Rhododendron The Hague (Haaga): description, planting and care
Content:
Among the plants that are often used in landscape design, the evergreen rhododendron The Hague deserves special love - a specially bred hybrid variety that is highly frost-resistant and feels great in Central Russia.
History of origin
The Haaga rhododendron, according to historical information, was bred in Finland in 1974 at the University of Helsinki. This is the fruit of a selection based on the Katevbinsky variety of rhododendrons. To date, more than 80 varieties of this type of rhododendron are known.
Rhododendron The Hague is an evergreen shrub with lush flowers
This species has a spherical crown of regular shape, rather branched and dense. Evergreen perennial shrub, reaching 1.5-2 m in height and up to 1.5 m in width. Unlike the wild rosemary, which is more famous in Russia, it has much thicker inflorescences - up to 20 flowers per branch. The branches are gray, smooth, the flowers are large, saturated pink with a scattering of red spots on the inside, wavy at the edges.
Leaves are dark green up to 8 cm long and up to 5 cm wide. The petiole reaches a length of up to half the size of a leaf. The Haaga hybrid rhododendron blooms for a short time, only 2-3 weeks, starting in mid-June. It can grow both in partial shade and on the sunny side.
Distinctive features include a significant deciduous part (unlike other varieties), large and lush inflorescences during the flowering period. Plus it's evergreen.
Use in landscape design
The Hague rhododendrons feel great on the northern side of the site, in the shade of buildings or coniferous and fruit trees.
Also, rhododendrons love moisture, so you can be creative in growing them, planting them near artificial reservoirs, the flowering will be bright and lush. The presence of coniferous needles in the soil will also have a beneficial effect.
Rhododendrons love partial shade and grow well in the shade of trees
How to plant rhododendron
Haag's rhododendron, like its counterparts, loves acidified soils, well-drained without stagnation of groundwater or other waters. Planting is best done in prepared soil with a composition of earth, sour peat and rotted pine needles in a ratio of 3: 1: 2.
Before planting, the soil is dug up, removing weeds. Then they dig holes about 70 by 70 cm in size.The distance between the bushes should be at least 1.5 m.
If the soil is heavy, then a drainage layer of about 15 cm is made at the bottom of the pit, and then the prepared soil mixture is poured. The rhododendron is placed in the hole, dripping, but not tamping the ground.
Around the bush, at a distance of about 0.5-1 m from the root neck, a furrow is made for irrigation and the seedling is watered abundantly.The soil is mulched with peat or needles, making the layer thickness up to 8 cm.
How to propagate
It is possible to increase the population of the Hague rhododendrons only by cuttings and by layering, since planting seeds does not guarantee the preservation of the color qualities and specific properties of new bushes.
Cuttings are made from partially lignified branches. Pruning is carried out in July, and the size of the cuttings should not exceed 10 cm.The lower leaves are removed, and the cuttings are dipped into a growth-stimulating solution for 15 hours. Then the cuttings are planted in a peat-sand mixture in a ratio of 1: 1, maintaining an angle of 30 °, cover glass or polyethylene cover, avoiding contact with the branch.
Rooted cuttings are planted in a peat-coniferous mixture with a distance of a meter between future bushes, and they are transplanted to a permanent place after a year or two.
Cutting of rhododendrons
The layering method is becoming simpler and more effective for many. To do this, choose strong shoots that are closest to the ground. At the point of contact with the ground at the branch, a longitudinal incision is made, fixing it in the open state. The shoot is fixed in the hole with a bracket, at the top there should be a part of a branch of about 20 cm. The rooted shoot is sprinkled with soil, watered and fed.
Description of rhododendron care
Growing a healthy and strong plant outdoors is not difficult if you follow simple rules of care. Among them are pruning, feeding and mandatory preparation for winter.
Plant pruning rules
Every spring and fall, the shrub needs sanitary pruning. Dry, broken and frozen branches are cut 3-5 cm below the damage. The same applies to the strong growth of rhododendron, but it is important to do this during the period of slow sap flow.
The rejuvenating pruning of the Hague rhododendron has the following description: all shoots are cut 15 cm from the tops, the cuts must be processed using standard methods.
How to prepare a plant for wintering
Despite the fact that the variety has sufficient winter hardiness, it is recommended to carefully cover young rhododendron bushes in the first 2-3 years in the open field. Before frosts, around the second half of October, the plant is watered abundantly and the root system is carefully covered with spruce branches or oak leaves. In areas of severe frost, non-woven fabric is additionally used, which is left until the onset of April. Lapnik or foliage is harvested only in May.
How to fertilize rhododendron
Top dressing is not very important for the plant, but it can make its flowering much more magnificent. Rhododendrons are fed from May to July. Ready-made mineral complexes are well suited, most importantly, the absence of chlorine or lime. It will not be superfluous to use rotted manure on top of the ground in autumn or spring.
Weak or not blooming buds are a sign of existing problems
What to do if buds do not appear
The lack of buds and flowering may be due primarily to a lack of moisture. This will also be signaled by the leaves of the plant wrapped in a tube. Another reason is the increased hardness of the water, as well as the predominance of nitrogen in the soil. In this case, the foliage will be abundant, green and lush in the absence of flowers.
In this case, they take care of the plant as follows:
- increase irrigation with rainwater or water with a few tablespoons of top soil;
- be sure to feed with manure in the spring, phosphorus and potash dressings in late June-early July, potash dressing in the fall.
Diseases and pests
Shrubs of this family are susceptible to fungal diseases.This is due to high humidity both in the air and in the ground, as well as poor air permeability of the earth. In this case, dark spots appear on the plant. Various preparations containing copper, for example, Bordeaux liquid, will help to cope with this. It is necessary to spray the bush with an excess, preferably in the evening.
If necessary, spraying is repeated after a week.
To protect rhododendrons from insect pests such as spider mites, weevils and others, the use of karbofos and similar preparations is suitable.
Rhododendron The Hague is perhaps the best plant that can decorate gardens and farmsteads in the changing Russian climate. Planting and caring for young seedlings is within the power of even a novice florist.
