"And you flew around?" - a colleague asked me, who, like me, was presented with a small azalea bush at work on March 8th. “No, it’s still growing for me, only the flowers have withered,” I answered. But what did she do wrong? Why did she have a week after the holiday, the azalea was all practically naked, but everything is fine with me with the flower? Let's try to figure out how to care for an azalea at home.
Oh, by the way, it's a rhododendron
I was very surprised when I found out that this overseas beauty is a direct relative of our Far Eastern rhododendron, which decorates swampy valleys in the floodplains of taiga rivers in spring with its gorgeous lilac color. Well, then it’s understandable - this plant loves wet content very much. It can even be grown hydroponically. In general, azalea is one of the few indoor plants that prefer acidic soils. suits hera mixture of coniferous soil with peat and sand (4: 2: 0, 5). Well, if you don’t have the opportunity to go to the pine forest for soil for this capricious, then you can get by with special soil for azaleas - this is sold in stores.
Rules for caring for azalea from the store
Azaleas from Denmark and Holland are sold in our stores. Competent advice on how to care for azalea at home can only be given by a person who has practical experience in keeping these plants at home. They are sold in transport soil, which is a mixture of high-moor peat with coconut fiber and has such valuable qualities for the seller as lightness and moisture capacity. But for the constant growth of the plant, it is not suitable. After the purchase, it is necessary to transplant the azalea into the soil recommended above. Usually azaleas are sold in the amount of 4 roots in one pot. You can separate these roots and plant each in a separate pot. It will not work to remove the transport soil from them - it was compressed too much and caught on the root part of the plants. Therefore, they can be separated by simply cutting the contents of the pot crosswise into four parts.
Leaving immediately after landing
I will try to focus your attention on the most important points on how to care for azalea at home. After planting in the recommended soil, the plant must be treated with insecticidal and fungicidal preparations for prevention, allowed to dry, and then sprayed with the Epin biostimulant to reducestress. If you have a greenhouse at home with a temperature not higher than + 20ºС and a humidity of at least 80%, then this is an ideal place for azaleas. If there is no such place, then after the azalea leaves dry, it is better to cover it with a plastic bag or put it in any other greenhouse. Flowers, of course, must be cut off. If there are unblown buds, and you want to save this plant, it is also better to cut them off. Now the main thing is to let the azalea "recover" from stress and gradually accustom it to the climate of your home. How to care for the azalea at home, then you will gradually decide for yourself, but for now, a week after planting, you can open the bag daily for two months, increasing the ventilation time more and more, so that the plant, firstly, is ventilated, and secondly, gradually hardened and got used to growing outside greenhouse conditions.
"Then why aren't azaleas covered in stores?" - you ask. The fact is that plants are prepared for sale on farms in a special way. They are "fed" with a certain set of hormonal and mineral substances, which allow not only to bloom gorgeously, but also to maintain their appearance for several months, regardless of growing conditions.
When you transplant an azalea into home soil, you will drastically disrupt the metabolism that has occurred in the plant up to this point. In addition, gradually the reserves of all supporting substances will be exhausted, and the azalea, which is not accustomed to growing without them, will die. By providing greenhouse conditions at first, you will mitigate the consequencesstress.
North window plant
Does not like the bright sun azalea. Its delicate flowers quickly wither in the heat, and the leaves burn and crumble. This plant will feel great on the north window. With regular feeding, it will bloom and grow. Azaleas need high humidity, when the air is dry, their leaves begin to crumble. Therefore, it is better to place a container filled with water next to the azalea, or place a plant pot over a tray of water. In summer, during the heat, you can cover the soil around the azalea with ice. It is better, of course, to keep it in a room with air conditioning in the summer. Well, overdrying the soil is unacceptable - it should always be a little wet.
Yes, it must be said bluntly - this plant is not for beginner flower growers. To make it delight you with its gorgeous flowering, you need to know the basic rules of how to care for plants of this species.
