Good afternoon, my reader. Azalea is one of the most beautiful indoor plants. However, with improper care, the flower grows poorly, gets sick, and in the end it may die. How is an azalea taken care of?
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What is Azalea
Indoor azalea is an evergreen flowering dwarf bush. It is found naturally in the Far East, Japan and China, but some species grow in southern Europe and North America. Of the approximately 350 species of azalea, only two are indoor:
- Indian azalea. A bush up to 50 cm high with dark green small leaves covered with a reddish "down". It blooms in winter with large (up to 5 cm) flowers.
- Japanese azalea. It is smaller than its Indian relative, and its flowers are also smaller. But the Japanese azalea is more hardy and can be grown outdoors.
Azalea care at home
For a plant to grow and bloom well, it needs to create suitable conditions.
Illumination
Azalea loves light, but cannot stand direct rays. The best place for her is window sills from the east, west or north wall. On the south side, it is better to shade the bush with a tulle curtain or in another way.
In late autumn, when the azalea forms buds, it needs additional lighting. You may need to purchase a phytolamp for her.
Temperature
Azalea loves temperatures of about 15-18 degrees, and when the buds are laid, then from 10 to 12 degrees. In summer, the bush will have to be cooled by taking it to the balcony (if it is not from the south) or placing it under the air conditioner.
Humidity
The plant is hygrophilous, so it is necessary either to leave open containers with water next to it, or to regularly spray it with water at room temperature from a sprayer.
Watering
Watering rules for azaleas:
- The soil should not dry out. If this happens, immerse the flower in a bowl of room temperature water for a couple of hours so that the soil is properly wet.
- Waterlogging is also unacceptable. There should be drainage holes in the pot, and water should be regularly poured from the pan so that the roots do not start to rot.
- It is necessary to water with either filtered water, or tap water, but settled for a couple of days: azalea does not like tap chlorine.
- Once every 2-3 weeks, the azalea can be watered with water with 3 drops of lemon juice - it will bloom better.
Soil for azalea
Azalea needs acidic soil with a pH of 4 to 4.5. You need to either buy the soil, or prepare it yourself from a mixture of 2 parts of rotted needles, 1 part of moss and 1 part of calcined sand.
Trimming and pinching
As with any shrub, azaleas need to form a crown. All single flowers are cut off after flowering, fresh shoots, starting in May, are pruned or pinched so that flower buds are laid.
Top dressing
It is necessary to feed the azalea with mineral fertilizers that do not contain chlorine. If there is no specialized feeding "Azalea", use compounds of potassium and phosphorus.
Transfer
When the azalea has faded for the first time, it is transplanted into a new pot. This is done by transshipment: the roots are very tender, so they do not break the lump. The pot should be taken shallow, but wide.
A young azalea is transplanted once a year, and an adult - once every three years. Before that, you need to carry out sanitary pruning.
Reproduction
In the room, azalea reproduces by cuttings. It is necessary to cut them off in the summer, immediately rooting in moist soil. If there are flower buds on the handle, they are cut off immediately.
After 2-3 months, the stalk is transplanted into a pot and the first pinching is done.
Is an azalea growing in your house?
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