Rhododendron pink hybrid

Rhododendron pink - a spring garden fairy tale. The most beautiful bunches of flowers, exuding a honey aroma, densely sprinkle the entire shrub. A plant is formed in the form of a shrub or tree. Evergreen or deciduous varieties are proud of the largest variety of their inflorescence palette among all shrubs: from pale pink to bright crimson, from lilac to deep purple, from pale cream to fiery orange, pure white or with colored splashes. Some varieties combine two shades on the petals.

Shrub description

The homeland of the exotic is the Far East and North America. In the wild, it is also found in the Caucasus: in the gorges of Dombai, nature has created ideal conditions for it. An ordinary thermophilic representative cannot exist in the conditions of severe winters. But a hybrid rhododendron was created, which can withstand temperature drops to -30 ° C.

King of the gardens

The king of the garden blooms in late spring, at the very time when other flowers stop blooming, and summer flowers are just beginning to throw them out. Bushes up to 2 m high are covered with bunches of densely collected large (up to 8 cm in diameter) flowers. They delight the eye for about three weeks continuously.

The leaves are dark green, turning crimson in autumn. Depending on the type of shrub, the shape of the leaves can be oval, round, ovoid or spear-shaped.

Types and varieties of culture

Beautiful varieties of pink rhododendron and their description:

• Pink Deligt is an amazing combination of pink petals and a yellow spot on one of them. Sometimes it is believed that this is a red rhododendron, since the buds of this bush give off a red tint. Inflorescences are not too large - up to seven flowers per bunch. Deciduous bush, low up to 1.4 m in height. After planting, seedlings require shelter for the winter;
• Roseum Elegance is the most delicate pink-lilac inflorescence, collected from 15-17 large flowers. The wavy petals are decorated with a brownish-red spot. Evergreen, spreading bush has good winter hardiness;
• Rhododendron tree-like has pink flowers of small diameter, collected in small bunches of 6 pieces. Flowering lasts about a month. The tree grows very slowly, winter-hardy, reaches a height of 3 m;

Elegance pink variety

• Irena Koster - small pink flowers with an orange spot are gathered in small bunches on this deciduous shrub. The bush is of an average height of 2.5 m, has a strong aroma, is widespread among gardeners;
• Robert de Belder. The amazing color of this hybrid won over many gardeners. Delicately creamy flowers are decorated with crimson edging. Inflorescences are collected in 20 flowers, exuding a delicate aroma. A frost-resistant bush grows up to 1.5 m in height;
• Humboldt is an unusual combination of pale pink petals with a spotted pattern on the top of a red-burgundy color. Large flowers up to 8 cm in diameter are collected in bunches of 20 pieces. The dimensions of the Humboldt rhododendron bush are also not large - up to 1.5 m;
• Helsinki University - extraordinary six-petal flowers are painted pink. The decoration is an orange spot and burgundy blotches, the edges of the petals are wavy. The height of the Helsinki rhododendron bush does not exceed one and a half meters.

Humboldt inflorescence

Reproduction

It is very difficult to grow rhododendron seeds at home, so gardeners use other methods.

• Cuttings. Cuttings are cut when the bush is trimmed after flowering. For a greater likelihood of rooting, it is necessary to soak the cuttings in a growth stimulator for a day. After the shoots are planted in pots filled with soil mixture, as for an adult flower. The first roots appear after 5-6 weeks; full rooting takes about 3 months.
• A faster way is layering. Shoots are buried in the soil, directing its growth upward. Rooting occurs after 2 months, and in the spring the bush will be ready for planting.
• Another easy way is to divide the bush. An adult bush releases many shoots from the root, which are separated from each other. Since the roots of rhododendron are very fragile, you should act very carefully, trying to damage as few roots as possible. When dividing a bush, there is a chance of harming the mother plant.

A young stalk will fall into open ground after 2.5 years

Landing in open ground

The ideal time for planting and transplanting a plant is spring. Before that, it is important to make sure that the place meets the requirements for the comfortable growth of the exotic:

• direct sunlight is detrimental to a young bush;
• both young and adult plants do not like drafts.

The most important factor in the active growth and flowering of a bush is its planting. The chosen place of growth plays an important role, the second most important is the soil.

• Rhododendron loves acidic soil. In the absence of such, gardeners periodically water the bushes with water with citric acid.
• The land should be loose, nutritious and without stagnant groundwater. It should include peat, sand, leafy soil and coniferous litter.
• When planting, it is imperative to make a drainage layer of broken brick 10 cm high.

When planting a rhododendron, a pit is made with a depth of 70 cm. 2/3 of the mixture is poured and a slide is made in the center on which the seedling is placed. When digging in with earth, you need to press down well on the loose soil. After planting, you can fertilize the bush with mineral fertilizer. It is also necessary to make a well for watering around the bush.

Around the seedling, the soil must be mulched with needles or peat

Rhododendron care

If the king of the garden was planted and forgotten, then it will not grow for a long time. Caring for a rhododendron is not easy as it requires constant attention.

Pruning

Spring pruning is also sanitary by removing:

• elongated shoots;
• dry branches;
• shoots whose bark is cracked during wintering;
• broken and damaged branches.
• strongly protruding shoots or those that thicken the core of the shrub.

Rhododendron in spring requires pruning to form a bush and stimulate flowering

When pruning a young bush, it is important to pinch the tips of the shoots, simulating lateral branching and decorative appearance of the plant.

After flowering, two weeks later, it is important to remove all wilted shoots so that the bush does not waste energy on the formation of fruits and the development of seeds. In place of the removed umbrella of flowers, 2-3 new stems usually grow.

The last pruning is carried out in the fall to remove too long shoots. Also, the procedure is done to shelter deciduous bushes, protecting them from the effects of frost and winds.

Watering and feeding

In summer, the bush requires the maximum amount of moisture, but without stagnant water. Watering is carried out under the base, on hot days you can spray the bush. Loosening the ground after moistening is not worth it, since the roots of the bush are superficial and easily damaged. As a top dressing for pink rhododendron, liquid mineral fertilizers are excellent.Fertilizers are applied twice a month from May to July. The plant also needs it after pruning (except in autumn).

Autumn care

Since the roots of the shrub are located almost on the surface, it is important to cover them with a thick layer of mulch. The bushes are tied with twine and covered with spruce branches. High shoots should be covered with burlap. Frost-resistant shrubs do not need shelter.

Diseases and pests

With proper care, the plant rarely gets sick and attracts pests. Of the ailments, the following can affect the culture:

• fungi that damage the roots of the plant. They arise in heavy soil and abundant moisture. Shrubs must be treated with a fungicide and normalized the composition of the soil and the moisture regime;
• powdery mildew, sooty mushroom. The leaves are covered with gray, white or brown spots. Here, the fault will be the wrong conditions of detention in terms of lighting, excessive feeding or thickening of the plantings;
• chlorosis. It occurs due to insufficiently suitable soil. Trying to show that the soil is low acidity, the bush will be by coloring the foliage in stripes of yellow and stopping the growth of new shoots.

During flowering, it is forbidden to spray flowers, as poisons have a detrimental effect on bees and other insects.

Of the pests, most often on the rhododendron, you can find bedbugs, spider mites, azalea moth and mealy worm. Each of the pests has its own means of control, which must be used in accordance with the instructions.

Rhododendron - the finest garden dyeing

Pink rhododendron is an amazingly beautiful plant. And even if he is mischievous and capricious, he still deserves his place in the garden. An excellent palette of colors and the widest selection of varieties allow every gardener to choose an elegant bush.