Azalea Mix: a description of the plant and its sub-varieties, as well as tips on creating a rhododendron stem, planting and care at home with the application of a flower photo

Fine Mixes - azaleas are very whimsical. In order for the flower to develop correctly, special conditions for growing and caring for this indoor exotics are needed.

Such a flower is especially attractive in winter. Due to its lush flowering and beautiful appearance, it brings spring breath to the house, while frost is raging outside.

Next, we consider the features of proper care at home for azalea Mix, learn about its history of origin, and get acquainted with a photo of a beautiful plant.

Brief definition

Azalea Mix - a hybrid rhododendron of the Heather family. Homeland of natural varieties - Japan, China, India.

Description and history of origin

Azalea Mix has a small growth - the height of an adult flower is 50-60 cm. The crown is thick, spreading. The branches are numerous.

The leaves are small and medium, bright green in color. The leaves are ovate or oblong, pointed, there are blunt, dense, glossy. The leaves are evergreen or semi-evergreen, in winter they drop part of the leaves.

The flowers are small, dome-shaped, found in the form of an open calyx, combined into small inflorescences, consisting of 1 to 3 flowers. Azalea Mix has a rich palette of flowering - pink, white, salmon, plain and colorful, carmine, terry and shiny in structure. The root is flat, superficial.

Azaleas indoor Mixes - bred by breeders from varieties of Indian and Japanese natural rhododendrons in the early 20th century. Natural maternal representatives grow in the mountainous regions of China, forests of Japan, in India.

What is the difference from the rest of the species?

A feature of the azalea Mix is a very magnificent flowering when leaving close to greenhouse conditions - moistening and irrigation. May bloom 2 times.

Mixes, unlike natural varieties, have a faint aroma or do not smell at all.

You can read about other types of azaleas in this article, and you can find out what colors of this beautiful plant are here.

Subsorta and their photos

Simsi

Azalea Simsi - Indian azalea, grows in conditions of good moisture. It has many hybrid varieties that require special care when grown at home. Hybrids are distinguished by the color of the flowers - white, pink, orange, purple. Sims rhododendron flowers are single or double, have a cup shape, small in diameter of 4 cm. We wrote more about Indian azaleas here.

The height does not exceed 50 cm. The crown is bushy, compact - 40 - 50 cm in diameter. The leaves are small, oblong, bright green in color, 4-5 cm long and 3 cm wide. In Sims rhododendron, the root is flat and does not require a deep planting.

Dwarf

Dwarf rhododendron - a stunted evergreen bush, grows in height no more than 50 - 60 cm. The crown is dense, pillow-shaped. The stems are numerous, raised, curl. The leaves are small, up to 3-4 cm long, dark green. Grow alternately, oblong in shape, come back - convex.

The leaf plate is covered with hairs or scales. The flowers are axillary, bell-shaped or cup-shaped, small, up to 4 - 5 cm in diameter. Inflorescences collect 2 to 3 flowers, densely planted. The colors are the most diverse - soft - lemon, pink, dark red. The root is flat, 30 - 40 cm tall in an adult bush.

Do you know that some varieties of azalea can make an unusual bonsai? We talked about this in a separate article.

Terms and conditions for opening buds

Home azaleas Mixes traditionally bloom in the spring - bright and magnificent. With proper care, you can achieve winter flowering - January - February. Long flowering - lasts about 30 days.

Before flowering, at the time of bud ripening, top dressing and good watering are needed. After flowering, in the summer heat, the pots are placed on the balcony, azaleas Mix does not tolerate high temperatures. After flowering, flowers and dry leaves from the bushes are removed immediately.

After 1 - 2 weeks, when young leaves appear, the tops need to be clipped - the first time in May, then in the summer, repeat the clothespin 2 times. This procedure forms a beautiful crown. Before and after flowering, the azalea Mix perceives a cold, shallow, scattered shower.

Indoor azaleas mix A cool place is required for good flowering, especially in summer. With a shower, you can reduce the temperature by 2 - 3 ° C. Be sure to shade the windows at noon.

The reason for the lack of flowering may be improper soil composition, fungal diseases, ticks, thrips and other pests.

Rhododendron care at home after purchase

What are the features and recommendations for planting and caring for hybrid rhododendronone?

Choosing a place for a pot

Pots are best placed in the east, west or northwest side of the apartment. This variety loves diffused but not direct sunlight.

In summer, you can shade the windows with white paper or a light curtain. But in the corner, in a thick shadow, flowers will not grow. Flowering will be rare and pale.

Also drafts and direct cold airflow should be avoided from an air conditioner or fan, such conditions can harm the plant.

The place should be cool with high humidity. It can be a glazed balcony or a covered veranda.

Soil preparation

A prerequisite - for azalea Mix requires acidic, loose, light, fertile soil. It is better to purchase a special substrate "For rhododendrons" in the store. Experts believe that this variety grows well in hydroponics.

For azaleas Mix, the substrate is suitable for ferns and orchids.

Soil composition for azalea mix:

Sod or leaf land - 2 parts.
Sand - 1 part.
Horse peat - 1 part.
Coconut flakes so that the substrate is loose and does not cake - 1 part.
Drainage layer.

If there is no heather or turf land, you can take the land in the forest, where pine trees grow - the easiest and most affordable option.

Stub formation and landing

Azalea Mix is formed on the stem:

A strong stalk is selected.
Side branches are pruned.
Slices are treated with garden var.
Central barrel - the shaft is extended.
When caring for the stem, the pot periodically rotates 180 °.

During growth, you should monitor the branches - the supports of the crown of the tree, so that they are on the same level.

Planting Azaleas Mix:

The transshipment method is used.
It is important to soak the substrate of the planting flower.
Carefully remove the flower from the container with an earthen lump.
A layer of drainage is required at the bottom of the pot. 5 - 6 cm.
Sapling is vertically lowered along with an earthen lump.
They fill the space with a ready-made substratum.

Creating a temperature regime

The optimum temperature of the content of azaleas Mix is 10-15 ° С. At the time of maturation of the kidneys - it is better to reduce the temperature to 8 - 10 ° C. In winter, the pots should be rearranged away from the batteries - they dry out the substrate too much.

In the summer you need to take out pots and boxes to fresh air, to a balcony or loggia, to shade the windows. Install pots on pallets with wet gravel or expanded clay - this will reduce the temperature and sufficiently moisturize the air. In summer, you can dig up the azalea Mix with a pot in the garden or front garden, picking penumbra places. The flower can tolerate a temperature increase of up to 20 ° C.

The stocking is pre-put on the pot - a cover, so that garden pests do not fall and do not infect healthy soil and root.

Until mid-winter, the temperature for the Azalea Mix should be 10 - 12 ° C during the day and 6 - 8 ° C at night.

Watering

For azaleas Mix, a balance of substrate moisture is required. It can not be overdried, but it is not recommended to allow bogging of the soil. For irrigation use soft, settled water.

Water can be acidified with apple cider vinegar or citric acid. For 1 liter of water - 1 tsp. In summer, regular small spraying of leaves is necessary. Pots are mounted on a pallet with wet gravel. Irrigation water should not fall on the flowers.

You can water by immersing the pot in a large container for 40 - 50 minutes. Then excess water should drain, no water should accumulate in the pan so that the roots are not soaked.

Top dressing

Top dressing for azaleas Mix: 1 time in 10-12 days with chlorine-free mineral fertilizers, during the ripening period of the buds, you can fertilize it with superphosphate - 15 g per 8 - 10 liters of water. Usually fertilizer is combined with watering.

Pruning

It is recommended to cut the azalea mix from a very young age to form a beautiful crown.

With proper pruning, the flower blooms well and abundantly, and new flower buds are formed. Mix azalea pruning procedure:

First, long shoots are cut, exceeding the length of all shoots.
Then you should thin out the thick stems.
Sanitary pruning of diseased and damaged shoots is also required.
Slice locations are processed.

Pick

When transplanting, the pot should be larger in diameter than the previous one. The pot should be wide, but not tall.

The azalea Mix is transplanted by transshipment so as not to damage the fragile root and not disturb the microflora, this will hurt the flower for a long time. Transplant azalea Mix should be no more than 1 time in 2 to 3 years. Transplanting azaleas Mix is not recommended during flowering and in winter.

After transplanting, you can feed the flower with a zircon solution for rooting.

Watch a video on plant care tips:

Breeding methods

Azalea Mix propagates after flowering at home with cuttings:

During pruning, cuttings of 7-8 cm are cut.
Each handle should have 5 leaves.
For 2 days, the cuttings are placed in the root stimulator.
Cuttings are planted in small pots with a special substrate.
The depth of planting of the handle is 1.5 - 2 cm.
For rooting, greenhouse conditions are necessary - you can cover each seedling with a jar.
The greenhouse is covered with a dense cloth so that light does not get.

Diseases and Pests

Rot stems and root are formed when the flower is supercooled and receives too much fluid. It is necessary to reduce watering.
Dry spots on the leaves appear from a lack of moisture. It is necessary to strengthen watering and add spraying.

Dangerous Azalea Pests Mix:

Worms and scale insects, aphids are enemies of stems, leaves and flowers. Spraying will help 1 time in 7 days with a fitoverm. The procedure is best repeated every 10 to 12 days 2 to 3 times for prevention.
From a spider mite, leaf treatment with soapy water will help or it is necessary to spray the leaves with Actellik solution - 2 - 3 ml per liter of water.

The presented video talks about the main plant pests:

Prevention of possible problems

The leaves began to fall - the roots suffer from drought, it is necessary to adjust watering.
With a lack of nitrogen, the leaves will become yellow and lifeless - additional fertilizing with special fertilizers is required.
The leaves wrinkled - you need to increase the humidity, spray the bushes with cool water.
From chlorosis, necrosis and late blight, additional feeding of the flower with iron chelate is needed. If the substrate does not fit, it will need to be replaced. Also, for preventive purposes, you can spray the bushes with a phytoderm

Azalea Mix is a gentle and moody tropical resident. He needs thorough, special care and care.