Rhododendron pink hybrid

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

Shrub description

Homeland Exotica The Far East and North America. In the wild, it is also found in the Caucasus: in the gorges of Dombai, ideal conditions were created for him by nature. An ordinary thermophilic representative cannot exist in harsh winters. But a hybrid rhododendron was created that can withstand temperature drops of up to −30 ° C.

King of the gardens

The king of the garden blooms in late spring, at the same time that the other flowers stop blooming, and the summer ones just start throwing them away. 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, in the fall they turn crimson. 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 rhododendron pink and their description:

• Pink Deligt is an amazing combination of pink petals and a yellow spot on one of them. It is sometimes believed that this is rhododendron red, since the buds of this bush give a red tint. Inflorescences are not too large - up to seven flowers in a bunch. The bush is deciduous, low to 1.4 m in height. After planting, seedlings require shelter for the winter;
• Roseum Elegans - the most delicate pink-purple inflorescence, collected from 15-17 large flowers. Wavy petals have a brown-red spot decoration. The evergreen, sprawling bush has good winter hardiness;
• Rhododendron tree-shaped has pink flowers of small diameter, collected in small bundles of 6 pcs. Flowering lasts about a month. The tree grows very slowly, winter-hardy, reaches a height of 3 m;

Grade Elegance pink

• Irena Koster - small pink flowers with an orange spot are collected in small bunches on this deciduous shrub. The bush is medium height 2.5 m, has a strong aroma, is widely distributed among gardeners;
• Robert de Belder. The amazing color of this hybrid conquered many gardeners. Delicate cream flowers decorated with raspberry fringing. Inflorescences are collected by 20 flowers, exuding a delicate aroma. Frost-resistant bush grows to 1.5 m in height;
• Humboldt is an unusual combination of pale pink petals with a spotted pattern on the upper red-burgundy. Large flowers up to 8 cm in diameter are collected in bundles of 20 pcs. The dimensions of the Humboldt rhododendron bush are also not large - up to 1.5 m;
• Helsinki University - Unusual six-petal flowers are pink. The decoration is an orange spot and burgundy blotches, the edges of the petals are wavy. Helsinki rhododendron bush height does not exceed one and a half meters.

Humboldt Inflorescence

Breeding

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

• Cuttings. Cuttings are cut during pruning of the bush 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. The shoots are dug in the soil, directing its growth up. Rooting occurs after 2 months, and in the spring the bush will be ready for sowing.
• 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 the bush, it is likely to harm the mother plant.

In the open ground a young stalk will fall after 2.5 years

Landing

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

• direct sunlight is fatal 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 growth site plays an important role, the second most important is the soil.

• Rhododendron loves acidic soil. In the absence of such, gardeners periodically water bushes with water and citric acid.
• The earth should be loose, nutritious and without stagnation of groundwater. It should include peat, sand, sheet land and coniferous litter.
• Be sure to plant a drainage layer of broken brick with a height of 10 cm when planting.

When planting rhododendron, a pit is made with a depth of 70 cm. 2/3 of the mixture is poured out and a slide is placed in the center on which the seedling is placed. Digging up with the earth, it is necessary to press down loose soil well. After planting, you can fertilize the bush with mineral fertilizer. It is also necessary to make a recess 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 he 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, meaning removal:

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

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 the lateral branching and decorative appearance of the plant.

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

The last pruning is done 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 the summer, the bush requires the maximum amount of moisture, but without stagnation of water. Watering is done under the base, on hot days you can spray the bush. Loosening the earth after wetting is not worth it, as the roots of the shrub are superficial and easily damaged. As a top dressing for pink rhododendron, liquid mineral fertilizers are excellent. From May to July, fertilizers are applied twice a month. The plant also needs it after pruning (except in autumn).

Autumn Care

Since the shrub has roots almost on the surface, it is important to cover them with a thick layer of mulch. Bushes are tied with twine and covered with spruce branches. Tall 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. From ailments can affect a culture:

• mushrooms that damage the roots of the plant. They occur in heavy soil and plentiful moisture. Shrubs must be treated with fungicide and normalize the composition of the soil and the regime of moistening;
• powdery mildew, sooty mushroom. Leaves are covered with gray, white or brown spots. Here the fault will be improper conditions of detention in terms of lighting, excessive feeding or thickening of landings;
• chlorosis. It occurs due to insufficiently suitable soil. Trying to show that the soil is low acidity, the bush will be using the color of the leaves in yellow stripes and stopping the growth of new shoots.

It is forbidden to spray flowers during flowering, as poisons have a detrimental effect on bees and other insects

Of the pests most often on the rhododendron you can find bugs, spider mites, moth azalea and powdery worms. For each of the pests there is a 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 though he is harmful and moody, he still deserves his place in the garden. A magnificent palette of colors and a wide selection of varieties allow you to choose an elegant bush for every gardener.