Rhododendron Dahurian: photo, planting and care, reproduction

Dahurian rhododendron or wild rosemary is a perennial, flowering shrub. The plant belongs to the heather family, reaches a height of 2-3 m. The decorative bush gives a strongly branched, spreading crown, which in the middle of spring is covered with large purple flowers. Seeing once a flowering shrub in natural conditions, everyone wants to plant an unpretentious plant in their backyard.

Description of Dahurian rhododendron

Daurian rhododendron is prone to strong branching. The plant forms from 20 to 50 vertical, thin shoots painted brown.

Flexible branches are covered with oval, glossy leaves, painted in dark olive color. The leaf plate is small, up to 4 cm long, not more than 1 cm wide. The plant has one feature – foliage appears only after flowering.

At the end of April, the bush is covered with brightly saturated flowers, up to 5 cm in diameter. The color of the petals can be scarlet, purple, snow-white or purple, depending on the variety. Flowers open at the same time and are located at the tips of the branches and in the axils of the leaves. After flowering, a small seed box is formed.

Under natural conditions, Daurian rhododendron grows in deciduous and pine forests. During flowering, the place becomes fabulous and magical. Tourists, seeing such magical beauty, do not hold back and pluck flowering branches and even dig up young growths for planting in the country, not suspecting that by doing so they cause serious damage to the species. For this reason, the Dahurian rhododendron was listed in the Red Book and is protected by law.

Daurian rhododendron is widely used for decorating a personal plot. Thanks to the medium-sized shrub, you can improve and diversify landscape design. The plant looks good

• in rock gardens;
• with coniferous plants;
• next to juniper and ornamental fern;
• in group and single landings;
• from flowering shrubs you can make a beautiful hedge.

Winter hardiness of rhododendron

Daurian rhododendron is common in Eastern Siberia, Transbaikalia, Northeastern China, the Far East, Primorye and Sakhalin. A perennial shrub that grows in deciduous and pine forests where undergrowth forms. The plant is shade-tolerant and frost-resistant, can withstand temperatures down to -45 ° C. In Our Country, the Dahurian rhododendron is often called the Siberian wild rosemary.

When the Dahurian rhododendron (ledum rosemary) blooms

Dahurian rhododendron begins lush flowering at the end of April and continues until the second half of June. There are varieties that bloom much earlier. The flowers of the shrub are bright, the color depends on the variety, but basically the bush turns lilac-pink every spring.

Cultivated Daurian rhododendron is distinguished by lush and long flowering, which lasts up to 50-60 days. Funnel-bell-shaped flowers are located exclusively on the upper part of the shoot.

Is rhododendron Daursky poisonous?

Daurian rhododendron (ledum) comes from the Old Slavonic “bagulit”, which means “poison”. This is because all parts of the plant are poisonous. Essential oils contain the poison ledol, which affects the nervous system. During flowering, the shrub exudes a heady, intoxicating aroma that causes headaches and dizziness.

Despite the fact that the plant is poisonous, it has medicinal properties and is used in folk medicine.

Medicinal properties of Dahurian rhododendron

As a medicinal raw material, young leaves and flowers of rhododendron are used, which are dried under a canopy at a temperature of + 50-60 ° C.

Medicines prepared from the flowers and leaves of Daurian rhododendron can be beneficial and harmful to the body. Preparations prepared from the plant have a bactericidal, diuretic, antipyretic, sedative and analgesic effect. Infusions and decoctions prepared on the basis of rhododendron relieve swelling, relieve shortness of breath, palpitations, and lower blood pressure.

Medicinal properties of Dahurian rhododendron:

• Therapeutic baths help with neurosis, sciatica.
• An infusion of flowers is recommended as a sedative, hypnotic. It can be used for colds and cardiovascular diseases.
• A decoction is prescribed for diseases of the internal organs and is used as a diuretic for urolithiasis.
• A tincture of flowers and leaves relieves joint pain.
• Daurian rhododendron tea helps with migraines and sore throats.

Varieties of Dahurian rhododendron

Dahurian rhododendron is a medium-sized, perennial shrub. Thanks to the painstaking work of breeders, many varieties of flowering shrubs have been bred, which differ in shape, size and color of flowers. The most famous:

1. April Reign – undersized variety with double, pale pink flowers. The plant has the earliest flowering, the first buds appear in mid-April.

   

2. April snow – undersized, winter-hardy variety with snow-white, double flowers. Flowering early, occurs in mid-April.

   

3. Elite – a beautiful hybrid, bred by crossing the Dahurian rhododendron with the Karolinian rhododendron. Daurian rhododendron elite is a tall shrub, reaches a height of 4 m. The variety is frost-resistant and fast-growing. In late April, the plant forms a lush crown of bright pink flowers.

   

4. Шахматы – a slow-growing dwarf hybrid, up to 1 m high. The plant forms small, bright pink flowers that bloom in the first half of summer.

   

Growing conditions for Dahurian rhododendron

In order for the Dahurian rhododendron to please with its flowering for a long time, it is necessary to create favorable conditions for it to grow and develop. Since the bush has been growing in one place for about 50 years, it is necessary to approach the choice of a place with all responsibility. Daurian rhododendron prefers:

• a well-lit place without direct sunlight and drafts;
• rain and melt water should not stagnate on the site;
• groundwater should not be located superficially;
• Daurian rhododendron prefers to grow on nutritious, loose soil with high acidity;
• you can not plant a plant next to buildings, as they create a long-term shadow.

Planting and caring for Dahurian rhododendron

Daurian rhododendron is unpretentious in cultivation and care. Subject to agrotechnical rules, the shrub will please with abundant, lush flowering, which occurs in the last days of April.

Selection and preparation of the landing site

Before planting a young rhododendron, it is necessary to prepare a place for 3 weeks. Site preparation for landing:

1. At the chosen place, they dig a landing hole measuring 50×70 cm.
2. The bottom is covered with expanded clay, broken bricks by 10-15 cm.
3. With mass plantings of Darsky rhododendron, the planting rate should be 2 plants per 1 sq. m.
4. Next, the hole is 1/3 filled with nutrient soil. If the soil is clayey, then use a purchased substrate for azaleas or independently prepared from peat, leafy turf and needles mixed in a ratio of 2:3:1. 70 g of complex mineral fertilizers are added to the finished soil.
5. The well is covered with dark polyethylene and left for 2 weeks.
6. After the earth warms up well, the film is removed, and the hole is shed until the earth absorbs moisture.

Seedling preparation

It is better to purchase Daurian rhododendron seedlings in a nursery, at the age of 2-4 years. Before buying, you must carefully inspect the seedling. You need to choose strong, viable young plants that have whole roots without signs of rot and healthy, brightly colored shoots. The seedling should not show signs of rot and mechanical damage.

If the seedling is purchased with a closed root system, it is abundantly shed before planting. And specimens with open roots are kept for 12 hours in water at room temperature with the addition of a root formation stimulator.

Rules for planting Dahurian rhododendron

A seedling with a straightened root system is installed in the prepared hole. The plant is carefully sprinkled with nutrient soil, tamping each layer so as not to leave air space. The planted plant is abundantly shed, the trunk circle is mulched. Coniferous sawdust, straw, foliage are suitable as mulch. It will stop the growth of weeds, acidify the soil, retain moisture and become an additional organic top dressing.

Daurian rhododendron is unpretentious in care. To obtain lush and abundant flowering, you must follow simple rules:

• watering;
• top dressing;
• weeding;
• pruning;
• preparation for winter;
• disease prevention.

Watering and top dressing

Watering the rhododendron is done as the top layer of the earth dries out. In hot, dry summers, irrigation is carried out 2-3 times a week with warm, settled water. Hard water negatively affects the root system, so experienced flower growers recommend softening it with citric acid or vinegar (100 g per bucket of water). In order for the plant to be saturated with moisture, up to 20 liters of water are spent under each bush.

After watering, do a superficial, neat loosening and removal of weeds. Weed grass takes nutrients and is a carrier of diseases and pests.

For abundant and lush flowering, root dressing is necessary:

1. For the first time, 10 kg of rotted manure or compost are applied at the beginning of the growing season. Organics are necessary for building green mass, for the formation of buds and the formation of flower buds for the next year.
2. The second dressing is carried out immediately after flowering. To do this, use phosphorus-potassium fertilizers, diluted strictly according to the instructions.

Trimming

Dahurian rhododendron does not need to form a crown, since the plant, on a genetic basis, has the development of the correct decorative form. Pruning is carried out sanitary and rejuvenating. The shoots of old bushes are shortened, leaving a length of 30-40 cm from the soil surface.

After flowering, all faded brushes are removed in a timely manner. Since they spoil the decorative effect and interfere with abundant growth and future flowering. Pruning must be carried out keeping the axillary bud on the top sheet. In order to avoid the attachment of diseases, pruning is carried out with a sharp, sterile tool, and the cut points are treated with brilliant green or covered with garden pitch.

Preparation for winter

Dahurian rhododendron is a frost-resistant crop, it can easily withstand frosts down to -40 ° C. An adult plant does not need shelter, except for abundant watering, mulching the near-stem circle and fertilizing with phosphorus-potassium fertilizers. In order not to lose a flowering variety, it is only necessary to cover a young seedling for 2-3 years, until the bush gets stronger and grows a powerful root system. For this:

• the seedling is spudded with peat or rotted compost, while closing the root collar;
• abundantly spilled with warm, settled water;
• fed with wood ash;
• the crown is tied with agrofiber or roofing felt;
• Shelter is removed in the spring, only after warming up the soil.

Is it possible to keep Daurian rhododendron at home

Daurian rhododendron is not recommended to be grown at home. Since the plant is poisonous and exudes a strong, sweet aroma during flowering. Regularly inhaling the smell of flowers, the nervous system is loosened, regular headaches and dizziness occur.

Reproduction of Daurian rhododendron

When acquiring one plant, seeing its beautiful flowering, you always want to propagate it in order to turn the garden plot into a spring, blooming carpet. Daurian rhododendron is easy to root, even a beginner grower can handle it. There are 3 ways of propagation: seeds, cuttings and taps.

1. Seed Reproduction – The work is laborious and lengthy. Therefore, it is not suitable for beginner gardeners.
2. Branches – an affordable and effective way of reproduction. In spring or autumn, the strongest, healthiest shoot located closer to the ground is chosen on the bush. The lower leaves are removed, the upper ones are shortened by ½ length. The prepared shoot is laid in a trench, leaving the top above the ground, to a depth of 4-6 cm. To speed up the process of root formation, the ground must be moistened and mulched. For 2 years, a young plant can be separated from the mother bush and planted in a permanent place.
3. Cutting – in June, after flowering, cuttings are cut 10-15 cm long. On the planting material, the lower leaves are removed, and the cut is made at an acute angle. The cutting of rhododendron is set at an angle of 30 ° in nutrient soil and cleaned in a warm room, regularly making sure that the soil is always moist. After 1,5 months, the cutting is transplanted into a large container and transferred to a cool, but bright room. 2 years after the seedling gets stronger and grows the root system, it can be transplanted to a prepared place.

Diseases and pests

Daurian rhododendron has a strong immunity to diseases. But if the agrotechnical rules are not followed, the bush is often affected by the following diseases:

1. Chlorosis – the disease appears with stagnant water, lack of nitrogen and potassium. The first signs of a fungal disease are the appearance of yellow spots on the leaf plate. Treatment consists in spraying the shrub with a solution of ferrous sulfate.
2. Necrosis – the disease often appears on young plants, with sharp changes in temperature and humidity.
3. Root rot – the shoots become soft, the leaves become dull-ashy, dry out and fall off. The disease often appears when growing a bush on clay, poorly drained soil. In order not to lose the plant, it is transplanted into a light, nutritious soil.

Among insect pests for rhododendron are dangerous: mealy worm, weevil and slugs.

Very often, when growing Daurian rhododendron, flower growers face some problems:

1. The leaves dry and fall off – this is due to lack of moisture. The leaf plate first twists, then dries and falls off. To avoid such a problem, the soil under the plant should be spilled to a depth of 15-20 cm.
2. The foliage turns yellow and falls off, these signs indicate nitrogen starvation. When growing a shrub on sandy soil, the foliage becomes smaller and brighter, plant growth slows down, flower buds are not laid. At the end of summer, the leaf plate acquires a lemon color, dries up and falls off. To prevent this problem in the spring, the bush is fed with nitrogenous fertilizers.

In order not to face serious problems and not to lose the Daurian rhododendron, it is necessary to eliminate some factors:

• increase acidity;
• carry out regular watering and top dressing;
• plant a plant on light, drained soil, in a well-lit place;
• before wintering, treat with fungicides.

Conclusion

Daurian rhododendron is a viable, perennial, hardy long-liver. With the right place chosen, the plant can grow and delight with its flowering for about 50 years. Thanks to the sprawling, strongly branched and lushly flowering crown, the shrub will decorate any corner in the backyard.