Daurian rhododendron can be found in the Primorsky Territory, Eastern Siberia and Northern Mongolia, as well as in such eastern countries as China and Korea. The plant prefers coniferous forests and rocks. This is a fairly large shrub that can reach four meters in height. It branches strongly, and its dense shoots are directed upwards. The leaves are leathery, smooth on top, and scaly on the back. In young plants, they are light green in color, but eventually begin to darken. Flowering takes place before the leaves appear and lasts only three weeks.
Description
Before talking about the features of growing Daurian rhododendron, a description of the species should also be considered.
Rhododendrons are shrub plants. Among them there are annual, biennial and perennial representatives, which differ in the shape and shade of leaves, flowers and even shoots. In general, this representative of the Heather family has gained popularity around the world thanks to not only decorative leaves. One of the main advantages of the plant is beautiful flowers, which can be painted in a wide variety of shades. Flowers may vary in shape depending on the species. Some of them even have a certain aroma.
After flowering on the rhododendron, fruits that look like a five-leaved capsule are formed; seeds of no more than two millimeters are stored in it. As for the root system, despite the rather impressive size of the bush, it is considered compact. It is very close to the surface of the earth, which greatly simplifies the transplant process, not only for the gardener, but also for the shrub itself.
Rhododendron daursky is listed in the Red Book as a rare and unique species that needs protection.
When and where to plant
Given our climate, for planting, you can choose only varieties that easily tolerate winter. Daurian rhododendron is a winter-hardy species and can grow in Russian gardens. The most suitable time for planting seedlings is the period from April to May and from September to November. Although it is possible to transplant a plant or to plant young shrubs at any time, while the growing season lasts. The ban on transplantation is established only during flowering and the next few weeks after its completion.
As for the landing site, it should be a shady area, preferably on the north side of the house or other building. The soil should be acidic, rich in humus and fairly well-drained. As already mentioned, this plant chooses coniferous forests, which is why it is possible to arrange pine, larch or oak in the neighborhood. Do not plant rhododendron next to those plants in which the root system has the same horizontally oriented (surface) arrangement. Between them there will be a struggle for nutrients, and the flowering shrub will suffer greatly. If you are sure that such neighbors cannot be avoided, then another task is set for you - to protect the roots of the rhododendron. For this, a slate or other artificial obstacle is instilled between the plants.
Disembarkation technology
The gardener must prepare in advance a planting pit with a depth of 40 centimeters and a diameter of 60. A specially prepared mixture is placed inside, which includes:
- Horse peat - 8 buckets.
- Loam - 3.5 buckets (in its absence, it is easily replaced by two buckets of ordinary clay).
At the bottom of the pit, mix the mixture well and make a notch that is the same size as the earthen coma where the roots are. Before immersing in the ground, the seedling of the Daurian rhododendron must be lowered into the water and kept there until air bubbles cease to rise from the water. After that, you can safely lower the roots into the hole, then you need to fill them well with a substrate and tamp so that there are no voids left.
The surface of the site and the root neck should be at the same level. After planting, you need to immediately water the plant well. Calculate the fluid so that the soil is exactly twenty centimeters wet. When the water is completely absorbed, you need to mulch. To do this, you can use moss, peat, oak leaves or needles, sliver.
Pay attention to the number of flower buds. If there are too many, then a certain amount is better to remove. This will contribute to better rooting. If the rhododendron is located in an open area without neighbors, it is better to put a solid support next to the young seedling. And after successful rooting, you can immediately remove it.
Growing
One of the most spectacular garden shrubs is rhododendron. Planting and caring for it will not cause difficulties even for a novice gardener, but the result of cultivation can exceed all expectations.
Plant care consists of a classic scheme of watering, pruning, weeding, and dressing. The only rule that a beginner gardener should remember is that the soil around the plant needs to be loosened very carefully and not deeply. This is due to the fact that the roots are too close to the surface of the earth, which means that they can be accidentally damaged during loosening. In this regard, weeds are recommended to be removed only by hand, without the use of garden tools.
Watering
During the formation of buds and flowering, rhododendron needs moisture and not only soil, but also atmospheric. Not only the flowering of this year, but also the laying of buds for the next depends on the correctness of watering. For watering, you need to use soft water. It is better if you can collect rainwater, but in case of its absence, put the liquid in advance to settle. If you didn’t have time to do this, then at least a day before the intended watering, add several full handfuls of horse peat to the water. This will not only soften it, but also make it more acidic.
Observe the condition of the leaves, this is how you can determine the required frequency of watering. Leaves lacking moisture become dull and lose turgor. As with the first watering, the soil should be wetted at least twenty centimeters deep. The gardener must feel the boundaries, because excess moisture leads to the fact that the leaves begin to curl and fade. In order not to get confused, try to spray the leaves with the same soft water in any weather.
Pruning
In the case of rhododendron, planting and care are pretty simple. One of the important stages of growing this shrub is pruning. However, this procedure is not necessary to thin out. Since the nature of this plant is such that it itself forms the correct shape of the crown. Only those shoots that were frostbitten in the winter, dried up, or broken should be removed. By trimming, you can control the height of the bush.
You can cut the shoots only in the spring, while the process of sap flow has not yet begun. If you cut the shoots, the thickness of which is more than two centimeters, then the place of the cut must be treated with garden varnish to prevent infection.
Rhododendron has one feature that not everyone likes. If in one year its flowering and fruiting were plentiful, then next year you should not expect such beauty. What to do about it? You just need to prune the old inflorescences so that the bush can direct all its forces to the formation of buds next year.
Top dressing
Rhododendrons are in dire need of fertilizer. Even those specimens that were planted this year. As fertilizer, liquid top dressing from cow dung or horn flour is best suited. The first feeding should be introduced in early spring, and the last should be outlined at the end of July, when flowering stops and young shoots begin their active growth.
Manure and water are mixed in a proportion of 1:15, and then this mixture is left for a day so that it is infused. Only after this time is it ready for use. Remember to water the plant well before applying fertilizer. Complex mineral preparations are selected in accordance with the type of soil. The working solution is prepared strictly following the instructions on the packaging.
Diseases and pests
There are a number of pests that greatly annoy rhododendrons, among them:
- snails;
- slugs;
- scale insects;
- spider mites;
- weevils;
- bedbugs;
- rhododendron flies;
- mealybugs.
From the Daurian rhododendron, pests that belong to the mollusk family can be removed manually. But the rest of the war can declare an 8 percent solution of fungicide TMTD. A tool like diazinon is very effective against spider mites, weevils and rhododendron bugs. Remember that in the fight against weevils, not only the shrub itself, but also the upper layer of soil around it is treated with a special tool.
The most common diseases of Daurian rhododendron: rust, cancer, leaf spot and chlorosis. Almost all of them are the result of poor aeration of the root system. Bordeaux fluid is a good tool in the fight against rust and spotting. In the case of chlorosis, when the leaves of the plant begin to turn yellow, iron chelate is added to the water for irrigation . Cancer is removed only along with the affected shoots, cutting them to a healthy place. For prevention, it is recommended to spray the bush with Bordeaux liquid twice a year: in early spring and autumn.
Breeding
Reproduction of Daurian rhododendron can take place in two ways: by seeds or by any known vegetative methods. The simplest is reproduction by layering.
In spring, choose a lower shoot, which is very flexible and preferably quite long. It must be slightly bent above the ground and placed in a previously prepared hole (at least fifteen centimeters in depth). From above, the shoot must be sprinkled with garden soil mixed with peat, and in the ditch itself, pin it with a metal rod so that it cannot rise.
The remaining tip must be tied to a peg. Layers need to be moistened simultaneously with a common bush. In this position, he is until next spring or even until autumn. When the layer is well rooted, you need to separate it from the mother bush and transplant it to a permanent place in a previously prepared hole, as described above.
Generative breeding
Seeds are planted in pre-prepared containers where heather or peat land with a small amount of sand should be. From above, they are only lightly sprinkled with well-washed sand and covered with glass to create a greenhouse effect. Germination takes place in a well-lit room.
Care consists in the fact that, as necessary, you need to moisten the soil (it is better to use a spray bottle for this), ventilate and remove condensate from the glass daily. In a month, the first sprouts should appear. And when two real leaves appear, it is necessary to plant the seedlings in different pots.
In the first year, seedlings should be in a cool bright greenhouse. And already next spring they can be safely planted on training beds. Pre-prepared soil should consist of garden soil and a small amount of sand. Seedling growth is extremely slow, and the first flowers can be observed only after six, or maybe even eight years.
After flowering
After flowering is completed and in the autumn period, make sure that the soil does not dry out. In dry autumn, abundant watering is carried out. If nature pampers with rains, then this is not worth it. With the onset of November, it is necessary to warm the root system with a dense layer of peat.
With the onset of the first frosts, the inhabitants of the middle lane place twigs of coniferous plants between the branches of the bush and cover the bush with burlap under the winter, pulling it with a rope so that the crown does not break up. In the spring, with the onset of the thaw, this shelter is removed. In more southern areas of the country, such shelter is not required.