Rhododendron Smirnova: photo, cultivation in the suburbs, reviews

Smirnov’s rhododendron is an evergreen broad-spreading tree-like shrub. The plant looks great on the site and as part of a free-growing hedge, and as a single shrub, and as a member of the flower arrangement. Under certain conditions, Smirnov’s rhododendron grows well in Moscow and the Moscow region.

Description of rhododendron Smirnov

Smirnov’s rhododendron (R. Smirnowii) grows in the lower and middle belt of the mountains of Adjara and in the Artvin district of Turkey. This shrub in nature grows up to 3 m, in culture a little more than 1 m. The leaves are large, glossy, oblong, dark green, red-pink bell flowers are collected in densely blooming compact inflorescences. In the Moscow region, Smirnov’s rhododendron begins to bloom in the first half of June. The flowering of the plant lasts three months. The fruits are tied in June, the seeds ripen in late autumn – early November. This shrub is durable, with proper care lives for more than 30 years. It is frost-resistant, with light shelter it calmly survives winters in central Our Country. For the first time Smirnov’s rhododendron appeared in the St. Petersburg Botanical Garden in 1886.

Conditions for growing rhododendron Smirnov

Inexperienced gardeners, having seen luxurious photos of Smirnov’s flowering rhododendron and having read a brief description of the characteristics of the plant, decide to decorate the site with it, and then they will be disappointed. A shrub planted incorrectly weakens and dies. This is a shame, because you can grow these beautiful ornamental plants in the Moscow region, and in Nizhny Novgorod, and in Volgograd.

It is easy to create comfortable conditions for evergreen rhododendrons:

1. Rhododendron should be planted in an area protected from wind and sun. It is better under the protection of tall plants, so that a thin, rarefied shadow is formed.
2. This shrub is moisture-loving, but does not tolerate stagnant water. Therefore, they choose a site that does not suffer from melt water and autumn rains.
3. Rhododendron prefers acidic, permeable, light soil.

Planting and caring for Smirnov’s rhododendron

Planting the evergreen rhododendron Smirnov without taking into account its specific requirements leads to the appearance of weakened, diseased plants on the site, which even subsequent intensive agricultural technology cannot help.

Selection and preparation of the landing site

Rhododendron Smirnova loves acidic, light soils. The landing hole is filled with a mixture of acid peat, sand and coniferous earth (3: 1: 2). Coniferous land (half-decomposed needles) is collected in a pine forest. If the soil is clayey, drainage from sand, stone or broken brick is arranged at the bottom of the pit.

Seedling preparation

Before planting, a rhododendron seedling, together with an earthen clod, is lowered into a solution of sodium humate, a clay mash or into water, waiting until the release of bubbles stops. Then the plant is taken out and the roots are straightened, otherwise the seedling will not take root and will die in winter. Flowers, if any, are removed.

Rules of landing

Smirnov’s rhododendrons are planted in early spring or early autumn. It is better to buy plants with a closed root system, so the roots and soil fungi are preserved, without which this shrub will not be able to grow. The depth of the landing hole is 30-40 cm, the diameter is 60 cm. They are planted flush with the surface of the coma (up to the level of the root collar). After planting, the plant is watered abundantly, and the trunk circle is mulched with crushed pine bark (needles) or peat.

Watering and top dressing

So that the shrubs do not suffer from dry air in extreme heat, they are sprayed every evening. The topsoil under the rhododendron should always be moderately moist; regular watering (2-3 times a week) and mulching will help here. Do not remove from under the bushes and their own litter. After watering, the earth is loosened.

Fertilizers:

1. Adult plants are fed in the spring with special mineral fertilizers for rhododendrons or a solution of Kemira (20 g per bucket of water, consumption per 1 sq. M.), Compost or rotted mullein are introduced.
2. Young shrubs need liquid complex fertilizers in low concentration, which are applied in early spring and summer after flowering.
3. Twice a year, the soil under rhododendrons is artificially acidified with a dry mixture of 30-40 g of ammonium sulfate, superphosphate and potassium sulfate in a ratio of 2: 1: 1,5 (during active growth) and a mixture of 60 g of phosphorus and 15 g of potassium (after flowering ).

Trimming

Sanitary pruning of the shrub is done as the buds swell, in order to see which branches or tips of the shoots are frozen in winter. Broken, damaged shoots are cut out, the bushes are slightly thinned out. To give the crown density and compactness, a formative pruning is carried out in May, but it delays the growth and flowering of Smirnov’s rhododendron.

Preparation for winter

The shrub is abundantly shed before the onset of cold weather (until the first frost), then the trunk circle is mulched and covered. It is better to use black opaque film to protect the plant from sunburn in early spring and spruce branches to protect from the cold. It is important to protect the plant for the first 2-3 years of life. Shelter is removed in early May.

Reproduction

The climatic conditions of Moscow and the Moscow region, according to professional flower growers, allow you to independently plant and grow Smirnov’s rhododendron in the garden.

Propagation methods: seeds, cuttings, grafting on the Pontic rhododendron.

Sow rhododendrons in winter. Coarse river sand is added to the peat-humus mixture at the rate of (3:1). Tanks for sowing are chosen shallow (5-6 cm) with drainage holes. The soil is moistened, slightly compacted and the seeds are laid out on the surface at a distance of 1,5-2 cm from each other. Then the containers are covered with glass and germinated in the light. Crops need daily ventilation, soil moisture. The first shoots appear in a month.

Some nuances:

• presowing seed treatment is not required;
• germination temperature +20⁰WITH;
• seedlings bloom after 6 years.

Semi-lignified stems, 50-80 mm long, are suitable for propagation by cuttings. The lower leaves are removed, and the cuttings are immersed in solutions that stimulate root growth. After that, they are planted in a soil mixture of sand and acid peat (1: 3) and covered with a glass dome. Rooting takes from 3 to 4 months. The cuttings are grown in boxes filled with peat and coniferous soil in a ratio (5: 2). In winter, boxes are kept in a bright room at a temperature of +1⁰C, in the spring, the containers are taken out into the street and added dropwise to the garden plot, where they grow for another 1-2 years. Only after that, rooted cuttings are transplanted to a permanent place.

Diseases and pests

Rhododendron plants are tender, attractive to diseases and pests. To avoid the death of plants, regular inspection of the bushes and timely treatment is required.

Pests:

1. Rhododendron bug. You can recognize its presence by black-brown dots on the back of the sheet.
2. spider mite – feeds on leaf juices. Infection with them is easy to determine by the appearance of plants. The underside of the leaves is covered with a thin cobweb, and they themselves darken and fall off.
3. furrowed weevil. Adult insects are dangerous for the aerial part of the plant, larvae for the root system. Larvae and adults are insensitive to insecticides.
4. Long-winged mole-miner. Harm is caused by caterpillars that feed on leaves. As a result, the leaves become dry, brittle and fall off. They repel the insect by fumigating or spraying the bushes with sulfur.
5. rhododendron fly. You can notice the lesion by light spots on the leaves. This pest is destroyed by spraying with nicotine sulfate.

Diseases:

1. Tracheomycosis – damages the vascular system of the shrub, leads to rotting of the rhizome. Treatment: spraying with Bordeaux liquid.
2. Phytophthora rot. It affects the stems and root neck of the shrub, they become covered with brown or purple spots, then the rhizome rots, then the bush dies.
3. Phyllostic, pestalocytic, septoria spotting of rhododendron. All diseases are characterized by the appearance of spots on the leaves. In the first case – the color of the spots is brown, in the second – dark brown or gray with a dark rim around the edges, in the third – the spots are reddish, gradually whitening in the center. Treatment: spring spraying with Bordeaux liquid, cumulos, fungicide treatment.
4. rust of rhododendrons. The leaves turn red, as if covered with rust spots. Treatment: copper-containing preparations.
5. Bacterial cancer of the roots of rhododendrons. Gradually darkening round growths appear on the root collar and roots of the shrub, which eventually become hard. Plants begin to rot, bloom poorly and die. Treatment: heavily affected shrubs are burned along with the roots, slightly affected (until the growths harden) are sprayed with Bordeaux liquid.
6. Rhododendron chlorosis, characterized by the appearance of yellow spots on the leaves. The cause of the disease: increased acidity of the soil, depleted soil. Treatment: shrubs are sprayed with a mixture of magnesium sulfate and ferrous sulfate (7 g of each substance per 1 liter of water).

Conclusion

Rhododendron Smirnov is a very beautiful evergreen shrub, its high decorative qualities attract the attention of landscape designers and just flower lovers. At the same time, Smirnov’s rhododendron is winter-hardy, not too demanding and can grow in the middle part of Our Country.

Reviews of rhododendron Smirnov