How to grow alpine rhododendrons? 7 steps to get it done easily

Rhododendron

 Rhododendron

Wu Zihan 

00:00/05:17

Rhododendrons prefer a warm, semi-shaded, cool, well-ventilated and humid environment. They need loose, fertile, humus-rich, slightly acidic soil. The suitable growing temperature is 12°C to 25°C. In summer, shade them from the sun; in winter, protect them from freezing and keep them warm, preferably moving them indoors.

1. Rhododendrons are best planted in clay pots, because clay pots absorb water and breathe, which helps the root system grow and develop and keeps the branches and leaves lush.

2. Place potted rhododendrons in a ventilated spot and move them as little as possible. Without ventilation, they are prone to black spot disease and drop a large number of leaves.

3. For rhododendron lighting, avoid direct sunlight in summer. For fertilizing, apply light fertilizer frequently rather than heavy doses; it is better to under-fertilize than over-fertilize. Apply an organic compound fertilizer to the pot soil once a month.Spray monopotassium phosphate once every 10 days as a foliar feed. Water in good time, and you can also add edible vinegar to the water to increase acidity.

4. The main reasons rhododendrons drop leaves and fail to bloom are: too strong direct sunlight in summer, frost damage, overwatering, fertilizer that is too concentrated, being kept indoors for too long, and being placed in a spot with poor air circulation or in a dark, damp place. So avoid these situations during care.

5. Repot and change the soil, generally once every 2 to 3 years, damaging the roots as little as possible. Do it in autumn, and at the same time spray thiophanate to prevent disease.

6. The main pests of rhododendrons are red spider mites, aphids and so on, which can be sprayed with fenvalerate and similar products with good results; if they are not dead after three days, spray again. The main disease is black spot, caused by a stuffy, hot environment and lack of light. You can spray Bordeaux mixture or carbendazim.

7. After a rhododendron blooms, its spent flowers often stay on for a long time, which uses up a lot of nutrients. To avoid wasting nutrients for nothing, you should remove the spent flowers in time so the nutrients can go to the needs of sprouting new shoots.Prune away all the overly dense branches, inner branches and weak, small branches. The sparser the pruning, the better. Good ventilation must be maintained for it to grow better!

Landscape value:

Rhododendrons have dense branches and lush leaves, are gorgeous and varied, have strong sprouting ability, tolerate pruning, and have unusual root trunks, making them excellent bonsai material.

In landscapes, they are best planted in clumps or drifts at forest edges, beside streams, by pond banks and next to rocks. They can also be scattered under open woodland. They are good material for flower hedges and can be pruned and trained into various shapes.

When rhododendrons bloom in season, they always give people a lively, bustling feeling. When they are not in bloom, their dark green leaves are also very suitable for planting in gardens as a low wall or screen.

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