Azalea is a highly branched shrub from the Heather family, whose lush flowering occurs in the winter. An ornamental plant with a huge number of bright flowers captivates the hearts of almost all flower growers, including beginners. However, it is necessary to study the nuances of how to care for azalea at home in order to extend its life cycle and flowering.

Azalea: adaptation period after purchase

Often the new owner of the azalea, buying it in a store or receiving it as a present in blooming condition, after a short period of time observes how a chic “bouquet” in a pot begins to dry, dropping flowers and foliage, and then dies.

In order to prevent the development of such a scenario, it is necessary to acclimatize the plant in new conditions:

  1. If a flower enters the apartment, an examination of the state of the earth coma is carried out.
  2. If mold is detected, the soil is treated with a fungicide or manganese solution.
  3. If the lump is overdried, then the flower pot is placed in a basin with water for 20-25 minutes.
  4. Then the azalea is located in a semi-shaded place with a temperature of no higher than 18 ° C and gradually accustomed to a new lighting mode.
  5. With the help of a spray gun, an artificial increase in the humidity level is close to the natural for the flower.

Quarantine conditions

To avoid the possibility of infection of other indoor plants with infections and pests, azalea is kept in quarantine for 14 days, the main conditions of which are:

  • constant monitoring of the state of the plant;
  • timely processing of the flower, in case of detection of pathogens or pests.

Do I need an azalea transplant after the store?

Azalea flower is to be transplanted into a new substrate after flowering and acclimatization in new conditions.

The reasons for this need are:

  • a large concentration of macro- and microelements in the old soil, which stimulate the splendor of the bush and abundant flowering;
  • bobbing of an earthen coma due to frequent overflow of plants in a flower shop to maintain leaf elasticity and extend the flowering period.

Soil and pot requirement

Due to the love of culture for acidic soils, it is better to purchase a substrate for azalea cultivation in a flower shop. However, if desired, it can be prepared independently by mixing rotten needles, moss and sand in a ratio of 2: 1: 1. The pot is selected low and wide, on the bottom of which a drainage layer is placed, which prevents stagnation of water.

Due to the fragility of the root system, a representative of heather is transplanted by transshipment so that the root neck remains half a centimeter above the ground.

How to care at home?

Caring for room azalea, which will provide the flower with a long life and plentiful flowering, provides for the creation of growing conditions similar to natural ones.

Lighting

To provide the azalea with diffused light without direct sunlight, the pot is placed on the windowsills of the eastern or northern windows. In the second half of autumn, when the phase of the laying of the buds is observed in the plant, artificial lighting is organized using a phytolamp.

With a lack of light in the autumn-winter period, the flower can lose foliage.

Temperature mode

The parameter plays an important role, since it is quite difficult to ensure its optimal level.

  • In summer, the temperature should not exceed 20 ° C, which is quite difficult to achieve without an air conditioner.
  • In the winter season, the optimal values ​​range from 15 to 18 ° C.
  • In the phase of budding and budding, the temperature indicator should drop to 10-12 ° C.

Humidity

A representative of wet forests needs a high level of humiditywhich can be provided in the following ways:

  • installation of an air humidifier in a room containing azalea;
  • daily spraying with a fine atomizer, excluding the flowering period;
  • placement of water containers near the flower, which will allow humidifying the air and lowering the temperature in the room by several degrees, which is very important in the summer.

Watering a flower

An important event for the care of room azalea, during which there are a number of rules.

  1. The flower is watered only with well-maintained or filtered water, which does not contain chlorine.
  2. Humidification is carried out regularly to prevent the soil from drying out, by spraying the substrate or placing several ice cubes on its surface.
  3. To stimulate flowering, 3 drops of lemon juice are added to the water for irrigation twice a month.

In the event that an overdry still took place, the pot is placed in a basin with water for several hours, so that the root system incorporates the required volume of liquid.

Fertilizer and fertilizer

For the full development of azalea, macrocells such as nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium are required, which it can get from weekly top dressing.

  • In the spring-summer period, when building green mass, the plant is fed with nitrogen-containing fertilizers.
  • In the autumn-winter season, when budding and flowering are noted, fertilizing is carried out with phosphorus-potassium agrochemicals.

Rules for care after flowering

After the flowering phase has ended, the time comes for such events:

  • Trimming and pinching. All faded inflorescences, weak and strongly overgrown shoots that negatively affect future flowering are removed, and new shoots are nipped over the second pair of real leaves.
  • Transfer. For a young plant is carried out annually. As the bush grows older, the interval between procedures increases to 3-4 years.

Pests, diseases and methods of dealing with them

A delicate flower is often affected by harmful organisms. Among the diseases on azaleas, there are manifestations of powdery mildew, rust, fusarium and other rot, often caused by overflows. To combat such diseases, chemicals and transplantation into a new substrate are used.

Of the pests are:

  • azalea mole;
  • greenhouse whitefly;
  • mealybug;
  • aphid;
  • mite.

When these pests are populated, the culture must be immediately sprayed with an insecticidal preparation according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Azalea propagation at home

The most common methods of flower propagation are vegetative - cuttings and division of the bush.

Cuttings

The procedure is complicated by the poor rooting of cuttings, especially woody ones.

If the florist still decided, then you must follow this algorithm:

  1. With the advent of spring and summer, cuttings are cut from semi-lignified stem shoots.
  2. Slicing areas are treated with charcoal for disinfection, and then with a growth stimulator that promotes rapid root formation.
  3. A substrate with an acid reaction is prepared from a mixture of peat with moss and calcined in an oven to destroy pathogens.
  4. Prepared cuttings are placed in a substrate to a depth of 2.5 cm and covered with glass, which is periodically removed to moisten the plantings.
  5. While maintaining the temperature at 25 ° C, the cuttings take root after 3-5 weeks.
  6. At the end of rooting, young specimens are seated in separate containers.

Bush division

The most popular and easiest way to perform, in which:

  • a bush that has reached three years of age is removed from the pot;
  • the liberated rhizome is neatly divided into parts so as not to break the roots;
  • Delenki with several roots and shoots are planted in prepared pots with a special substrate for azalea.

The main problems when growing plants

Growing azaleas due to the demands of the flower to create almost natural growing conditions, even for experienced flower growers, is associated with various difficulties and questions:

  • shriveled leaves - insufficient watering or humidity;
  • yellowing of sheet plates - clay soil or watering from a tap;
  • short flowering - insufficient watering, dry air and high temperature conditions.

So, it is possible to cultivate azalea at home, but for this you need to have patience and make a certain amount of effort.

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