Azalea is a plant that will impress any grower. But it often happens that after some time after the acquisition, the plant begins to die. It is necessary to create ideal conditions for it, otherwise the plant will begin to dry and shed its leaves. Only in this case, the plant will thank you for your efforts with a beautiful appearance.
General information
It's hard to figure out how to care for an azalea if you don't know where it comes from. This allows you to better understand what conditions you need to create in order for the plant to feel at home. His homeland is India and China. Under natural conditions, it grows in the mountain forests of the northern hemisphere. Much can be said from this about the habits of the plant. First of all, it simply must love humidity and be adapted to fairly low temperatures. The second point - direct sunlight, as well as intense heat, will be fatal for him.
Varieties
Today there are quite a few varieties of this plant. But for indoor cultivation, Indian is most often used, which is determined by its small size. It is an evergreen shrub that reaches 50 cm in height. Dark greens are relatively small, up to 3.5 cm in length. They are usually covered with reddish hairs.
But the most important thing is the flowers. They reach 5 cm in diameter. At the same time, they gather in inflorescences, be terry or non-terry. The variety of colors is just fantastic. Often the petals can be two-tone, that is, white with a border. Therefore, having figured out how to care for an azalea, you can diversify your flower garden with several dozen species.
Flower garden all year round
What else do you need to know? Azalea has different flowering times:
- early;
- medium;
- late.
If you buy a plant at the peak of flowering, then pay attention to the number of unblown buds. The more of them, the longer the pleasure of contemplating the plant will be. The purchased bush should not be transplanted until it fades. Otherwise, you risk being left without flowers for about a year.
Light mode
To understand well how to care for an azalea, you need to have a good idea of the conditions under which it will feel fine. This plant is photophilous, but direct sunlight is contraindicated for it. Therefore, it is necessary to grow a flower on windows facing east. But the northernwindows are practically not suitable for her.
If they all face south, then you need to cover it from direct sunlight. Most plants need additional lighting in the fall. It is at this time that flower buds and azalea buds are formed. Illumination is arranged using fluorescent lamps. They are placed at a safe distance from the plant.
Temperature conditions
This is an important moment for those who want to grow a beautiful and lush azalea. How to care for this plant at home must be studied before it appears in your home. In this case, the chance increases that it will easily acclimatize in a new place and delight in flowering.
It should be borne in mind that the plant does not feel well in hot rooms. Often this is associated with problems with growing in an apartment. Best of all, the plant feels in bright and cool rooms, where the temperature is not higher than +18 degrees. In the autumn period, the formation of flower buds occurs in the shrub. At this time, it is very good if the temperature drops to +6 degrees. Then a large number of buds will be guaranteed.
How to ensure such a regime in the apartment? Even outside the heating season, this can be very difficult. But you can "cheat" a little by placing the plant in the bathroom, overlaying the pot with crushed ice or spraying it with water. When flower buds begin to form, the temperature can be increased.
Ventilation andhardening
Most varieties of this plant are suitable for growing in gardens. Indoor species are also very fond of fresh air. This must be taken into account if you want to grow a beautiful azalea. How to care at home is usually suggested by breeders or sellers in professional salons. And they often advise you to place your plants in the garden or on the balcony. Here they can stay until the very cold. If the pots are located in the garden, then it is necessary to shade them so that the sun does not burn the delicate leaves.
Don't forget that you need to bring in the garden plants before the autumn cold sets in. In most regions, this means until the end of August. Indoor azalea does not tolerate strong temperature changes. If you allowed hypothermia, then, most likely, she will drop the buds.
Irrigation
This is another important point for beginner growers who are just starting to learn how to care for azaleas at home. The most common mistake is over watering. If you purchased a plant in a store, then it is recommended to immediately inspect the earthen room. It should be slightly damp, but not wet. If water oozes from the pot, or you smell an unpleasant odor, the plant is clearly flooded. You can try to dry it, but it is best to transplant it into another soil.
The other extreme is over-drying, when the earth ball has formed a hard crust. In this case, it is necessary to put the container in a container with water for 30 minutes. During this time, the earthen lump will be completely saturated with water. After that histhe normal state must be maintained by periodic watering. In most cases, doing this once a week is sufficient.
You need to learn to distinguish well when the plant needs additional moisture, since it is impossible to care for an azalea at home without optimizing watering. And the easiest way to do it is the following way. Take the pot in your hands after wetting the soil. Now the hand knows the weight of the wet soil. Raise the pot periodically as it dries. This is how you learn to navigate. As soon as the pot becomes too light, the plant needs to be watered.
Humidity
Probably, this indicator is most important for a home azalea flower. How to care for this capricious beauty, today we are trying to make out the steps. But one thing is certain. Heating batteries are the main enemy. Not only do they raise the temperature of the air beyond the norm, they also dry it out.
If the pot is next to the central heating battery, then perhaps it will even bloom. But the petals will crumble very quickly. You will not even have time to admire your beauty. Therefore, take a damp cloth and hang it over the batteries. It is advisable to equip them with a valve so that you can regulate the temperature in the room yourself.
Often, novice growers are interested in how to care for a flowering azalea? And the first rule is to provide the plant with sufficient humidity. To do this, you can put a tray next to the flower, in which put some pebbles and pour water. This will allownot only humidify the air, but also optimize the temperature. Long flowering directly depends on this parameter. Therefore, do not neglect frequent spraying. Then the flowers will retain their decorative effect for a long time.
Soil for plant
If you buy an adult plant, then usually it is already planted in prepared soil. Often this is a professional soil mixture. Therefore, one problem becomes less. But learning how to care for an azalea bought in a pot, you can not stop at this point for two reasons:
- If the soil is contaminated with harmful insects or disease-causing spores, the sooner you replace it, the better.
- As the plants grow, it is necessary to periodically increase the pot or transship. That is, you still need to know what the soil mixture should consist of.
This plant requires acidic soil to grow. It should be light, fluffy and nutritious at the same time. But finding it for sale can be difficult. It can be replaced with a mixture of peat and coniferous soil. Such soil will be acidic and light, but it contains few nutrients. This can be compensated with biohumus.
If you decide to buy ready-made soil in the store, then the task will be even easier. Just be sure to pay attention to the composition and date of packaging. The soil should be fresh, with good additives. If it is expired, and the storage conditions are violated, then such a composition will only cause harm. Do not forget that you need to bring enougha large layer of expanded clay, at least 3 centimeters.
Feeding
All flowering plants are very demanding on the availability of sufficient nutrients in the soil. The blooming azalea is no exception. How to care for this wonderful plant at home, we are with you today and we are going to analyze it with all the details. Top dressing has its own characteristics, so we need to talk about it in more detail.
First of all, remember that fertilizer does not need to be applied every month, as is practiced with other indoor plants, but with each watering. Therefore, we take any complex compositions that are recommended for azaleas. Only use them in reduced doses.
But this is about the flowering period. And how to care for an azalea flower during growth? This is where classic top dressing comes in handy. They need to be applied once every 20 days, alternating between organic and mineral fertilizers.
Resting period
It's even hard to say when it's more important to give this plant maximum attention. When it is covered with lush buds, or in between flowering. One thing is for sure, if you know how to care for an azalea in winter, then it will definitely reward you with exuberant blooms next season.
When all the buds have fallen, you need to cut all the pedicels and brown leaves. It is very good to take a pot a few centimeters larger than the previous one and move your azalea into it. Fill the empty space with fresh soil. The flower loves wide and low containers, due to the characteristics of the root system.
Before reaching three yearsage, the transplant procedure is performed every year. After that, you can navigate by the state of the plant and the earthy coma. If it is completely entwined with roots, then you need to take action. What else do you need to know about how to care for a potted azalea in winter? It is necessary to reduce the air temperature and watering, stop spraying. The created dormant period guarantees rapid growth and good flowering.
Crown formation
This is another important point from the cycle of how to care at home. The azalea flower is an evergreen shrub, so it needs pruning. After flowering ends, you will quickly understand why. Stretched shoots make the crumbs very sloppy. Moreover, if everything is left unchanged, the buds will form less and less each time. This is logical. After all, the plant gives strength to the formation of green mass.
Therefore, after the end of flowering and transplanting to a new place, it is necessary to arm yourself with a pruner and cut out all broken or too long shoots. At the same time, remove weak ones, as well as branches that clearly interfere with everyone else. Then in the spring you will have a bright, flowering bush that is no different from those that come out of professional nurseries.
Diseases and pests
Most often they hit the most beloved and dearest plants. And the azalea is no exception. Therefore, the owner must know the main symptoms and methods of dealing with them.
- Leaves turn yellow or fall off. This most often indicates that the plant has little moisture. Samesymptom may indicate sunburn.
- During the flowering period, the buds are shed. Perhaps the plant was watered with hard water. A flower reacts similarly to a lack of mineral fertilizers.
- The buds are falling and a cobweb has appeared. The culprit is a tick.
- Young leaves curl into a tube. Strawberry mites are the cause here.
Given the symptoms, you need to revise the rules for caring for the plant, as well as use special pest control products. By following these rules, you can be sure that the plant will reward you with beautiful flowers. And if there is enough time, you can practice and create your own bonsai. To do this, you need to properly form the crown of the shrub. During flowering, such a wonderful garden will cause a lot of admiration.
