Azalea home: bright colors on the windowsill (25 photos)

Azalea home (Azalea) - a spectacular houseplant, characterized by unusually beautiful flowers. Flowering is quite long, but only if the shrub is in the most comfortable conditions for itself.

Description

Indoor azalea is a shrub with highly branched branches, as well as small oval-shaped leaves. The plant belongs to the genus Rhododendron from the Heather family.

Terry hybrids have flowers that resemble a bell in shape. The color scheme is diverse: from neutral white to rich red and purple overflows. There are flowers with pink and purple spots or other interesting combinations of shades.

Pearl of the East

Homeland Rhododendron - China, Japan, Southeast Asia. Luxurious shrubs also grow in the wild in the extreme south of Europe and partly in North America. Oriental beauty connoisseurs called Azalea a tree of joy and a symbol of peace. Sometimes a bonsai was formed from a flower.

In the East, the indoor flower azalea represents beauty and femininity. The plant should be close to creative and creative people, enhancing their potential.

It is noteworthy that blooming azalea is quite melliferous. The aroma of honey alone, exuded by it, can intoxicate a person. Bee products affect the brain, disrupting its activity. There is even a legend that once the Greeks, who seized the territory of present Georgia, were treated to azalea honey and lost consciousness.

Spectacular gift

The "Rosewood", as the Greeks called the indoor flower, is appreciated by many, not only because of its spectacular appearance, but also because the shrubs bloom in the winter. There are early flowering and late flowering varieties of azalea.

Shrubs are often chosen as a present in the midst of its flowering. Usually the flowers quickly crumble, the plant withers, and it is immediately sent to the trash. The reason is simple: not everyone knows how to care for a plant, how to transplant a flowering bush. In addition, not everyone is ready to spend so much effort and time on the correct maintenance of azaleas.

First problems

The climate of most apartments does not advise the needs of the flower. Azalea, the care of which is already fraught with some difficulties, needs high humidity against a background of relatively low air temperature.

It is quite simple to create an optimal microclimate in greenhouses, but in an apartment, dry and hot air ruins the largest and most persistent types of indoor flowers. Despite all the problems and difficulties, many home gardening fans are happy to acquire a bright shrub. Understanding what kind of home care a plant needs, you can avoid most of the problems while enjoying the beauty of a green pet.

Types of Azaleas

The rhododendron family includes about 500 different plant species. Breeders bred a lot of varieties that can bloom for as long as possible. Shrubs differ from each other in shape, size, color and texture of the flowers themselves, as well as the overall dimensions and configuration of the bush.

The founder of all azaleas that are planted at home and grow there, Azalea indica. In addition, the following types are the most popular varieties:

• Indian flower or Sims rhododendron (Rhododendron simsii) - the variety is characterized by a rose-saturated color (purple and red azaleas are found);
• Japanese azalea, the second name is blunt rhododendron (Rhododedron obtusum) - white azaleas;
• Inga - a flower with pink petals and a white edge;
• Osta is a plant with white petals and a pink core.

Varieties differ from each other in their resistance to the environment. In fact, all plants love moisture and coolness. However, there are several types of shrubs that can be grown in extremely cold climates. For example, on the street or an open balcony.

Favorite Flower Care

"Rosewood" is moody. Before buying a flower, it is worthwhile to thoroughly study how to properly care for the plant, what to do so that the bush can bloom for a long time, what kind of care at home is welcome at different periods of azalea development.

Lighting

Direct sunlight adversely affects the bush. Azalea in a pot likes diffused light or partial shade. In summer, the plant is best placed on the street in the shade, avoiding sunlight and hot air. A special refinement for rhododendron is a good summer rain.

If the climate is mild enough, then the flowers can be grown directly in the open field, without picking up a bush for the winter period in the house. All that is required of gardeners is to provide optimal protection for azaleas from frost in winter. However, the flowering bush will delight exclusively in the summer.

Air humidity

Azalea at home is grown in rooms with a relatively high level of humidity. Particularly hard flower transfers the beginning of the heating season, when the humidity in the apartment decreases sharply, and the total air temperature rises significantly.

If it is not possible to create special conditions for the growth of shrubs, a pot of green pet is placed as far away from the battery, direct sunlight and drafts. Regardless of what stage the azalea is in (flowering, active flower dumping or bud preparation), the plant should be sprayed regularly.

Watering

Proper watering is crucial. The soil should always be sufficiently moist, but not in excess. Stagnant water in the pan is as destructive as the “drought” in the pot.

Watering azaleas can be done with such water:

• rain;
• thawed;
• clean water from the river.

The most undesirable option is tap water. If there is no choice, it is recommended to defend the irrigation fluid for at least a day. The plant does not tolerate too cold water. The optimum temperature is room temperature.

Azalea at home needs regular correction of soil acidity. The problem is solved quite simply. During watering, citric acid is added to the water (several crystals per 1-1.5 water). This will help to effectively and quickly reduce the acidity of the earth in the pot.

Work with soil

Experienced gardeners know that peaty soil is best perceived by capricious azalea; cultivation and care of a flower specific soil is also able to complicate somewhat. The fact is that peat land dries very quickly and turns into a hard lump. It does not absorb moisture at all, from which the plant suffers greatly.

If possible, a pot with indoor shrubs is recommended to be immersed in a large vessel with water for several hours. If the plant is large, use a deep pan.

In cool rooms where azalea should be located, systematic placement of ice or snow is practiced. Gradual melting will provide good soil moisture. However, this technique is better not to use if the pot is in a warm apartment. A sharp change in temperature the flower can not stand.

It is strictly forbidden to loosen the soil, since the root system of the plant is very delicate. A couple of inaccurate movements and no one will be able to tell how to save the azalea.

Temperature mode

Many home gardening enthusiasts have been confronted with how rapidly azalea can wither away, fall leaves, flowers quickly disappear. The fault is due to non-compliance with the temperature regime.

The maximum air temperature in winter is 12 degrees. If the bush grew in the open summer in the summer, it is extremely important to return the plant to the house before the start of frost. Transplanted azalea is moved to the apartment before the onset of the heating season also because the flower needs a long adaptation.

Transfer

Azalea transplant is carried out every year. Very old large plants can not be disturbed for 2-3 years.

Transplanting azalea is not difficult. For this, an old lump of rhizome is removed and carefully placed in a new pot. Fresh soil is added to the old soil.

As dishes use low pots or pots. The root system is quite superficial, so planting azaleas in deep flowerpots is inappropriate.

Top dressing

Fertilizer for azaleas is recommended to be systematic, given the season and the characteristics of the flower itself.

• In spring or summer, once a week they feed the shrub with the help of a special complex (ammonium sulfate, nitrate, superphosphate, potassium sulfite).
• In winter and autumn, during the budding period, superphosphate is used (15 grams per 10-15 liters of water).

A good result can be obtained by combining several processes, obtaining a beautiful and healthy azalea flower (mix care consists in a simultaneous transplant and top dressing of a bush). Further recharge will depend on how it looks and where the rhododendron is.

The nuances of reproduction

Many amateur gardeners, enchanted by the beauty and trembling flowering of the Rosewood, wonder how to plant azalea at home. A flower propagates in several ways:

• by seeds;
• cuttings;
• division of the bush;
• vaccinated.

Using seeds, professional growers grow plants to create new species. At home, this method is not used.

Cuttings

No matter how strong and well-groomed azalea is, reproduction by cuttings requires the observance of special rules. It is important to choose a good stem half-stalked stalk. A preferred length of about 7 centimeters. Young green twigs quickly fade. Too old woody stalk will take too long.

Branches are cut in January or early February. High performance is noted precisely in the spring. The branch will root better and faster in the soil with an acid reaction. To do this, you can artificially acidify any available soil or purchase a special composition. As a rule, this is sphagnum peat or coniferous land.

Fresh sections are treated with growth stimulants and pollinated with agents to accelerate root formation, placing in the substrate no deeper than 3 centimeters. Cover with a film or a glass jar. It is important not to forget about regular watering and spraying. The optimum temperature regime is 25 degrees. Azalea at home should take root after 3-6 weeks.

Having become acquainted with the nuances of caring for a flower, it becomes clear that the plant is not so difficult to care for. The main thing is to create an optimal microclimate and not to forget about the needs of the plant at various stages of its life cycle.