Lush azalea on the stem: a description of this method of growing a plant and proper care for it

Very often, on the flower beds, in the gardens or on the windowsills, you can see wonderful lush shrubs.

Bright flowers on it can be of different colors: white, red, pink, purple, scarlet. This is azalea, a perennial dwarf shrub of the heather family.

This article describes in detail how to grow lush and beautiful azalea on a stem, provides methods for growing a plant and proper care for it, as well as the consequences of improper care for this beautiful flower.

What it is?

The azalea on the stem is characterized by the presence of an axial trunk. This is the standard. It should be perpendicular to the ground. Azalea shtambovaya has the appearance of a miniature tree with an open trunk and crown. The formation of the standard tree is as follows:

1. Choose the strongest and most even branch. She will be the trunk.
2. Cut side shoots.
3. Observe the spine of the trunk, if necessary, removing the newly grown lateral shoots.
4. In order for the trunk to grow smoother, it is tied to a special bar and the pot is periodically turned over around the axis.
5. When the barrel reaches the required height, make a pinch of the top. Thanks to this, the tree will be bush.
6. After the formation of the stem, branches of the first order appear. Their number, as a rule, is from 3 to 5 pcs. They form the skeleton of a plant.
7. First-order branches are attached, after which second-order branches are formed, etc.

Attention! Periodic turning of the plant and timely pinching as a result give the formation of a crown of a spherical shape.

Photo

Below you will see how rhododendron looks in the photo:

Pros and cons of this method of growing

Azalea is a rather capricious plant, which is demanding on the conditions of cultivation and care. This process has both its pros and cons. Let's start with the pros:

• Miniature trees are obtained in a very beautiful, neat shape. Bright hats of flowers will decorate any windowsill, garden or flower bed.
• In this way, you can grow azalea with different flowering periods and enjoy them for almost six months or more.
• The formed tree with proper care pleases with its flowering for many years.
• Azalea on the stem can be grown in a bonsai style. This trend is fashionable and popular with flower growers.

The disadvantages of this method of growing include:

• Some complexity of the process, which is the timely correct pruning of the bush.
• Capricious azaleas to conditions and care.
• Quite a long tree formation. Typically, a plant forms over several seasons.

Step-by-step instructions for home care

Conditions of detention

Stem azalea is demanding on temperature conditions. She loves coolness, so on the street you can’t place her under the scorching rays of the sun. In winter, at room temperature, the temperature should not be too high.

The optimum temperature is +10 degrees. But during the formation of the buds (at the end of February), she needs a higher temperature - about 20 degrees. Azalea loves high humidity. At temperatures above 19 degrees and dry air, frequent spraying is required. It can be done several times a day.

Important! When spraying, moisture should not be allowed on the flowers. This can cause spotting.

Top dressing

In the warm season, azaleas need top dressing. It is best carried out by complex mineral fertilizers, which should include potassium sulfate, superphosphate and ammonium sulfate.

It is important to know that in the spring you need to feed the plant with fertilizers containing a large amount of nitrogenwhich is needed for active growth. In summer, phosphorus-potash fertilizers are recommended. Feeding should be carried out 1 time in 2-3 weeks.

Watering

Watering is an important element of care, because it must be carried out correctly. Water the azalea with settled water at room temperature. Watering with warmer water is also allowed (a couple of degrees above room temperature).

Salts in untreated tap water can adversely affect soil properties. If it becomes alkaline, then the plant may die.

To avoid this, it is recommended to irrigate with softened water. To do this, it is boiled, cooled and defended. The precipitate formed is poured. It is convenient to prepare water for several irrigations at once.

It is sometimes recommended to water the azalea with acidified water. To do this, lemon juice is added to the water. 0.5 l 3 drops of juice. Instead of juice, you can dilute several crystals of citric acid. Such watering is enough to carry out 1 time in 2 to 3 weeks.

The frequency of watering depends on many factors (pot size, temperature and humidity, stage of development). However, it is always important to keep the substrate moist. Azalea does not tolerate drying out. Excessive moisture is also dangerous, so it is important to water in moderation.
Learn more about how to care for azalea here.

The consequences of improper care

Improper care for the plant is fraught with negative consequences. Most often it is as follows:

1. Wrong watering. If the basic rules of irrigation are not observed, problems such as:
   • fungal diseases (excessive watering);
   • rotting of the roots (excessive watering);
   • spider mite (insufficient watering and dry air).
2. Root damage (mechanical and chemical).
3. Unbalanced top dressing. Expressed in deficiency or overabundance of nutrients.
4. Soil salinization (irrigation with untreated tap water containing an increased amount of salts).
5. Violation of the temperature cycle. It leads to weak flowering or its complete absence.

How to deal with this?

Attention! The fight against the consequences of improper care is, first of all, to ensure favorable conditions for the plant. It is important not only to reanimate it, but also to eliminate the cause of a particular problem.

For example:

1. If azalea has undergone a fungal disease, you need to treat it with special antifungal agents and ensure proper watering.
2. When rotting the roots should reduce soil moisture, often ventilate the room and prevent overheating of the plant. The plant is treated in such cases with Fundazole or Oxychoma.
3. When azalea is damaged by a spider mite, aphids and other pests, it is important to timely treat with the necessary preparations.
4. If there are problems with poor flowering or its absence, it is worth normalizing the temperature regime.

Learn more about pests and azalea diseases here.

Despite the fact that the azalea on the stem is a rather capricious plant, you should not deny yourself the pleasure of growing it. Clearly observing the recommendations, it is quite possible to grow a wonderful tree with your own hands. And having received the first experience, then this wonderful hobby will be given much easier, and delight with a riot of lush flowers.