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Anneke Rhododendron belongs to the Hill-Exbury Knapp hybrid group, which is one of the most frost-resistant, which is especially suitable for growing crops in the climate. Rhododendron Anneke belongs to the yellow varieties of perennial, deciduous shrubs. The plant is used in the design of garden plots, it is decorative throughout the warm season.
Description of Rhododendron Anneke
Rhododendron Anneke forms a slender, compact bush. The growth of the branches is vertical, the growth rate is good. An adult plant over 10 years old reaches a height of 1,2 m, a width of 1,5 m. The leaves are elliptical, glossy. Green in summer, turning yellow in autumn.
Flowering begins from the second year of cultivation. Anneke’s rhododendron begins to bloom together with the blooming of leaves, from the end of April to the first decade of June.
A photo of Anneke’s rhododendron shows that the plant forms monophonic flowers, bell-shaped, lemon-yellow in color, 6-8 cm in diameter. The stamens are yellow, long, with a bend. The petals are bent back with a slight twist. The inflorescence produces 7-10 flowers. Flowering is plentiful.
Winter hardiness of rhododendron Anneke
Anneke’s yellow deciduous rhododendron tolerates winters well. Refers to the frost resistance zone – 5. Withstands frost up to -30 ° С without shelter.
Planting and caring for the Anneke rhododendron
Anneke Rhododendron grows well in both sunny and shaded areas. It is best to plant it in groups of 3 or more bushes. Ornamental shrubs are planted near walls, in open areas of lawns and near water bodies.
To grow Anneke rhododendron, an acidic substrate is needed, which is used for planting and mulching the soil.
In joint plantings, hosts and ferns are used. Ornamental shrubs are not planted next to trees that have a wide and dense root system, such as large spruce, lilac and bird cherry.
Deciduous rhododendron is planted in a place where the soil around the shrub will not be trampled. Also, for a crop with a superficial root system, loosening and digging of the soil around the bush are not used.
Selection and preparation of the landing site
A deciduous shrub can grow in one place for 30 years. Therefore, you should consider in advance a place for permanent cultivation, given the growth of the bush. Also take into account the proximity of cultures. The distance between shrubs and trees is kept at least 70 cm.
Plants are demanding on the composition of the soil. For the cultivation of ornamental shrubs, an acidic soil reaction is required – pH 4-5,5. To do this, in areas with a different type of soil, they dig holes or platforms and completely replace the soil with a suitable one.
Seedling preparation
Seedlings with a closed root system, growing before planting in containers, can be planted at any time during the warm period. When removing a seedling from a container, it is necessary to inspect its root system. When growing in a container, the roots of the plant, which have been in contact with the walls for a long time, die off.
Through the resulting felt layer, it will be difficult for young roots inside the coma to break through. In open ground, such a plant will not develop and will die. Therefore, the felt layer from dead roots is completely removed or incised in several places.
Rules of landing
For planting Anneke’s rhododendron, a planting hole is prepared, the size of which is several times larger than an earthen sapling. The soil taken out of the planting pit is mixed in equal parts with coniferous litter, which includes bark, needles, small branches of coniferous trees. Also, red riding peat is used for the substrate.
For loosening, sand is added to the soil mixture; a complex mineral composition is used as a fertilizer. The prepared components are mixed. Drainage is poured at the bottom of the pit to a height of 20 cm. The acidic substrate is covered up to half the planting pit or in an amount, depending on the size of the seedling.
The seedling is lowered vertically into the planting hole. The main rule when planting is not to deepen the root neck of the plant, leaving it above the ground at a height of 2 cm. Planting is covered with the remaining mixed substrate, pressed down so that there are no voids between the root system and the soil. After planting, the plant is watered abundantly.
Pine bark is used for mulching, sprinkling it several times a season. When growing ornamental shrubs, do not use manure, black soil or lowland peat.
Watering and top dressing
The soil under the Anneke rhododendron is always kept moderately moist. The bush is watered with heated rainwater, once a month an acidifier is added to the water for irrigation. In dry weather, the crown is sprayed.
For active flowering, the shrub needs top dressing. To do this, use liquid fertilizers, for rhododendrons or flowering plants.
Trimming
Anneke’s deciduous rhododendron lends itself well to pruning and shaping. But due to the small annual growth, most often only sanitary pruning is used in cultivation. Remove only old or broken shoots.
Preparation for winter
Anneke’s rhododendron is hardy. But in severe frosts it must be protected with a dry shelter. Due to early flowering, the hybrid is more suitable for the Southern growing regions.
Reproduction of deciduous rhododendron Anneke
Anneke’s hybrid rhododendron is propagated vegetatively: cuttings and layering. Cuttings from an early flowering shrub are cut in late spring. Planting material is taken from the tops of healthy bushes and from semi-lignified shoots.
The cuttings are cut in size – from 7 to 10 cm, the cut is performed at an angle of 45 °. A few leaves are left on top of the cutting, the lower ones are cut off. Planting material is soaked for a day in growth stimulants. Grow in a planting container, in a soil mixture for rhododendrons. On average, cuttings take root for several months.
Diseases and pests
Heather culture is subject to many fungal diseases. Especially pathogenic microflora spreads with errors in care and the wrong growing place.
Diseases of rhododendrons:
- gray rot;
- rust;
- Phytophthora.
A change in leaf color that is not associated with seasonal changes or fungal diseases is often associated with insufficient soil acidity.
Rhododendron pests are also disease spreaders and cause damage to shrubs on their own.
Pests of rhododendrons:
- acacia false shield;
- rhododendron bug;
- spider mite;
- whitefly rhododendra;
- slugs.
When growing ornamental shrubs, it is necessary to carry out preventive examinations. Some insect larvae can be difficult to detect. Therefore, to prevent diseases, spraying is used with drugs with a wide spectrum of action: insecticides, fungicides and acaricides.
Conclusion
Rhododendron Anneke is one of the brightest, yellow-blooming shrubs. Blooms first in the garden in spring. The change in leaf color during the season allows the shrub to remain decorative even after flowering. Rhododendron requires special growing conditions.
