A detailed guide to rhododendron cutting propagation, easy enough for beginners to learn

There are many varieties of rhododendrons, so the flower colors are also very diverse, and some rhododendrons have a rich fragrance, which makes them very popular. Among ornamental flowers, rhododendrons can be called the most widely used flower variety. Friends who like rhododendrons often want to propagate them with their own hands, so what method should actually be used for propagation?

Rhododendron

At present, rhododendrons are mostly propagated by the cutting method within vegetative propagation, which is one of the methods that ensures the offspring are completely identical to the parent, and is a good way to mass-propagate so-called clones that are identical to each other. Generally speaking, for evergreen rhododendron varieties with medium to large leaves, cuttings can be taken from late September to late October. For easy-to-root varieties such as the Azalea (Rhododendron simsii), summer from mid-June to mid-July, when the surface air temperature is around 20°C and the ground temperature is around 30°C, is the best time to use semi-mature wood cuttings. For autumn and winter cuttings, use mature wood and take cuttings indoors, which gives a high survival rate. A shallow clay pot with a 20cm diameter and good air permeability is best for the cutting pot. The growing medium can be a mixed soil of 20% humus soil, 40% horse manure crumbs, and 40% river sand as the substrate. The pH of the substrate should be between PH4 and PH4.5. After the substrate is mixed, put it into the prepared cutting pot, with a depth greater than 8 cm. To prevent moss from growing, a thin layer of sand can be added. When taking rhododendron cuttings, it is best to choose vigorous semi-lignified branch tips of the current year as cuttings. Use a sharp knife to cut 6-10cm with a node, the cut should be neat and smooth, and only 3-4 small leaves at the tip of the branch need to be kept. Dip the cut cutting briefly in vitamin B12 solution, take it out and let it dry for a while, then it can be inserted. Before inserting, use a spray can to spray a little water to moisten the growing medium in the pot, and the insertion depth is 3-4 cm. When inserting, first use a thin wooden stick to poke a hole in the pot soil, then insert the cutting, press it firm with your hand, and then water it thoroughly once.

After inserting, cover the flower pot with a plastic bag and tie it well; open it again when watering is needed, and after watering thoroughly tie it again. Place it in a shady place, and after inserting, water continuously for 10 days (except on rainy days). When the air is dry, spray twice a day with a spray can, but the amount of water sprayed each day should not be too much. After that, just keep the soil moist. Within 1 month, avoid direct sunlight, and only after sprouting can it gradually get some sun. After rooting in about 2 months, it only needs to be shaded from sunlight for 2-3 hours at the hot midday. The soil in the pot must be loose, with peat and sand each making up half, plus half leaf mold. Because it is close to winter, newly rooted small seedlings must be protected through their first winter. To make the plant shape short and round, the new shoots on top should be pruned to encourage side branches. In the second spring, prepare the open-ground planting bed early, spread a 10cm layer of peat on the surface, then evenly dig it into the topsoil. After planting, spread a 5cm-thick layer of leaves, pine needles, or wood shavings on the ground to reduce evaporation. Pay attention to shading, with a light transmittance of 50% being suitable. In the second year, pinching back should still be done 1 to 2 times. Because rhododendrons like moisture and fear high temperatures, watering should be frequent in summer cultivation.

How to take rhododendron cuttings? Method for propagating rhododendrons from branch cuttings

Flower friend: The company was doing inventory today, and I saw a whole row of rhododendrons planted in the flower bed. They were very beautiful, and I couldn't resist breaking off this branch. Can it survive as a cutting now? How exactly should I do it? Location: Xiamen, temperature around 10-20°C.

Image: Rhododendron branch

Editor: First, I can tell you very responsibly that rhododendrons can survive as branch cuttings; it is just that the rhododendron branch you broke off and the timing are both unsuitable. The correct method is as follows:

1. Branch selection

For rhododendron cuttings, you can choose softwood cuttings or hardwood cuttings, but you cannot choose branches that have already bloomed or grown branch buds, because nutrients have already begun to be consumed, which will affect the survival rate.

Use your hand to pull the rhododendron branch down from the base (the part connected to the stem), generally 4-6 cm long, keeping 4~5 leaves at the tip. If the broken end is ragged and fuzzy, it should be trimmed flat with sharp scissors, then inserted into the soil, with a depth of one third of the branch length, and a plant and row spacing of generally 5~6 cm.

In addition, if using softwood rhododendron cuttings, the branches should be selected from vigorous new shoots of the current year.

Image: Rhododendron cuttings

2. Cutting time

Hardwood cuttings are generally taken from April to May, using last year's old branches before flowering, while softwood cuttings are best taken during the plum rain season. Because the air humidity is high at this time, growth is promoted quickly, generally from late May to June.

3. Cutting seedbed

Before cutting, it is best to prepare a seedbed first. For home cuttings, you can use a shallow pot or a clay pot with a diameter of 20~23 cm. The bottom of the pot must be lined with broken tile pieces to help drainage, and put mountain soil (the soil rhododendrons like most) into the pot to about eight-tenths full.

Image: Rhododendron cuttings cannot be placed on a balcony to be sunned

4. Cutting care

After inserting, spray with a fine-nozzle spray can, water thoroughly, and do shading work within 7~10 days. It is best to place it indoors to prevent sunlight exposure, and spray 6~7 times a day with a sprayer to increase the air humidity on the leaf surface of the cuttings.

After 10 days, a little light can be let in in the morning and evening, and spray 3~4 times a day. After about 15 days, if the cuttings are still relatively plump and the leaves have not fallen off, it means fine root hairs have grown from the cut end, and generally after 25---30 days rooting is complete.

Some excellent varieties are not easy to propagate by cuttings, and vermiculite can be used as a medium for cuttings. The method is the same as above. If automatic intermittent misting can be used to keep the leaf surface of the cuttings moist frequently, the survival rate can reach over 95%.

Propagation method for small-leaf rhododendrons by cuttings

Small-leaf rhododendron is a special variety with small leaves and a flowering period in March-April. Because the seeds of small-leaf rhododendrons are very tiny, if sowing is not done carefully, it may very well fail, so for ordinary home propagation of small-leaf rhododendrons, sowing is generally not recommended, and cutting or grafting is generally chosen because the success rate is higher. The editor will introduce the cutting propagation method for small-leaf rhododendrons, and friends who like them can learn together.

Small-leaf rhododendron

From May to June, choose semi-lignified branches of the current year with shorter internodes, cut them from the base as cuttings, and keep 3 to 5 small leaves at the tip. If the branch is too long, the tip can also be cut off. The cutting medium can use orchid soil, alpine humus soil, vermiculite, perlite, or yellow subsoil, etc., about 15 cm to 20 cm thick, with a 7 cm to 8 cm drainage layer laid underneath. After moistening the medium with spray, insert the cuttings into the substrate, with the insertion depth about 1/2 of the cutting length. For a small number of home cuttings, a large flower pot filled with medium can also be used instead as a cutting bed. After inserting, cover with plastic film to retain moisture, keep the temperature between 25°C and 30°C, add a shade frame to block sunlight, or move it under tree shade, and always keep the cutting substrate moist. Eastern azaleas can generally root after about 1 month, while Western azaleas need 60 to 70 days to root. After September, the shading time can be reduced, and a dilute urea solution can be applied once as a top dressing, at a concentration of about 0.2%, and they can be potted in late October. If a full-light electronic intermittent misting device is used for cuttings in production, with vermiculite etc. as the cutting medium, they can survive after 20 days, and the general survival rate can reach over 95%.