Azalea is an ornamental plant of the genus heather with leathery leaves and bright flowers. At home, it requires careful care and attention. Subject to certain growing rules, it can delight the grower with abundant flowering for a long period.
It is necessary
- - soil mixture;
- - rotted needles;
- - sphagnum moss;
- - riding ground;
- - clay pot;
- - drainage;
- - peat;
- - spray gun;
- - rain or melt water;
- - secateurs;
- - lemon juice;
- - vinegar;
- - aspirin.
Instructions
Step 1
Get the plant in the spring. During this period, the azalea tolerates a transplant more easily and takes root better in a new place. Prepare potting mix ahead of time, or buy one from a specialist store. For self-mixing, mix rotted needles, light riding soil, sand and sphagnum moss, cut into pieces, in equal proportions. Choose a new clay pot that allows the plant's roots to breathe freely and rot less often. Lay drainage at the bottom of the pot, in a layer of 1-2 cm. Pour soil mixture on it and place the azalea root on it. Spread out the small roots thoroughly and gradually fill the pot with soil, leaving no cavities. Water the plant, sprinkle the foliage with a spray bottle.
Step 2
Place the azalea on the coolest and most well-lit windowsill in your apartment. Plants do not like direct sunlight, they feel best on the north and west sides. Use soft rain or melt water for watering. If watering is carried out with tap water, it is defended during the day and softened by placing peat or pine needles in it. Water the azalea daily, bath it once a week, submerging the entire pot in the water. Spray water over the leaves with a spray bottle every morning.
Step 3
For abundant flowering and a beautiful crown, prune strongly elongated shoots. Turn the plant in different directions towards the light so that the trunk of the azalea does not tilt to one side and the foliage develops evenly. To branch the azalea in the upper part of the trunk, pinch the tops of the main trunk at a height of 10-12 cm.
Step 4
Fertilize azaleas 2-3 times a month in summer and spring, and once a month in winter and autumn. Fertilize flowers with special mineral fertilizers for flowering plants. Azalea loves acidic soil, along with fertilizers, add a few drops of lemon juice or vinegar to the water for irrigation. Use an aspirin solution to acidify the soil: 1 tablet in 1 liter of water.
