Why do rhododendron leaves have yellow leaves? Rhododendron: care in autumn and preparation for winter

Rhododendron - deciduous, semi-evergreen or evergreen from the heather family. Has high decorative properties- glossy foliage (in evergreen varieties) of rich green color, lush inflorescences of various colors. There are species that reach a height of 30 meters in natural conditions, and there are also creeping dwarf shrubs. Sometimes the rhododendron crown turns yellow. The article describes possible reasons this phenomenon and methods to combat it.

The plant is moisture-loving. Insufficient watering will lead to loss of leaf turgor, they will begin to wither and turn yellow. Check the level of moisture in the earthen ball by squeezing a handful of soil in your hand under a rhododendron bush. The release of water droplets indicates that the plant is flooded. This can lead to root rot. The lump has crumbled - watering is required. It turned out to form a lump from the soil - optimal moisture.

Place the bushes near a pond or in the shade of a taller plant ( a good option- pine). This will protect the rhododendron from excessive evaporation of water. Humidity will also help support periodic watering with a sprinkler.

Watering is carried out with acidified water, for which oxalic, citric, and acetic acid are used.

The root system of plants is sensitive and shallow. When weeding, loosening, or overheating the soil, it can easily be damaged, which will lead to yellowing of the crown. Mulching the tree trunk circles (layer height - about 5 cm) with pine needles, oak leaves, moss, and high peat will help to avoid this. You cannot loosen the ground under the bush.

Thrips black

The upper side of the sheet is covered with gray holes, the bottom - black. The affected parts of the plant become grey colour, then yellow, fall off. Spray with nicotine solution (0.3%).

Rhododendrons are also susceptible to attack by other insects: arable slug, narrow-winged leaf miner, spider mite, grooved weevil.

Rhododendrons are susceptible to various spotting which are caused by fungi. The most dangerous of these diseases is septoria.

Septoria blight on rhododendron

Symptoms: small reddish spots form on the leaf blades in the center, which increase in size and turn white. The leaves turn yellow and dry out. Without timely help, a plant may be left with a bare stem.

Help: remove the affected parts of the bush. Spray with fungicide (after flowering or in spring).

Prevention: choose healthy plants for propagation.

Chlorosis

• Appear at the tips and edges of leaves yellow spots due to a lack of nitrogen in the soil or stagnation of water at the roots.
• Pale or bright yellow spots form between the veins on the leaf plate when the root system is too dense, there is a lack of iron or magnesium, or the soil is alkalized.

Control measures: timely application necessary fertilizers, normalization of watering, thinning of the bush, use of acidified water.

Those planted in the sun are more often attacked by ailments than those that are in partial shade. Proper agricultural technology increases the resistance of the plant, but the threat still remains. In the article we will look at why the leaves suddenly dry out, the buds darken or the buds die, as well as the main diseases to which these plants are susceptible.

The first symptom is the beginning of the process of rotting of the root system. Fungi block the path of nutrients, as a result of which the plant’s vascular system suffers.

It turns brown and dries out, leaves with petioles fall off, and a gray-white mycelium appears on the bark. The root gradually dies. The remains of the plant continue to harbor the infection.

If the bush is sick, it is necessary to trim off the infected areas and burn them without delay. Treat the entire plant with. Prevention is carried out by spraying the bushes and watering their root zone with a 0.2% solution of the drug.

Occurs due to the rhododendron getting wet or poorly carried out root. In addition, bring late blight to garden plot You can use it together with unhealthy shrubs purchased from the nursery. The disease begins with the foliage wilting without the possibility of its restoration.

The root turns brown and rots. The branches begin to turn yellow, and then the entire rhododendron. Root collar and the base of the stems are covered with brown spots with a purple tint, on which dark gray fungal spores develop. The bush withers and dries, but its remains and the soil around it retain the infection.

On initial stage Rhododendron lesions need to begin regular treatment, or 0.2%. Heavier plants should be burned with their roots and preventive measures should be given to healthy bushes.

It manifests itself through the formation of round-shaped growths of considerable size on the roots and root collar. These formations become darker and harder over time.

The bush slows down in growth and loses flowering power. Then the growths, together with the root collar, begin to rot, the plant dies, but its remains continue to harbor the infection.

As with late blight, bushes that show initial symptoms should be regularly treated with Bordeaux mixture or another similar preparation. In case of severe damage, burn the plant along with the root system.

Gray and other rots

Rhododendron can be affected by a variety of rots:

• gray;
• shoots and young seedlings;
• buds;
• root;
• dry white;
• death of shoots.

appears on the foliage, stems, buds and petals of the plant in the form of vague brown spots without a border.

The surface coating gradually dries and begins to crack. At high humidity parts of the bush affected by necrosis are covered with a fluffy, smoky-gray spore coating. After some time, the drying mycelium is filled with brown round sclerotia.

Rot can only be dealt with by cutting off the affected areas of the rhododendron. For preventative treatment spray the plant with a 0.2% solution of the drug “Fundazol”, and also water the root zone with it.
for rhododendron it begins with wilting and ends with death. White fungal spores or mold form on its leaves Brown, and the surface is covered with threads resembling a cobweb.

Sprinkle the seedlings that have begun to die with crushed or powdered Fundazol. In addition, for the purpose of prevention, you can treat with a 0.2% solution of the drug “Fundazol”.
The buds turn brown and die, after which the mycelium grows into the branches. The development of the disease can be limited by removing dark buds and dry shoots. While the plant lives, spray it every two weeks with preparations that contain.
threatens shrubs growing in the shade. The buds at the top of the bush will not bloom. Instead, their color will turn brown and the process of dying off will begin. Following them, the leaves will begin to curl, acquire a brown color and dry out. If the damage is severe, the plant will die. The disease can also begin with the drilling of leaves on some shoots. Then they will begin to dry, after which the entire shoot will die.

You can cope with the death of shoots by burning the affected foliage and shoots. As soon as the rhododendron fades, you should begin treating it regularly (every two weeks) with copper-based preparations.
affects roots and stems at the base. But first the foliage withers and dries without any reason. Then the buds become brown and die. Just before the death of the rhododendron it becomes brown and rotten. root system.

To cope with the disease, it is necessary to burn the affected areas of the plant or the entire diseased bush. It is possible to protect rhododendron from root rot. Maintain at the level that your particular variety needs and follow the watering rules.
wraps around the root collar of the plant and looks like a gray-white ring. The defeat is caused by a widely known fungus - it is its mycelium that germinates in weakened rhododendrons. As a result, the bush dies. Strongly growing rhododendrons do not suffer from this disease.

The affected plant must be dug up and burned, and the bushes near it must be replanted.

Several types of mushrooms can provoke wax disease, which:

1. Causes slight deformation with thickening of leaves. They are covered with large red or red-brown spots of round or elongated shape. A waxy coating of spores appears in the area of ​​necrosis. Subsequently, the stains dry out and crack.
2. Educate white pillow-shaped growths on the young foliage of an evergreen shrub.
3. The leaves are covered with round spots. On their back side one can observe the development of white spores.
4. Change the color of the foliage to yellow-brown. A powdery coating appears on the back of the leaf, after which the process of dying begins.
5. Leaves and shoots are affected. The rhododendron begins to grow huge pale green leaves of abnormal thickness. Covers them white coating. The leaf begins to wrinkle, mold and dry out.

A plant can be cured of wax disease by pruning the affected areas, as well as treating it with Bordeaux mixture or the drug “Cumulus”. It is better to carry out processing in the spring.

Various spots

Pestalocia blotch affects foliage and stems. Brownish spots of irregular shape appear on them. They are framed by a thin brown border. The spots on the leaves are smaller than those on the stems. Gray pads with spores appear on top of the spots.

Did you know? Honey from the nectar of some rhododendrons has hallucinogenic and laxative properties.

The rhododendron disease, which is shown in the photo, “changes” the color of the stems to brown and covers the foliage with spots, so its treatment is carried out by pruning the affected parts, followed by treating the bush with Bordeaux solution or “Camulus”.
identified by brown spots in the upper part of the leaf followed by drying. Round dark bodies with spores form on the spots. Following the leaves, the stems become diseased.

Treatment of anthractose spot is based on cutting off the lesions and spraying with Bordeaux mixture.
affects rhododendron foliage. It is covered with round red spots. After a certain period of time, black dotted fruits of the fungus appear on the spots. After this, the foliage turns yellow and dries out.

The rhododendron disease, which is shown in the photo, is characterized by the formation of spots of black fruiting bodies of the fungus on the surface, so its treatment is carried out by cutting off the affected areas and treating the bush with Bordeaux solution or the drug “Camulus”.

Important! Spraying plants with copper preparations at high humidity threatens leaves and shoots with burns.

diagnosed by the condition of the leaves. Characteristic symptom– the appearance of large round spots with a red border. Black sporangia begin to roll out of them. Then the foliage dies.

The edge of the spot may also be brown, depending on the type of pathogen. Over time, the lesion lightens, cracks and crumbles. In this case, it is necessary to cut off the affected parts and treat the bush with Bordeaux mixture or Camulus.

Cercospora

Identified by the non-standard angular shape of dark brown spots with a red edge.

The plants known as rhododendrons are unique shrubs. Azaleas and rhododendrons bloom in May and June, so they are optimal choice for people who expect beautiful and impressive flowers at the beginning of summer. Rhododendrons are evergreen shrubs, while azaleas shed their leaves in the fall. They also vary in height and appearance flowers that are exceptionally good.

Rhododendron is a type of shrub belonging to the heather family ( Ericaceae). In the natural environment plants of the genus Rhododendron found mainly in mountain forests of Asia and Northern and Central America. They inhabit places with high humidity. Azaleas have soft, slightly hairy leaves that fall off in the winter, making them more frost-hardy. “Proper” azaleas are evergreen, and in winter they cannot tolerate the effects of cold, drying winds.
Both species plant between April and mid-September. They are bought in containers. Before we make a decision on a specific purchase, it is worth checking whether the substrate in the container is sufficiently moist. If it appears too dry, it may mean that the plant has dead roots because they are not getting enough moisture. You also need to carefully examine the leaves and shoots. They should be free of discoloration, spots, cavities or other alarming changes that may indicate rhododendron disease.

Planting rhododendron

In general, rhododendrons will thrive best in areas of the country that experience relatively mild and wet winters. In the garden itself, rhododendrons will be comfortable in partial shade or shady place which is protected from the wind. Best position near water where humidity is high. In turn, azaleas are planted in a well-lit or slightly shaded place.

Rhododendrons need an acidic substrate and fertile soil.

Unfortunately, this type of soil is not very common in gardens, so it must be properly prepared before planting. Fill a hole 50 cm deep and about 1 meter wide with 10 to 20 centimeters of drainage in the form of gravel or mulch. Then a layer of peat mixture, composted bark and compost in equal proportions. After planting the bush upper layer the substrate is additionally mulched with a five-centimeter layer of bark. This will ensure sufficient soil moisture and minimize weed development.

Well prepared soil and correct landing will create ideal starting conditions for the growth of rhododendrons.

Planting correctly

• 1. A healthy seedling has thin white roots piercing the earthen lump. For their further normal development, loose soil enriched with peat is necessary.
• 2. Before planting, immerse the root ball in water and keep it there until the bubbling stops.

• 3. The planting hole should be 2 times wider than the root ball of the plant. Use a garden fork to loosen the soil in the planting hole.
• 4. To fill it, a mixture of garden soil and peat (50% each) or special soil for rhododendrons is suitable.

• 5. Important: do not plant rhododendrons too deep. Top part the coma should be at the level of the soil surface.
• 6. Mulch the soil around the plant with a layer of 1 to 3-5 cm. For these purposes, use compost made from bark or pine needles aged for at least six months, as well as well-rotten oak or beech leaves.

• 7. After planting, fertilize the plants. The ideal feeding is a mixture of horn shavings and mineral fertilizers or special fertilizers for rhododendrons. Distribute the fertilizer evenly over the surface of the ground and water the seedling well. If you plant a plant in the fall, do not feed it, but wait until spring.
• 8. Water the rhododendron thoroughly, but do not overdo it (so that there is no stagnation of moisture).

Watering is important not only after planting, but also in the following months, until the root system of the bush is strengthened. Rhododendron planted in dry places needs to be watered more often. Watering is also necessary after each application of fertilizers.

Substrates, fertilizers and mulch

For health and abundant flowering Rhododendrons require loose, humus-rich soil. You can improve clay or calcareous soil in your garden by adding peat and humus. Special soils for rhododendrons or peat substrates are ideal. Remember that fertilizers must meet all the needs of rhododendrons. Fertilizers vary in quality, so we advise you to buy products famous manufacturers. But it is good to use pine bark as mulch.

Lime is no longer scary

Owners of gardens with calcareous soil can now also grow rhododendrons. As a result of many years of work, breeders managed to obtain a rootstock tolerant to lime (INCARHO rhododendrons). Many popular rhododendron varieties are grafted onto this rootstock. True, they are not completely immune to lime, but they show a certain tolerance to it. Experts recommend these varieties for gardens with soils whose pH ranges from 5.5 to 7.0.

Caring for rhododendron in open ground

The soil under rhododendrons should not be dug up to avoid damaging the roots. Loosening with a thin hoe is allowed. However, it is necessary to regularly remove weeds before they reach large sizes, since removing large weeds can also damage the small roots of the rhododendron.

Rhododendrons need feeding with special preparations, which can be purchased at garden stores. Delivery nutrients should occur in spring and early summer. However, be careful not to extend this period as the plants will not have time to prepare for winter.

Fertilizers for growth and abundant flowering

Rhododendrons growing near deciduous trees do not need additional fertilizer; its function is performed by the foliage that falls every year. However, in most gardens rhododendrons still need regular feeding mineral fertilizers, especially if the bushes are still young.

1. It is best to fertilize rhododendrons for the first time in April-May, when the plants are actively growing.
2. The second - more important - feeding is done after rhododendrons bloom, when new shoots appear on the plants (usually in June-July).

Approximate figures: for a plant 40 cm high and wide, about 15-20 g (half a tablespoon) of fertilizer is required in spring and summer, for a plant 150 cm high, 80-100 g respectively.

Do not use liquid fertilizers; rather, use granular, slow-release, or specially formulated fertilizers for rhododendrons.

Careful rhododendron care also includes an annual pH test of the substrate. If necessary, we also mulch the substrate with a mixture of bark and acidic peat.
After the rhododendron flowers, it begins the process of producing seeds. Carefully pinch off the inflorescences immediately after they wilt. Thanks to this, the plant will not waste energy on ripening seeds, but will save energy for the formation of new shoots and flowers next year. In addition, rhododendron bushes take on a more well-groomed appearance.

Trimming

Is it possible to prune rhododendrons?

It’s better not to prune at all - rhododendrons look more picturesque over the years

It is better not to prune them at all - rhododendrons look more picturesque over the years. If you have to trim a bush that is too tall, it will soon produce new shoots even on old woody branches (see photo). Keep in mind, however, that these slow-growing shrubs will take several years to grow back to their previous height.

In spring, dried and frozen shoots should be cut out. Young plants can also be stimulated at this time by lightly pruning them. Old bushes that have lost a lot lower leaves and look ugly, it is worth rejuvenating by cutting out all shoots, even thick ones. After the branches are reduced, in a few weeks many young branches will grow from the dormant buds. If you are not sure that the bush is strong enough to withstand such a radical cut, you can rejuvenate half the bush in the spring and the rest the following year.

Shelter from frost and wind

Drooping leaves are not a sign of frost damage

Rhododendrons grow well in temperate climates with warm winter and high air humidity. In such conditions, even in the cold season, metabolism occurs in their evergreen leaves. But the cold winters Central Europe are not entirely suitable for rhododendrons - on sunny days, the process of photosynthesis begins in the leaves, and the roots cannot absorb enough water from the frozen soil for metabolism, and the leaves begin to dry out. Therefore, for rhododendrons, the winter sun sub-zero temperature more dangerous than the frost itself.

For sensitive varieties and standard plants, it is advisable to use shelters that create shade. They protect plants from the wind and, by creating shade, prevent leaf dehydration. It is best to make such shelters from breathable materials, such as agrofibre, otherwise mold may appear underneath them. Dehydration is especially dangerous for container rhododendrons, so they should be watered generously in winter.

Rhododendrons growing in the shade, for example under the canopy of trees, usually do not need to be covered for the winter.
Drooping leaves are not a sign of frost damage, but a natural reaction of the plant to it. The tent will protect you from wind, cold and winter sun, which can dry out the leaves when there is frost on the soil. For standard plants, both the crown and the trunk should be covered for the winter.
Small “LEGS” under tubs and pots will ensure excess water drains.

Optimal watering

Rainwater is ideal for irrigation as it does not contain lime.

Rhododendrons prefer evenly moist soil. They are equally sensitive to both drying out and waterlogging. When watering you need to know when to stop: a large number of water washes away nutrients and leads to rotting of the roots; with insufficient watering, the bushes wither and dry out. If the leaves droop during the day due to the heat, this is normal; plants usually recover overnight. For irrigation, it is better to use rainwater, which, unlike tap water, does not contain lime. A layer of mulch prevents water evaporation and retains moisture in the soil. They perform the same function ground cover plants, creating a favorable microclimate. Computer controlled is suitable for dry soil drip irrigation, evenly moistening the soil.

Important: evergreen rhododendrons should be watered in winter.

Reproduction by layering

After flowering has finished, lightly cut the bark of a branch located close to the ground under the whorl of leaves. Bend the branch so that its cut down can be placed in a hole filled with humus to a depth of 5 cm. Carefully secure the branch with a hook and make a support. Next spring rooted cuttings can be separated with a shovel and transplanted to permanent place in the garden. After planting, do not forget to water the young plant well.

Caring for rhododendron after flowering

• 1. Removing faded flowers

Removing faded flowers is a necessary condition for rhododendrons to form new flower buds and leaves next season. Faded inflorescences are removed in the summer, when rhododendrons finish their flowering period, leaving new leaf buds underneath. It is better to pick off the inflorescences by hand (not with scissors). Thanks to this treatment, the seed production process is not carried out, and the nutrients can be used by the plant for growth, development and creation of new buds. You can also cut off dead, dry shoots.

• 2. Removing fallen flowers and leaves

Must be removed carefully fallen flowers and leaves from under the bush. Especially if they are affected by lesions, they must be removed and burned. The litter will rot, providing nutrients for the development of fungal diseases.

• 3. Fertilizing rhododendrons after flowering

Rhododendron after flowering feels a lack of nutrients, which were used in the flowering process. In summer and autumn, phosphorus-potassium fertilizer should be used. During this period, plants do not need much nitrogen. Mineral fertilizers - potassium sulfate and superphosphate or available ready-made fertilizers for rhododendrons, containing all the necessary ingredients that also affect soil acidification. In addition, foliar fertilizers containing microelements such as iron and magnesium are used, which affect the intense color of the leaves. Fertilizers should be applied no more than the recommended doses.

Providing nutrients will allow the rhododendrons to set many new flower buds.

• 4. Watering rhododendrons after flowering

With excess water, plants are susceptible to fungal diseases. However, if there is a drought, with more sunlight and hot weather, which often happens in the summer months, after the rhododendron blooms, the bushes should be watered. In particular, plants that grow in light and permeable soils require watering. During other periods, precipitation water is sufficient and healthiest for plants. Plants need more water before winter sets in. With heavy frosts, they will no longer be able to collect it, and this is necessary for the proper development of leaves. In the absence of water, the leaves wilt and turn brown. Therefore, rhododendrons should be watered abundantly immediately before the onset of frost.

• 5. Sheltering rhododendrons for the winter

Most rhododendron varieties are frost-resistant, even down to -30°C. Some varieties are less frost-resistant (down to -20°C). The best shelter For winter there is snow, but it is not always present. It is advisable to cover young rhododendrons planted this year. You can use spruce branches, straw mats or agrofibre. Young and older shrubs are well mulched for the winter with pine bark, which additionally acidifies the soil. There is less soil freezing and less water loss. Roots are less vulnerable to frost damage. Rhododendrons that will survive winter in good condition, will bloom again in a year.

Diseases and pests of rhododendron

Why do rhododendrons get sick? Rhododendrons have enough high requirements to cultivation, and our climate is not conducive to these plants.

Rhododendrons can be affected different types mushrooms As a result, the leaves at the edges or tips turn brown, dry out, and eventually fall off. In addition, shapeless heels often appear on the leaves. With the help of fungicides, these symptoms can be removed, but the reason for their appearance - the unfavorable living conditions of the plant - will remain. Sometimes it's just good feeding leads to the recovery of rhododendrons. Also monitor soil acidity.

Kidney death

Brown buds with black fluff indicate fungal infection. Such buds should be removed.

Unfortunately, a common disease of rhododendrons is bud death. It is caused by a fungus carried by rhododendron cicadas. Buds affected by the fungus turn brown and fall off. It is impossible to destroy the fungus, but fortunately it does not spread to the rest of the plant. Pluck and destroy affected buds.

A yellow sticky piece of paper (photo) attached to a plant branch will help you check if there are insects on the rhododendron.

To prevent fungal damage to the kidneys, you must first fight cicadas: examine the rhododendron, usually these insects sit on back side leaves.
It is best to destroy cicadas in the early morning, when the insects are still inactive. Treat the leaves with an insecticide: you need to spray the plants immediately after the cicadas appear in mid-May; if necessary, repeat the procedure after 2 weeks.
Green-yellow cicadas, about one centimeter long, sit mainly on the underside of leaves. Small dots on the leaves are traces of their vital activity - they indicate the presence of “uninvited guests”.

Wasting, chlorosis

With chlorosis (depletion), rhododendron leaves turn yellow, but the veins remain green. This disease occurs most often due to insufficiently acidic or very dense soil that does not allow air to pass through.
Most often, chlorosis begins a few years after planting, when the roots extend beyond the landing pit and fall into the calcareous soil. Help: replant the plant to a higher location appropriate place or acidify the soil underneath by lowering the pH.

Frost

Even if the rhododendrons survived low temperature winter is relatively good, they are sensitive to late spring frosts. A light frost in May can severely damage the young leaves and flower buds of the plant that have already appeared. If new shoots emerge from the spare buds, the plant will not die, but it is better to remove the darkened branches of the rhododendron.

Insatiable weevil

Weevil is a dangerous pest

Semicircular, eaten away areas on the sides of the leaves are a sign of a pest.

More dangerous than the beetles themselves are their larvae, which eat the roots of shrubs. They are yellowish-white in color, with a brown head.

If the lower old leaves of rhododendrons have become completely yellow (as opposed to those affected by chlorosis) and are gradually falling off, the plant is most likely lacking nitrogen. It is one of the essential plant nutrients, and flowering rhododendrons especially need it. Help: Apply to soil immediately complex fertilizers. It’s best to feed the bushes every spring with horn shavings - this will prevent a lack of nitrogen.

Bad landing

Too light, dull, small leaves; depressed look. This indicates a lack of oxygen to the roots (wet dense soil, stagnant water) or a lack of nutrition or water.

How to save it. Right . Plant rhododendron in and make sure that there is no competition with the surface root system. Even too active perennials such as tenacious ones, completely covering trunk circle rhododendron, can deprive it of nutrition and moisture.

Often the outer part of the root ball is also a container formed by dead roots. Their dense felt prevents living roots from penetrating into the soil - as a result, the plant starves. You need to remove this inner container when planting, or at least cut it in several places. It’s a good idea to check if there are any mole or mouse holes in the root area.

How can I help you. , if necessary, water and mulch the plantings, spray the crown. If the plant is planted well, but still lags behind in growth, they can help foliar feeding complete solution mineral fertilizer with microelements. Feeding is required 3-4 times in June-July at half the dosage recommended in the instructions.

Before planting, such a root ball should be freed from the layer of dead roots.

Unsuccessful wintering

Death of leaf tissue or buds on parts of the rhododendron that are above the snow. The problem arises from the alternation of daytime sun and nighttime frost in February and March. If cold weather is accompanied by wind, the leaves of the plant actively evaporate water. The water supply is not replenished because the roots in the frozen ground do not work, and the leaves simply dry out. In deciduous species of rhododendron, flower buds or upper parts of shoots may dry out.

How to save it. When choosing a landing site. In dry autumn, plants are watered abundantly. They install a winter shade - mesh or gauze, sparse burlap on the frame, a protective screen, and the like. In the fall, mulch the bushes with a layer of 7-10 cm so that the soil does not freeze deeply.

How can I help you. In spring, severely damaged leaves are trimmed. The shoots are pruned in June, when it becomes clear where the buds are waking up. Do not rush to cut out the branches of small-leaved evergreen rhododendrons - they very often grow anew along the entire length of the shoot. If the leaves remain in the winter state for too long - drooping and rolled into a tube - spray the crown with water more often. They rake so that the ground thaws quickly and the roots begin to work.

Breaking of bushes by settling crust or wet snow

How to save it. In the fall, structures are installed above the bush that will take on part of the snow load: arches fixed crosswise, a wigwam made of stakes, etc. If the shape and size of evergreen rhododendrons allow, you can tie the bushes with an elastic band.

How can I help you. Broken branches are cut out in the spring. Do not rush and cut off slightly broken shoots: you can try to save them. To do this, you need to connect the edges of the break, tie up the shoot and secure its position with a support. The harness and support are left in place for at least a year.

Damage to leaves by ice crust

Evergreens are most often affected. If the crust does not melt for too long, the lower branches, which are in ice captivity, may completely lose their leaves.

How to save it. Spruce branches or brushwood are placed under the lower branches of the bushes.

How can I help you. In spring, severely damaged leaves and shoots are trimmed.

Frostbite of shoots

Leaves, bark and cambium tissues die, the shoot on the cut is dead - brown. Varieties that are not suitable for this purpose suffer. climate zone. U winter-hardy varieties unripe shoots die. It occurs as a “growing disease” in young plants obtained by the meristem method - tissue culture, as well as in the case of late fertilizing.

How to save it. Selected for planting. Fertilizing is carried out in doses and only at the beginning of summer. In deciduous species, actively growing blind shoots are pinched at the end of July.

How can I help you. In spring, frostbitten shoots are cut back to healthy wood.

Weak flowering

Varieties Caucasian and dense rhododendron Sometimes some of the buds open in the fall. In spring, they bloom weaker. Rhododendron Ledeboura and varieties with its participation try to bloom during winter thaws. IN in this case nothing can be done to help.

Weak flowering of the bush due to lack of light, nutrition or moisture

How can I help you. Improve living conditions. Remove faded inflorescences, preventing seeds from setting.

Tips for growing rhododedrons

Rhododendron is a wonderful, beautifully flowering shrub that amazes with its abundance and riot of flowering. As a rule, rhododendrons bloom in May, but there are varieties of rhododendrons with more early flowering, in the month of March, and the rarest varieties can please you in the summer - in June or July.

Probably almost every gardener is faced with the capriciousness of these aristocrats of the garden when growing them. The fact is that without knowing the characteristics of this wonderful culture, it is simply impossible to grow it. Plants will get sick and refuse to grow for some unknown reason...

But before I tell you how to please rhododendrons, let's figure out what they are.
It turns out that rhododendrons have 2 forms: deciduous and evergreen. The first ones are also called azaleas. The agricultural technology of azaleas and rhododendrons differs slightly. Azaleas are sun-loving plants and are best planted on sunny place, and rhododendrons love light shading.

The basic principles of growing rhododendrons are:

1. First of all, the PH (acidity) level of the soil. The soil must be acidic between 4.5 and 5.5 pH.

Rhododendrons will also not like too acidic soil, and they will not grow at all in neutral soil. If you forget about this whim of the rhododendron, of course, you won’t be able to grow it. And if he likes the soil, the plants will grow by 30 cm per year!

Therefore, when planting rhododendrons, only acidic soil is used. The best (native) soil for rhododendron is rotted pine needles. In their homeland, rhododendrons grow in coniferous forests. You can also mix peat and pine needles in equal proportions. Such soil is the key to success. It should also be said that the root system of rhododendron is very compact, so it is not necessary to pour a lot of prepared soil into the hole.

When choosing peat for your pet, pay attention to its PH. Stores often sell neutralized peat, and if you don’t pay attention to its pH, the gardener can then be tormented for a very long time by the mystery of why nothing grows for me? This is exactly what happened to me.

Lack of acid in the soil causes growth to stop, and azalea leaves acquire yellow , because the plant cannot absorb iron, which takes part in the photosynthesis reaction and the formation of chlorophyll. This disease is called chlorosis.
Acidic peat is raised peat, it has a red color, and it is best to take peat from a safe place, for example, directly from a swamp.

Some gardeners have adapted to cope with the whims of rhododendrons even more easily. Peat can be replaced... with sour apples, or, for example, Japanese quince, if you mulch the soil with them. Regular watering of the soil with a weak solution of vinegar also helps. citric acid and even aspirin.

2. When planting rhododendron seedlings in a permanent place, do not bury them too deep into the ground. As they say in the literature, they don’t like it. True, when I planted my first seedlings, I did not take this into account, and it seems that it did not particularly affect the health of my plants.

3. Another nuisance - rhododendrons do not like stagnant water. They even love water very much, but they will not tolerate a wet place. Unfortunately, this is so, and I also had to be convinced of this after the death of one of the seedlings, lovingly planted in a damp place... Some kind of average soil was needed - neither damp nor dry.

4. For better flowering You need to remove faded inflorescences. This promotes the formation of buds the next year. And you also need to apply fertilizer 2 times a year, before flowering (in April) and after flowering (in early June). You need to buy special fertilizer - for azaleas or coniferous crops.

5. The soil for rhododendron should be loose and breathable. Dense sandy soil is undesirable.

6. Evergreen rhododendrons like to be well watered before wintering.

In general, compliance with these principles is enough to grow the most beautiful rhododendrons on your site. And I am sure that in the spring your site will turn into a real paradise, and the neighbors will not be able to take their eyes off such beauty.

The variety of colors of rhododendrons is amazing. They are usually colored in white-violet and raspberry-red tones, and azaleas are also orange-yellow.