Today we will share with you a description and photo of room azalea, home care for which will practically not cause trouble and will reward you with amazing flowering. From this article you will learn about the main features of growing this plant, as well as some of the secrets of prolonging its flowering. A photo of a room azalea during flowering is unlikely to leave you indifferent, you will definitely try to grow it at home.
Description
Azalea belongs to the group of flowering species from the genus Rhododendron, belonging to the Heather family. China and Japan are considered the homeland of the plant, but sometimes you can find it in North America or Southern Europe. Translated from Greek, the name of this flower means "dry". This name was given to the flower because of its appearance - it is a dry shrub with a small height.
The flowers of the room azalea (photo - in the article) often have a bright pink or white color. But there are also specimens with purple, red and even two-tone petals. It begins to bloom no earlier than 3-4 years after planting. The surface of the petals can be either smooth or terry or slightly terry. Appreciate the azalea for its lush and abundant flowering, which pleases flower growers in winter - at a time when other flowers are at rest.
Varieties of room azalea
There are over 350 natural varieties of azaleas, but only two are indoor.
- Azalea home Indian. The most popular variety among experienced flower growers. Evergreen dwarf shrub reaches no more than half a meter in height, has a developed branching. The small leaves are luscious green and covered with reddish hairs. Leaves are arranged on short petioles. Bright pink flowers have a diameter of 3 to 5 centimeters. A distinctive feature of this variety is winter flowering.
- Japanese Azalea is also an evergreen shrub. However, its height is much lower than that of the Indian azalea. The main difference from the Indian variety is the smaller size of the flowers and the ability to grow it both at home and in the garden.
Choice of location and lighting
Azalea is a rather capricious indoor plant. It sometimes takes a lot of effort to organize a long flowering period and a comfortable existence of this flower.
Despite the general light-loving, indoor azalea absolutely does not tolerate prolonged exposure to direct sunlight. It is best to place a flower pot on a glazed balcony, and choose a window sill on the western oreast side. Otherwise, the window must be shaded with a light curtain that scatters sunlight.
Humidity and air temperature
Indoor azalea needs to create a special temperature regime. Sometimes this greatly complicates the process of growing it in a room. The most comfortable temperature for it is the limit from +15 °С to +18 °С. At home, the air is usually much warmer. Therefore, it is best to move the flower to an insulated balcony or to a poorly heated corridor.
During the formation of buds, the temperature should be completely lowered to +12 ° С. The azalea is quite difficult to tolerate hot summers, so it is better to place the flower pot closer to the air conditioner, and in winter, keep it away from the battery or radiator.
Maintaining the required level of humidity can be achieved by spraying the plant frequently with a spray bottle. It is carried out using cool water and should be fine. During the flowering period, spraying is stopped, since water is detrimental to the delicate petals of the azalea. It is also acceptable to place containers of water around the flower for evaporation.
Soil and containers for planting
Indoor azalea is one of the rather rare plants that prefer high acidity of the soil. For its cultivation, it is good to use heather soil or a mixture of peat and coniferous soil, adding a little sand to it. If you do not have the opportunity to prepare the soil mixture yourself, it is perfectly acceptable to use purchased soil. The main thing is to choosesoil designed to grow acidophilic flowers, those that love acidic soil.
Due to the superficial and well-developed root system of the azalea, the pot for growing it should not have much depth. It is advisable to use a spacious and good landing container.
Boarding rules
Before planting indoor azalea, it is important to prepare pots with good drainage. A layer of expanded clay, small pebbles or brick chips is poured onto the bottom of the tank, after which the prepared soil is placed. Cuttings are planted to a depth of no more than two centimeters. If it is planned to plant several seedlings in one pot, then the distance between them should be at least 4-5 centimeters.
After planting, the seedlings are covered with a jar or wrapped in foil. It is done to create more comfortable conditions for germination. Such a kind of greenhouse removes only after the cutting is completely rooted - after one and a half to two months. All this time it is necessary to maintain an air temperature of at least 22 ° C and a humidity of about 80%.
Water and fertilize
Regular soil moisture and periodic fertilization are the basic requirements for home care azalea.
Water for irrigation is used either well filtered or settled. It is undesirable to water the azalea with too warm water. When the soil dries up, the flower pot is placed in a wide container with water for 5-6 hours. Since the root system of the plant is quite delicate, it is not worth loosening the soil, because it is too highthe likelihood of damage to the roots.
Fertilize the soil for growing room azalea weekly, throughout the spring-summer period. Mostly superphosphate, potassium and nitrogen fertilizers are used, aimed at the development of lush and dense greenery, as well as the formation of buds.
Cutting
If you want to achieve the same neat look as in the photos of room azalea presented in the article, caring for it should include periodic pruning of the plant. Timely pruning allows not only to form a beautiful appearance of the crown, but also to achieve uniform bud development.
Early varieties are pruned in March or April, and later - no later than May-June. Later pruning threatens with poor bud development and lack of flowering.
The formation of the room azalea crown is carried out in two ways: giving the plant the appearance of a bush or tree. If you are planning to grow an azalea into a tree, choose one strong stem to act as a trunk, and prune all other shoots. The top of the future trunk is pinched after it grows. Pruning of side shoots is carried out in such a way as to give the crown the shape of a ball. Dry and damaged branches are removed completely.
Pinching
Azalea must be pinched at room conditions. Do this already 2-3 months after planting young cuttings. This procedure allows you to activate the growth of new shoots.
Do not be afraid to remove new flowers - they inhibit the development of fresh shoots. Lateranother 3-4 months spend another pinching. This time, the plant is cut so that no more than 6 shoots remain. Later, the crown of the bush is formed - only the tops of the shoots located at a height of 12-13 centimeters from the ground surface are pinched. It is also important to pinch the side shoots to keep the plant growing evenly.
Transfer
Changing the flower pot and updating the soil is another important step in the care process. Azalea indoor at home requires a transplant every 1-2 years, depending on age. This procedure is carried out after the end of flowering, it is best to do this in the spring, when this plant goes into a dormant state.
Young plants need an annual transplant, older ones do not need such a frequency of the procedure - once every two years is enough for them. The indoor azalea is transplanted into pots with a shallow depth, filled with a mixture of peat, coniferous earth and sand. The plant is transplanted into a new pot, keeping the earth ball that protects its delicate roots.
Diseases
Like any indoor plant, azalea is prone to the development of various diseases. Among them: rust, fusarium, gray rot and powdery mildew, which affects almost all plants. To protect a flower from diseases, first of all, it is important to organize proper care.
Indoor azalea responds well to treatment with Actellik and Aktara. Used to process a very weak solution - 1 gramthe drug is dissolved in 10 liters of water. There are also special sticks "Plant Pint" and "Etisso", which are placed in the ground at a short distance from the flower itself.
With excessive watering, the plant can become ill with late blight. This disease manifests itself in the form of twisted leaves that change color and gradually fall off. Treatment with Bordeaux liquid or Fitoverm will help save the plant. Also in this case, it is allowed to carefully loosen the soil in order to dry it.
Pests
Indoor azalea is quite often exposed to the negative effects of some harmful insects. Azalea moth, strawberry mite and greenhouse whitefly cause particular harm to the plant.
Azalea moth damages the leaves of the plant, which first begin to dry out and crumble, and then die off altogether, leading to the death of the entire plant. Caterpillars gradually move from diseased leaves to young and he althy ones, twist them into tubes and continue their growth in them.
The greenhouse whitefly, like the moth, infects the leaves. But its mechanism of action is slightly different - the whitefly leaves behind sugary traces, which are an excellent environment for the development of fungal diseases. In addition, the insect itself is capable of carrying viral diseases.
Strawberry mite provokes the development of too small buds that are not capable of further development. In addition, the leaves of the room azalea begin to curl up, the plant gradually dies.
Sometimes a spider mite develops on an azalea. This happens because the air is too dry. Cobwebs appear on the stems, the buds dry out prematurely, and the leaves wither and fall off. To combat this pest, Actellik and Neoron preparations are used.
Reproduction
The main way to propagate indoor azalea flowers is cuttings. Nine-centimeter cuttings are cut only once a year (in spring) and from a he althy, strong plant. An oblique cut is made under the bud itself, after which the lower row of leaves is completely removed, and the upper ones are cut off in half. All prepared cuttings are collected in a bunch and immersed in a growth stimulator overnight. Only after that you can plant them in the ground, deepening by 1.5-2 centimeters. After planting, the cuttings are covered with a jar or film to create the effect of a greenhouse.
Seedlings require constant ventilation, but the presence of drafts is unacceptable. The air temperature in the room must be at least +22 °C. After the final rooting of the cuttings, the film is removed and the standard care of the plant is continued. Transplantation into a separate pot is carried out after the shoots reach a three-centimeter length.
How to prolong flowering?
To obtain not only lush, but also long-term flowering, as in the photos of indoor azalea flowers posted in the article, it is important to create certain conditions. There are several nuances, considering which, you can save the plant so that it pleases you with its beauty for as long as possible.
If you buy an adult plant in a store, be sure to completely change the land in which it grows. To do this, the indoor azalea is removed from the pot, the earth is shaken off, and the roots of the plant are thoroughly washed under running water. After that, damaged and diseased roots are removed, and the entire root system is treated with a manganese solution. Only after these procedures, the flower is planted in a special soil for azaleas. A week after such a transplant, a lot of new leaves will appear on the plant, which will significantly extend the period of its growth and flowering.
Also prolongs flowering by adding a few drops of lemon juice to the water for watering. However, this is done no more than twice a month.
