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Ledebour’s rhododendron (Rhododendron Ledebourii) is an ornamental shrub protected in nature reserves, naturally growing in Mongolia, Altai and Eastern Siberia. From the 70s. XIX century, the plant is used in ornamental gardening. As a horticultural crop is used in the northern and western strip of Our Country. This variety of rhododendron is valued for its abundant lush flowering and attractive appearance of the plant. In Altai, the period when rhododendron blooms is often compared to cherry blossoms. It is believed that with the blooming of the first buds of the Ledebour rhododendron, spring finally comes to the region.
This shrub looks most advantageous in group plantings and in combination with coniferous crops – this is how it grows in its natural environment.
Description of Rhododendron Ledebura
Ledebour’s rhododendron or Maralnik is a semi-evergreen shrub that belongs to the heather family. An adult plant reaches a height of 1,5 – 2,0 m and has approximately the same width. This rhododendron has thin branches pointing vertically upwards. The bark of the trunks is gray, the branches are red-brown. Young shoots are shortly pubescent, have a light green, light green hue. The foliage of the plant is dense, soft, leathery texture. The leaf plate is medium-sized, up to 3 cm in length, has an elliptical shape, rounded at the top. Young leaves of rhododendron are bright olive, eventually acquiring a dark olive shade of green. With the approach of autumn, they darken more and more and become brownish. For the winter, the leaves are twisted into tubes and become like pine needles, and with the onset of heat they open. The plant sheds its leaves as it develops new shoots.
Flowers have a special attraction. No description of the flowering Ledebourg rhododendron will be complete, and even a photo is not able to fully convey its beauty.
The flowering period is approximately 2 weeks and falls in May. If weather conditions permit, the shrub may re-bloom in late summer – early autumn. The flowers are numerous, large, up to 5 cm in diameter, pink, pink-violet or purple. They have the shape of a five-petal bell, collected in inflorescences in the form of umbrellas. Flowers appear on last year’s shoots.
Due to the high content of phytoncides, leaves and flowers have a pleasant aroma.
In September, fruits in the form of a box up to 1 cm long ripen.
Among the people, this kind of culture is sometimes called wild rosemary, and is also often confused with the Daurian rhododendron. However, the species differ in the shape of the leaves and the color of the flowers: in Maralnik, it is lighter. These differences are used by landscape designers who create interesting compositions with both types of shrubs.
Medicinal properties of Ledebour’s rhododendron
Ledebour’s rhododendron is used in folk medicine. The raw material is the leaves of the plant, which acquire medicinal properties for 2-3 years of life. They are harvested during the flowering period and quickly dried in ovens or warm rooms. It is impossible to dry raw materials in the sun.
Thanks to the tannins, vitamin C and many micro and macro elements included in the composition, this plant has healing properties.
Apply infusions and decoctions of the leaves for colds, gastric diseases. The plant has a diaphoretic effect, is used as a diuretic, and is used to normalize the activity of the circulatory system. It has been established that medicinal preparations from Ledebour’s rhododendron have bactericidal properties and are active against microbes of the intestinal flora, staphylococci and streptococci.
Decoctions of leaves and flowers of rhododendron are added to baths for the following diseases:
- sciatica;
- radiculitis;
- rheumatism;
- bursitis;
- gout;
- polyarthritis;
- nervous disorders;
- neuralgic pains, etc.
You can take medicinal preparations from this plant only after consulting a doctor. Children, pregnant women, people with serious kidney diseases, as well as tissue necrosis, rhododendron treatment is contraindicated.
Winter hardiness of Rhododendron Ledebur
This is one of the most frost-resistant plant varieties – rhododendron is able to withstand temperatures down to -30 ° C. The danger is spring night frosts, which can affect the buds. The plant is resistant to sudden changes in temperature.
Growing conditions for Ledebour’s rhododendron
Under natural conditions, the shrub grows in the shade of coniferous undergrowth on stony, water- and breathable soils with high acidity. Rhododendron of this variety feels good in a short cold summer, when the peak temperature does not exceed +23 ° C, and averages +14 ° C, while in winter the thermometer does not rise above -10 ° C.
In the cultural cultivation of Ledebour’s rhododendron, such characteristics as frost resistance, shade and moisture love are taken into account and they try to create similar conditions for it.
Planting and caring for Ledebour’s rhododendron
Growing Ledebour’s rhododendron is quite simple. The main thing is to correctly place the plant on the site and prepare suitable soil. Further care comes down to watering, fertilizing, mulching, weeding, treatment against diseases and pests, and periodic transplanting. If there is a need to loosen the earth, one should act with great care – the surface root system of the Ledebour rhododendron is very sensitive to external influences. For the same reason, do not dig the soil around the plant.
Selection and preparation of the landing site
For growing this shrub, a place protected from direct sun is most suitable. Dislikes Ledebour and drafts. The plant feels comfortable in the penumbra of other trees and shrubs. Ledebour’s rhododendron, with its delicate, shallow root system, coexists well with trees whose roots go deep into the ground, such as chestnuts, pines, horticultural crops.
A moisture-loving plant will be comfortable if there is a place for it next to a pond.
The soil is of particular importance. Under natural conditions, Ledebour’s rhododendron grows on acidic stony soils; in cultural cultivation, the plant is provided with an acidic breathable substrate of peat, sand and the top layer of coniferous forest soil.
Seedling preparation
Rhododendron seedlings are best purchased from a nursery or specialty store. At the same time, you can order planting material from reliable suppliers even via the Internet. For example, the specialists of the Sadovita store not only organize the delivery of guaranteed high-quality Ledebour rhododendron seedlings, but also advise on all issues of planting and care.
When buying a seedling in a nursery, you should pay attention to the presence of leaves and shoots. The more of them, the stronger and healthier the rhododendron and the better it will take root. The leaves should be even, evenly colored. You should not buy a plant that is too tall – the older the rhododendron, the worse it takes root in the open field.
Rules of landing
Most often, cuttings are planted in the ground in early spring, before flowering begins, so that over the summer the rhododendron adapts to the climate and winters well. However, you can plant in the fall. Moreover, many flower growers claim that any time from March to October is suitable for transplantation, excluding the flowering period.
Between the bushes leave a distance of at least 100 – 150 cm.
The landing procedure is as follows:
- dig a planting hole several times larger than the root system of the seedling;
- a drainage layer 15–18 cm thick is poured at the bottom;
- a pre-prepared soil mixture of 4 parts of peat and 1 part of clay is poured on top and compacted a little;
- the seedling is covered with the remaining soil mixture to the level of the root collar;
- water and mulch the soil;
- if buds have already formed on the shrub, some of them are cut off so that the plant does not spend all its energy on flowering and takes root faster.
According to the same algorithm, Ledebour’s rhododendron is transplanted. Within two seasons after the plant is rooted in a new place, ripe flower buds are cut off so that all the forces go into the formation of the root system. Mulching of transplanted shrubs is mandatory.
Watering and top dressing
Rhododendron is a moisture-loving plant, so in the summer it needs regular, if possible, daily watering with soft water. Hard water deoxidizes the soil, which negatively affects flowering. For irrigation, you can use melt or rain water. Many flower growers add peat to acidify water. The soil around the Ledebour rhododendron should not dry out, but stagnant moisture is also detrimental. On especially hot and dry days, it is recommended to spray the crown with a spray bottle. A clear sign of a lack of moisture is wilting of the leaves. By autumn, watering is reduced, in winter it is stopped. In the autumn season, the rhododendron is watered moderately and only in dry weather. The quality of its flowering in the next season directly depends on the amount of moisture received by the maral.
From time to time, rhododendrons need top dressing. The first should be done after landing. You need to choose liquid fertilizers for plants from the heather family. Cow dung, rotted compost or meat and bone meal are suitable as organic top dressing. They are diluted with water at the rate of 1 part of the raw material to 15 parts of water and evenly irrigate the soil surface around the plant. It is not recommended to plant fertilizers directly into the soil, so as not to damage the delicate surface root system of the rhododendron.
Mineral fertilizers are applied in small doses: up to 2 tbsp. l. per 1 sq. m. area before flowering and 1 tbsp. l. after him. A lack of minerals can be suspected by a clear slowdown in shoot growth and yellowing of the leaves of the culture.
Trimming
The plant is pruned in early spring, before flowering. The main goals of this procedure are crown rejuvenation and stimulation of the growth of new shoots. At the same time, branches more than 2 cm thick are removed. Sections must be treated with garden pitch so that the plant is not infected with fungal infections and does not lose juice. Ledebour’s rhododendron usually does not need to form a crown with pruning.
Pruning old inflorescences stimulates the formation of new buds and allows you to achieve more intensive flowering.
In order for the rhododendron bush to branch better, plucking of vegetative buds is used.
Preparation for winter
Rhododendron Ledebour is a frost-resistant shrub, but it must be prepared for frost. In autumn, it is well watered, all plant debris around the tree is collected, and the neck of the plant is covered with dry oak leaves. When the first snow falls, it is collected in a hill, which will serve as a shelter for the base of the bush.
In severe winters, it is recommended to cover the rhododendron before the onset of frost, although in most cases this is not necessary. Spruce or pine spruce branches are laid between the branches, covered with a coarse cloth, for example, burlap, and loosely tied with ropes. Remove shelter in the spring, when the snow begins to melt.
Reproduction of rhododendron Ledebour (Maralnik)
Like other varieties of rhododendrons, Ledebur is propagated by seeds, cuttings and layering. Forcing plants from seeds is the least effective way. Rhododendrons obtained in this way grow slowly and require special care.
Cuttings also require some effort, but full-fledged strong and well-flowering rhododendrons grow from cuttings. In early spring, the branches that begin to be covered with bark are cut into 8 cm long and placed for a day in a root growth stimulator. When the roots begin to grow, they are planted in a box with a substrate consisting of 3 parts of peat and 1 part of sand. Cover with polyethylene on top. After about 4 months, the rooted cuttings of rhododendron are transplanted into separate containers with a peat-coniferous mixture (for 2 parts of peat – 1 part of needles). In the spring, the cuttings are taken out into the street and placed in the ground along with the boxes. They are brought back for the winter. Plants are transplanted into open ground only in the 3rd year.
It is most convenient to propagate rhododendron by layering from an adult shrub. They do this in early spring, and in the fall they get new plants. You should choose the strongest shoots on the bottom of the bush, for each of them dig a small groove about 20 cm deep, bend the branches and fix them with wire hooks in the grooves. From above, cover with a substrate from a mixture of earth and peat. During watering of the mother plant, layering must also be watered. It is useful from time to time to add a root growth stimulator to the water for irrigation. In autumn, the shoots will take root, they can be separated from the main plant and planted in a permanent place. They can enter the flowering phase as early as next year.
Diseases and pests
Ledebour’s rhododendron is resistant to diseases and pests. However, it, like other heather plants, can be affected by fungal diseases. Rust and chlorosis are especially dangerous. Spraying the plant with copper sulphate will help to cope with these ailments.
Also, the shrub can be affected by pests: rhododendron bugs and flies, mealybugs, spider mites, sawflies, whiteflies and other insects. Treatment of infected plantings with insecticides, for example, Fitoverm or Aktar, will help get rid of them.
If the rhododendron is invaded by slugs or snails, it is enough to collect them manually from time to time.
Conclusion
Ledebour’s rhododendron is a shrub that can decorate any area. Many amateur gardeners consider it capricious, but its frost resistance, ease of propagation and beautiful exotic appearance of a flowering plant are finding more and more fans. Rhododendron Ledebourg is considered one of the most picturesque among all varieties of rhododendrons.
With proper care, “Siberian sakura” will delight the eye all season: in spring and autumn with abundant delicate flowering, in summer – with a lush, densely leafy crown.