Today we will share with you a description and a photo of azalea room, care at home for which will be practically no trouble and reward you with amazing flowering. From this article you will learn about the main features of growing this plant, as well as some secrets to prolonging its flowering. A photo of the azalea indoor 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 Vereskov family. The homeland of the plant is China and Japan, but sometimes you can meet it in North America or Southern Europe. Translated from Greek, the name of this flower means "dry." Such a name was given to the flower because of its appearance - it is a dry shrub having a small height.
Flowers of 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. They appreciate the azalea for lush and abundant flowering, which pleases gardeners in the winter - at a time when the rest of the flowers are at rest.
Varieties of room azalea
There are more than 350 natural varieties of azalea, but there are only two indoor varieties.
- Azalea home Indian. The most popular variety among experienced gardeners. The evergreen dwarf shrub reaches no more than half a meter in height, has a developed branching. Small leaves have a juicy green color and cover in the form of reddish hairs. The leaves are located on short petioles. Bright pink flowers have a diameter of 3 to 5 centimeters. A distinctive feature of this variety is winter flowering.
- Azalea home Japanese 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.
Choosing a place and lighting
Azalea is a rather capricious indoor plant. To organize a long flowering period and the comfortable existence of this flower, sometimes considerable efforts are required.
Despite the general photophilicity, indoor azalea does not tolerate prolonged exposure to direct sunlight. It is best to place a flower pot on a glazed balcony, and choose a windowsill on the west or east side. Otherwise, the window must be shadowed with a light curtain that diffuses 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 ° to +18 ° . At home, the air is usually much warmer. Therefore, it is best to transfer the flower to the insulated balcony or to the poorly heated corridor.
During the formation of the buds, the temperature should be completely lowered to +12 ° C. The azalea suffers quite hard during the hot summer, so it is better to place the flower pot closer to the air conditioner, and in winter to keep it away from the battery or radiator.
Maintaining the required humidity level can be achieved by frequent spraying of the plant from the sprayer. It is carried out using cool water and should be finely divided. During the flowering period, spraying is stopped, since water is harmful to the delicate petals of azalea. It is also permissible to place evaporation containers around the flower.
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 choose the soil intended for the cultivation of acidophilic flowers, those who love acidic soil.
Due to the surface and well-developed azalea root system, the pot for growing it should not have a great depth. It is advisable to use a spacious and good container for landing.
Landing rules
Before planting room azaleas, it is important to prepare pots with good drainage. A layer of expanded clay, fine pebbles or brick chips is poured at the bottom of the container, after which the prepared soil is placed. Cuttings are planted to a depth of not more than two centimeters. If several seedlings are planned to be planted in one pot, then the distance between them should be at least 4-5 centimeters.
After planting, seedlings are covered with a jar or wrapped with foil. It is made to create more comfortable conditions for germination. Such a peculiar greenhouse removes only after the rooting of the cuttings is complete - in 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%.
Watering and feeding
Regular soil moisture and periodic fertilizing are the main requirements of room azalea for home care.
Water for irrigation use either well filtered or well-maintained. It is not advisable to water the azalea with too warm water. When the soil dries, the flower pot is placed in a wide container of water for 5-6 hours. Since the root system of the plant is quite tender, loosening the soil is not worth it, since the likelihood of damage to the roots is too high.
Fertilize the soil for growing room azalea weekly, throughout the spring-summer period. Superphosphate, potash and nitrogen fertilizers are mainly used, aimed at the development of lush and dense greens, as well as at the formation of buds.
Pruning
If you want to achieve the same neat appearance as in the photo of room azaleas presented in the article, caring for it should include periodic pruning of the plant. Timely pruning allows not only to form a beautiful view of the crown, but also to achieve uniform development of buds.
Early varieties are pruned in March or April, and later varieties no later than May-June. Later pruning threatens with poor bud development and lack of flowering.
The formation of a crown of room azalea is carried out in two types: giving the plant the appearance of a bush or tree. If you plan to create a tree from azalea, choose one strong stalk that will act as a trunk, and prune all other shoots. The top of the future trunk is pinched after its growth. Trimming the 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.
Topping
Indoor azalea must be nipped. 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. After another 3-4 months, another pinching is carried out. 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 are pinched, located at a height of 12-13 centimeters from the soil surface. It is also important to pinch the side shoots for uniform plant growth.
Transfer
Changing the flower pot and updating the soil is another important step in the care process. Indoor azalea at home requires a transplant every 1-2 years, depending on age. This procedure is carried out after flowering, it is best to do it in the spring, when this plant goes into a dormant state.
Young plants need an annual transplant, older adults do not need this frequency of procedure - they only need once every two years. Indoor azalea is transplanted into pots with shallow depth, filled with a mixture of peat, coniferous land and sand. The plant is transplanted into a new pot, keeping a lump of land that protects its delicate roots.
Disease
Like any houseplant, azalea is susceptible to the development of various diseases. Among them: rust, fusarium, gray rot and powdery mildew, which affects almost all plants. To protect the flower from diseases, first of all, it is important to organize the right care.
Indoor azalea lends itself well to treatment with Actellik and Actara. A very weak solution is used for processing - 1 gram of the 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 get late blight. This disease manifests itself in the form of twisted leaves that change their color and gradually fall off. The treatment will be saved by treatment with Bordeaux liquid or with Fitoverm. Also in this case, accurate loosening of the soil is allowed in order to dry it.
Pests
Indoor azalea is quite often affected by some harmful insects. Especially harmful to the plant are azalea moth, strawberry mite and greenhouse whitefly.
Azalea mole damages the leaves of the plant, which first begin to dry and crumble, and then completely die off, leading to the death of the whole plant. Caterpillars gradually move from diseased leaves to young and healthy, twist them into tubes and continue their growth in them.
The greenhouse whitefly, like the moth, infects leaves. But its mechanism of action is slightly different - the whitefly leaves sugar traces behind it, which are an excellent environment for the development of fungal diseases. In addition, the insect itself is capable of transmitting viral diseases.
Strawberry mite provokes the development of too small kidneys, not capable of further development. In addition, leaves of azalea begin to curl, the plant gradually dies.
Sometimes a spider mite develops on azaleas. This is due to too dry air. A spider web appears on the stems, the buds dry out prematurely, and the leaves wither and fall off. To combat this pest, the drugs Actellik and Neoron are used.
Breeding
The main method of propagation of indoor azalea flowers is cuttings. Cutting nine-centimeter cuttings is carried out only once a year (in spring) and from a healthy strong plant. An oblique cut is done under the kidney itself, after which the lower row of leaves is completely removed, and the upper ones are cut in half. All prepared cuttings are collected in a bunch and immersed in a growth stimulator overnight. Only then can they be planted in the ground, deepening by 1.5-2 centimeters. After planting, the cuttings are covered with a jar or film to create a greenhouse effect.
Seedlings require constant ventilation, but the presence of drafts is unacceptable. The air temperature in the room should be at least +22 ° C. After the final rooting of the cuttings, the film is removed and standard care of the plant is continued. A transplant into a separate pot is carried out after the shoots reach a three-centimeter length.
How to prolong flowering?
To obtain not only magnificent, but also long-term flowering, as in the photos of indoor azalea flowers placed 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 purchase an adult plant in a store, be sure to completely change the land in which it grows. To do this, 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, many new leaves will appear on the plant, which will significantly extend the period of its growth and flowering.
It also prolongs flowering by adding a few drops of lemon juice to the water for irrigation. However, this is done no more than twice a month.