Rhododendron is a beautifully flowering shrub native to the warm subtropics of Southeast Asia. Bushes with a wide range of shades quickly became popular among gardeners and decorators. But the exotic handsome man refused to winter in conditions of frost and cold. Thanks to the hard work of breeders, many hybrid rhododendron species have been bred. They already have frost resistance and can withstand the harsh weather of late autumn.
Deciduous rhododendrons are low shrubs (1-1.5 m), which are able to densely cover the entire crown with bunches of flowers. Flowers of all shades (except for pure blue) are bell-shaped, large, can be decorated with colored spots, blotches, wavy edges. During flowering, the shrub complements its beauty with a pleasant aroma.
During flowering, this exotic has no equal.
Species and varieties
Varieties of deciduous rhododendrons became the basis for the development of many hybrids. But, despite this, species handsome can still be found in gardens and garden shops.
- Rhododendron deciduous yellow is the father of the bulk of the hybrid varieties. Small flowers are collected in bunches of 7-12 pcs. Amaze with the brightness of a juicy yellow color. One of the most unpretentious varieties.
- The Canadian variety has gently bluish petals of small (up to 3 cm in diameter) flowers. The average height of the bush is 1 m, the annual growth is not more than 15 cm.
The Kamchatka variety is the most different from its counterparts.
- Kamchatka variety is a pillow-shaped dwarf bush. But its frost resistance made it possible to obtain many hybrids. A small bush grows only up to 30 cm in height. Large flowers are collected in three little things and have a bright raspberry color.
- Japanese rhododendron is another frost-resistant variety of exotics. A tall two-meter shrub boasts an active growth of up to 25 cm per year. Large flowers (up to 8 cm in diameter) are painted in delicate cream, pink and salmon shades.
Important! Hybrid varieties have incorporated all the best. There are no flaws in their appearance, but they are more picky and moody in content.
- Deciduous Lights or Light. The flowers are large white, white-yellow, pink, salmon, red. High shrubs are incredibly frost-resistant - up to -40 ° C.
- Klondike is a popular variety. Flowers of unusual shape, fiery yellow with a red tint, buds are red. Shrub of spherical shape, reaches a height and width of up to a meter.
Bright Klondike
- Fireworks. Bright red bunches of large flowers will not leave anyone indifferent. Incredibly beautiful bush deciduous varieties, surprising palette of shades of leaves with the onset of autumn. It grows up to two meters in height with a dense crown and shiny long leaves.
- Rhododendron Rosie Lights. Fragrant shrub with juicy pink bunches of large flowers. Shrub reaches a height of up to 1.5 meters. In the autumn, foliage becomes burgundy.
How to identify a deciduous variety
One of the differences from evergreen varieties is more abundant flowering. Deciduous varieties have more peduncle branches than semi-deciduous or evergreen. Another difference is the riot of autumn colors on the leaves of deciduous varieties.
Autumn colors are rampant on deciduous varieties
With the advent of autumn, the leaves change color from fiery yellow to crimson red. Decorative bush from spring to late autumn remain at their best. These exotics do not grow too fast; they lend themselves very well to pruning and decorative crown formation. Frost resistance of the bush also affects the deciduous selection.
Attention! Residents of Siberia and the same harsh climatic zones should think about sheltering rhododendron for the winter.
Deciduous varieties are less picky about conditions and more hardy, so they are suitable for beginner gardeners, future lovers of rhododendrons.
Choose seedlings
Young seedlings are best obtained from trusted sellers so as not to get a sad breeding experience.
The most successful will be seedlings grown in pots or on open ground in the same climate, where the future bush will grow.
Rhododendron deciduous seedlings
It's important to know! If the plant is grown in greenhouses, it will not adapt to the growing conditions on open ground and will quickly die.
To increase the likelihood of good rooting and growth of the future bush, the seedling should be:
- age 2-4 years;
- well bushy, and shoots should depart from the very base of the trunk of the bush;
- with smooth healthy leaves of dark green color (when buying in the fall, yellow, red tones are possible);
- with healthy roots, without signs of rot and dark spots.
Young bushes grown under the right conditions will be low:
- grown from seeds - 12-15 cm in height;
- obtained by cuttings - 20-25 cm.
It's important to know! If a seedling 4 years old will be about a meter high - this is a sign of greenhouse cultivation.
Where to plant deciduous rhododendron
When choosing a place of growth of a bush, you should consider:
- Rhododendron does not like sunny open areas. The terrain should be partially shaded. It is possible when half a day the bush is lit, and the rest of the day is in the shade. In winter, shading should also be in order to avoid diaper rash of branches and the root neck.
- It is important to protect the bush from the wind, but a fresh stream of air is necessary for proper growth.
- The shrub will quickly die in a place where stagnation of water will periodically form. Breeders recommend planting bushes slightly on a hill so that water does not linger at the roots during rains and snowmelt.
Outdoor landing
Planting and further care for deciduous rhododendron will ensure high-quality growth and flowering. Before planting in open ground, it is important to prepare the soil, seedling and future hole for planting:
- The soil is slightly acidic. A mixture of peat, sand, leafy soil and coniferous humus is an excellent composition for healthy seedling growth. Before planting, the mixture is moistened and enriched with mineral fertilizers.
- The seedling purchased in the pot acquired during the growth a layer of dead roots around the perimeter of the pot. Dry roots must be removed, but native soil will only help grow and adapt to new conditions.
- The landing pit with a depth of 50 cm and a width of 80 cm should have a layer of broken brick or expanded clay with a thickness of 15 cm. After rooting, it is important to leave the root nodule above the ground.
To preserve moisture and nutrients, around the shoot you need to mulch the soil with needles or peat.
A layer of mulch around the flower
The subtleties of care
Active growth and flowering will be affected by the following factors:
- Top dressing. Mineral or organic complementary foods, once every three weeks from spring to autumn.
- Periodically renew the layer of mulch and remove weeds. Loosening the soil should be approached as carefully as possible, since the roots of rhododendron are superficial and very fragile.
- After flowering, it is important to remove all dried flowers in order to stimulate the laying of flowering buds for the next year.
- Spring and autumn pruning is equally important and is of a different nature. In spring, the plant is prepared for flowering, stimulating the active growth of branches. All spoiled branches are also removed during the wintering period. Autumn pruning prepares the bush for bed. Here too long shoots are removed, and the crown of a bush is formed.
Winter preparations
Before wintering, deciduous varieties are watered abundantly throughout the fall.
Young seedlings need good shelter for the winter. With a thick layer of mulch, it is necessary to cover the roots and the root neck. Branches protect from wind and frost with lutrasil or spandum.
The roots of an adult plant require an additional layer of needles from 5 to 20 cm in height. For branches, a frame is constructed from boards or rods that will not fit snugly against them.
From above the frame is covered with a spandum, leaving a ventilation hole.
Rhododendrons Sheltered for the Winter
It's important to know! Shrubs should be insulated with a stable decrease in temperature to -10 ° C.
With the onset of spring, it is important to monitor the weather - if the air has warmed up enough, and the soil is still frozen, then you need to include warm watering to actively awaken the root system of the bush.
Growing problems
If the growth site is incorrectly selected, the bush will not bloom. The reasons may be different - lighting, watering, soil, wind. If it was not possible to find the reasons, you need to transplant the shrub to a more prepared place and take care of it more carefully.
Weak flowering. It is necessary to remove the faded inflorescences so that the plant does not waste energy on the formation of a seed box.
During the winter, the leaves and buds withered. The reasons are poor protection of the shrub from the wind in the winter.
During wintering, non-covering varieties can suffer from a large layer of snow and ice on the branches. To avoid this, a frame should be constructed even for deciduous varieties. Such structures take the bulk of the snow onto themselves, saving the flower.
Diseases and Pests
Comfortable conditions do not allow the bush to hurt, they are rarely susceptible to pest attacks.
- Diseases are most often fungal in nature. For prevention, each spring, the bush is treated with copper sulfate.
- Periodically, shoots should be inspected for pests. Among them you can find spider mites, bedbugs, mealy worms. When pests are found, shrubs are treated with special means (bred according to the description of the drug).
Deciduous varieties are great as the first shrub of rhododendron in the garden. They are more hardy and winter-hardy. A beautiful exot decorates the garden with lush color in spring, in summer it is a wonderful gardening, and in autumn the riot of colors on the foliage makes one again admire the beauty of deciduous rhododendron.
