that the florist will want to take away a twig to plant a bush at home.

For the first time flower growers paid attention to rhododendron in the 17th century. It happened in England. After 200 years, the rhododendron was planted not only on the square in big cities, but also near the house on the site. In Russia (in the east), Japan, Korea, China, the shrub was known from the side of medicine. There are a lot of nutrients here. Added rhododendron to salads for sweetness and flavor. Widely popular for its beautiful flowers.

The height of the rhododendron reaches from half to two meters. Shoots stick up and branch densely. In total there can be up to 40 pieces on one bush. Thin young shoots of rhododendron at the end of the branch are collected in a bunch. Their color is rusty-brown, and short pubescence gives tenderness. The root is flat and superficial.

Oval-shaped rhododendron leaves with a rounded end. Glossy, dark green above and pale in scales below, they are 1.3 to 4 centimeters long and half to one centimeter wide.You can see the leaves during the flowering period. In autumn they usually turn brown with large scales and fall off. Leaves practically do not remain on the rhododendron for the winter.

A bush blooms at the end of young shoots or in the leaf axils. It happens at the same time from these two places. One flower comes out of one rhododendron flower bud. The length of the pedicel reaches 5 millimeters. The calyx is small, covered in scales. The corolla is pink and purple, sometimes white, up to 2.2 centimeters long and up to 4 in diameter. In nature, rhododendron blooms from April to June, sometimes flowers appear earlier.

When the bush fades, a fruit is formed in the form of a box. Outwardly, it resembles an egg up to 1.2 centimeters long.

Features

Rhododendron can be seen in the forest, on the slope of a rocky cliff. There are individual individuals that remain evergreen for many years. Depends on the climate where the rhododendron grows.

Attention! If you need to get a beautiful bouquet for the spring celebration, you can cut a few branches and put them in the water in the room on the window. In a week, the rhododendron will give a beautiful pink bouquet.

Landing

Planting a rhododendron in your backyard is easy. It is enough to know how to choose the right place, prepare the soil, time and landing pattern.

Choosing a seat

Plant better in the shade, in a place closed from the wind, near large trees, behind a barn or other building.

Soil preparation

The earth should not be alkaline, the plant does not like it. It is important to do drainage so that the air circulates well. Water should not stagnate in the soil, otherwise the roots will rot. Therefore, it is impossible to plant in heavy clay soil with closely spaced groundwater.

It is best that it be peaty. You can fertilize the place with fallen leaves in the fall by digging the ground along with them.

When to plant

Should be planted in spring. But there are gardeners who do this in the fall. You can choose a convenient growing season for the landing period. It is worth excluding only the time when the rhododendron blooms, and another 10 days after that. Although experienced flower lovers still insist on the spring period. The time ranges from April to May 10-15. It all depends on the climate of the region.

Choose the seedling correctly

5 tips for buying seedlings:

1. Divorced a lot of scammers, so there is a possibility of buying from the hands of not a rhododendron bush, but something else. You should buy only in a proven place from a knowledgeable gardener. Even if a person is not buying a bush for the first time and knows how to plant it, you still need to ask how to do it. If the seller cannot answer, then this is a dealer, you cannot buy a plant from him.
2. It is better for a beginner to choose a seedling of one of the types of Dahurian rhododendron. They are not so whimsical, frost-resistant, it is easier to care for them. Bred varieties need additional attention, without which they die.
3. If the decision was made, then buying an adult seedling imported from another country where the rhododendron was grown in soft soil using a special technology characteristic of that climate means taking a risk. Since although the bush will take root, it will not survive the winter.
4. It is better to buy a plant under the age of four years. You need to ask how the sprout was grown. If by planting seeds in a greenhouse, then in three years the rhododendron will grow only 15 centimeters. If the cutting method was used, then the bush will grow by 25 centimeters. The taller the plant, the stronger the root system. Before buying, you need to inspect the sprout. You need to choose strong and he althy ones, which have whole roots and straight shoots. On the surface of the root system there should be no cuts, spots of dark or light color, neoplasms.
5. Checking the state of the root system is a must. All processes should be elastic, flexible, easy to twist. There should be no mold and rot. The bark should be scratched a little, if the wood is light, then the seedling is he althy.

Plant pattern

First you need to prepare a hole. You will have to dig at least half a meter in depth and the same in width. Peat or substrate is laid at the bottom, earth prepared in autumn with leaves, compost. Need to make bedding of needles and add humus with river sand.

For drainage to the very bottom, you must not forget to lay gravel or broken brick. In no case should you put lime, as the plant does not tolerate alkali.

When burying a seedling, it is important to ensure that the neck of the root is not under the ground, it should protrude. After planting, a hole is formed near the trunk, and the plant is abundantly flooded with water. Mulch should be placed on the soil to protect shallow roots.

Care

Caring for a rhododendron is easy. You'll have to tinker, as the bush requires watering, fertilizing, pruning.

Irrigation

You need to water once every two weeks with two buckets (it is better to take rainwater). Using a drainage system, you can ensure that the water does not stagnate and the roots do not start to rot.

Feeding

The plant needs to be fertilized every three years in the spring and every time after flowering. In the spring, organics, minerals, phosphorus, nitrogen, potassium are used.

Weeding

Regularly remove weeds when loosening (they absorb nutrients from the soil). It is better to burn the uprooted grass, as it can become a carrier of diseases.

Removing buds

The first three years you need to remove the buds so that the plant takes root well. It will be possible to enjoy the beauty of the bush only after four years.

Preparing for wintering

The plant usually tolerates cold. In very severe frosts, the bush is wrapped with pine branches. For a young plant, make a greenhouse or cover it with oak leaves.

Cutting

Young bushes can not be cut, otherwise they will not grow. Although the plant develops slowly, it will live for a long time. It is important to prepare for the fact that the bush will be decorative for the first 10 years. Mature plants are rarely pruned, as they have the correct geometric shape.

Pinching

It is better to pinch young seedlings so that the bush has the correct shape in the future. To do this, cut a branch near the central bud.

Reproduction

For wild individuals, the seed method is used, for decorative ones, cuttings are used. In both cases, the plant takes root in a box in a room where it is 20-23 degrees. The soil is peat with sand.

Seed method

Twigs appear after 4 weeks. When three leaves grow, the box can be taken out to a cooler place for hardening.

Shanks

At the end of July or in August, a shoot of rhododendron is cut off from a bush along an oblique shoot. The length should be up to 10 centimeters. 2-3 upper leaves remain. A rhododendron is planted at an angle of 30 degrees to the ground.

Important! You need to water the cuttings 2-3 times a week so that they take root.

Landscape use

Planting a rhododendron with a different flowering period on the plot is a great idea. It is better to choose a place near a fountain or an artificial pond. So you don't have to spray it all the time. Neighbors can be blueberries and lingonberries, which also love acidic soil.

Reviews

Alice Beshelya, 43 years old: “For me, the rhododendron is the best shrub on the site. It blooms purple. At home, the bush did not take root, but a real rose tree grew in the garden. I like that the bush is unpretentious. The plant grows in the shade. This is convenient, because the garden is not always sunny.

Needles should grow nearby on the site, as in winter the leaves fall off, and the bare crown of fruit trees does not cover the bush. A common plant disease is rust. Sometimes spider mites and bedbugs feed exclusively on rhododendron leaves. On the site I have 6 types of shrubs. 4 has already begun to give color. 2 are still too young, but we expect to bloom next year.”

Olga Malyarova, 54: “I love ornamental shrubs. The rhododendron was no exception. I dream of planting my plot near the house with all possible types of this plant.I love rhododendron for its delicate color during flowering. In total, there are up to 12 thousand species. Of course, it is difficult to plant every representative. Every year (for 10 years now) I plant one type of bush. Now there are 10 rhododendrons on the site. Most already produce color every spring and summer. I like to look at my bushes during the day while relaxing and enjoy their luxurious appearance.”

Gardeners speak positively about the rhododendron, which, although it is difficult to take root in the European climate, pleases with its beauty in spring and summer. By following the tips for planting and caring for the plant, you can enjoy the delicate purple color of the shrub in four years.

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