What do you need to know to grow healthy rhododendrons? / Yellow wheelbarrow

Agree rhododendrons – a real garden decoration! Adorned with huge rings, they immediately attract admiring glances. That’s why we’ve received so many questions from you about rhododendrons «Yellow wheelbarrow» Facebook in the account! All that remained was to sit together on the bench Lina Puodžiūte – excellent specialist in landscape architecture, courses «My garden project» teacher and learn everything about these plants from start to finish:

Click play and be sure to watch the video until the end, where we have provided a clear and detailed outline on how to plant rhododendrons. But I don’t get too far ahead and I’m eager to share what I’ve learned.

WHICH RHODODENDO VARIETIES TO CHOOSE IN LITHUANIA?

When purchasing, be sure to pay attention to which hardiness zone the variety belongs to (to find out more about hardiness zones, Click here). In winter the cold in our country is well above 20 degrees, so you have two options. The first is to buy frost-resistant ones, that is, the label indicates that they can tolerate cold up to -28 or -30 degrees. If you have chosen a beauty product that is more resistant to the cold, it will need extra attention, the risk is higher.

RELIABLE VARIETIES OF RODODENDRUM:

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We share the varieties of rhododendrons that Lina Puodžiūtė recommends choosing (the name of the variety and frost resistance are written, to what extent it is indicated that the variety is resistant):

• ‘Boleslaw the Brave’ -30
• ‘Basuki’ -26
•Calcsap-30
• ‘Album Catabience’ -30
• ‘Catabience Grandiflorum’ -30
• ‘Erato’ -27
• ‘Eskimo’ -27
• ‘Francesca’ -30
• ‘Hellikki’ -34
• ‘University of Helsinki’ -39
• ‘John III Sobieski’ -30
• ‘Kazimierz Odnowiciel’ -30
• ‘Casimir the Great’ -30
• ‘Krolowa Bona’ -30
• ‘Mars’ -28
• ‘Mieszko I’ -28
• ‘Nowa Zembla’ -28
• ‘PJM Elite’ -28
• ‘Daughter of Pohjola’ -28
• ‘Grandiflorum viola’ -30
• ‘Rasputin’ -27
• ‘Elegant Rose’ -30
• ‘Snow Eye’ -27
• ‘Wladyslaw Jagiello’ -30
• ‚Zigmonte August’ -30
• ‘Zigmonte III’
• «Waza» -30
• ‘Lumina’ -26
• ‘Silver Cloud’ -26
• “Wladyslaw Lokietek” -30
• ‘Elviira’ -30

Are rhododendrons and azaleas the same thing?

Both belong to rhododendrons, and the Latin name will show that both are called rhododendrons.

How to choose:

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• Azaleas are evergreen, meaning they shed their leaves for the winter. Rhododendron is an evergreen plant, which means that the rhododendron’s leaves remain green all year round.
• Azalea is suitable for growing in a sunny place. For rhododendrons, you need to look for a shady place where the southern sun doesn’t shine as brightly in early spring.

Let’s share with each other how to match the selected plants «Plant composition laboratory». Here you will learn to create a harmonious composition in which trees, shrubs and decorative plants will be coordinated according to the laws of design.

How to distinguish between rhododendrons and azaleas?

Look at their pages. Rhododendron leaves are thick and fleshy. Azalea leaves are soft and downy. Look at this image:

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Rhododendron plantation

The rhododendron planting scheme is shown in the photo below:

The scheme is fully commented video reports. However, we promise that we will separately film and show how to plant rhododendrons. Subscribe to our Youtube channel or newsletterin which we share the latest articles, video reports and news on organized gardening courses.

WHICH PLANTS ARE SUITABLE FOR GROWING TOGETHER WITH RHODODENDRONS?

Hydrangea and rhododendrons are a great combination, both due to similar soil and medium needs, and they bloom one after the other, so there is always room for improvement. By the way, to choose the most suitable hydrangea, take a look to this article.

A combination of rhododendron bushes and ‘Smaragd’ thuja hedges is often seen. However, Lina Puodžiūtė recommends avoiding such a neighborhood if possible. Rhododendrons need acidic soil, which thujas do not like. So, if you grow them next to each other, it is better to move the rhododendrons away from the thuja.

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RODODENDRUM FERTILIZER

If you want rhododendrons to grow beautiful and strong, it is recommended to «feed» them several times a year with specially designed fertilizers.

You can also buy it in store soil acidifierswhich are a reliable means of maintaining acidic soil for these plants.

RODODENDRUM DISEASES

If a bud develops or round spots appear on the leaves, your plant is most likely attacked by fungal diseases. Emergency assistance in this case – systemic fungicides. To avoid having to resort to treatment, use prophylactically in the off-season copper sulphate.

It happens that the leaves of the rhododendron curl – this is not a disease, but rather a lack of moisture. To avoid this, Lina Puodžiūtė recommends watering rhododendrons abundantly starting in autumn and letting them overwinter peacefully. Of course, after first covering them adequately.

WHAT TO DO WHEN IT FLOWERS?

In order for rhododendrons to delight our eyes also in the next season, the blossomed buds should be broken or cut, whichever is more convenient. Otherwise it will ripen the seeds which, like any plant, cost energy. It is best to prune them so that the rhododendrons grow strong and healthy.

All these issues are discussed in more detail in the video report.

ON THE COMPATIBILITY OF THE SYSTEMS:

We invite you to the «Plant Composition Laboratory», where you will learn how to combine plants selected according to various design laws, make a planting scheme and calculate how many and which plants you will need.

Online courses:

For those who want to create the construction site of their dreams without leaving home, we offer distance learning courses. Discover the course programs: Click here

«Color Matching Courtyard» – these are distance courses for those who want to learn how to create harmonious combinations of plants in their garden. The most famous garden designers rely on certain rules, thanks to which they «control» the colors. In this course we will introduce you to basic information about colors and their combination, which you can apply when creating your own flower gardens.