Rhododendron Schlippenbach: description

Rhododendrons are decorative flowering shrubs of the Heather family, including more than 600 varieties of deciduous and evergreen forms. Rhododendrons came to gardens around the world from China, Japan, Korea, some species grow in nature in the Caucasus, North America and Australia. AT

1854 during the expedition of the frigate "Pallada" to Southeast Asia, naval officer Alexander Yegorovich Schlippenbach discovered a deciduous form with delicate pink flowers, which later became the golden fund of landscape designers around the world and received his name.

Schlippenbach's rhododendron will decorate the garden with soft pink flowering

Biological description

According to the botanical description, the Schlippenbach rhododendron has bell-shaped flowers with a diameter of 8-15 cm, rarely single, more often collected in panicles of 3-6 pieces, sometimes bloom before the leaves. In modern varieties, the main color of the petals is pale pink, deep pink, white-pink, pale orange, pale carmine, white with purple specks at the base of the petals.

The flowering period in the Moscow region begins in mid-May, in Latvia and Finland in late May-early June and lasts 14-20 days, then capsules with small seeds are formed.

Outstanding success in the selection and cultivation of rhododendrons was achieved at the University of Helsinki, in the botanical garden of which a collection of shrubs with high winter hardiness was collected, and the variety "University of Helsinki" tolerates frosts down to -40 ° C.

Variety "University of Helsinki"

Root system

In nature, the Schlippenbach rhododendron shrub is of small height up to 60 cm, and it settles on the dry rocky slopes of the mountains, which is why it is sometimes called the Alpine rose. Higher specimens of 2-3 m are found on the edges of forests with well-permeable soils. Rhododendron root creeping superficially at a depth of 6-10 cm with a large number of small suction roots. Therefore, the culture does not tolerate drying out of the soil.

Trunk and leaves

The stem and branches of Schlippenbach's rhododendron are bare, and a rosette of elongated shiny leaves with an even or slightly wavy edge is located at the very top. The shrub does not grow rapidly, in one season it grows by 4-10 cm and at 10 years old its height does not exceed 1 m.

Schlippenbach rhododendron bush at 10 years old

Differences from other species

Differences from short-fruited rhododendron, Daurian, Kamchatka and other varieties are as follows:

• larger flowers;
• leaves fall for the winter;
• winter hardiness from -26 ° C and below;
• restrained growth of shoots.

All of the above are positive properties of the form and indicate that it can be planted in your garden.

Reproduction methods

Reproduction of rhododendrons is possible vegetative and seed. To preserve varietal qualities, cuttings and rooting of cuttings are used. With the aim of breeding a new variety or hybrid, seeds are sown that are cross-pollinated with the desired species.

Vegetative way

Shoots within 3-4 weeks give roots in a substrate with peat, humus from needles and sand, which is taken half as much as the rest of the ingredients. For rooting, you can take the branched tops of the shoots without dividing the branches. They root better than single cuttings.

Shoot tip for rooting

Temperature regime

Shoots and cuttings can be rooted in late summer outdoors or in a greenhouse in February. The optimum air temperature for rooting is 16-24 ° C, the air humidity is close to 100%. If it is difficult to maintain such a temperature in the greenhouse in winter, it is enough for the substrate to be warmed up to 10-12 ° C.

Propagation by cuttings

Separate cuttings 5 ​​to 15 cm long are planted in August on a garden bed in rows with a distance of 15-20 cm, between cuttings 8-10 cm. Watering is done daily, you can sprinkler. Container rooting is practiced in the greenhouse. The cuttings are buried in cups with a substrate by 2-3 cm and covered with glass jars or plastic bottles.

Rooting the cuttings in a container

The plants are ventilated every day for 30-40 minutes, the soil in the container is slightly loosened to avoid the growth of mold fungi and putrefactive bacteria. A signal for successful rooting is the start of new leaf growth on the shoot.

Reproduction using branches

Rhododendron is easy to vegetatively propagate in the garden. To do this, after flowering, select the lowest-lying branches, bend them to the ground and pin them with a wire brace so that the whorl with branching of the shoots is underground. Sprinkle it on top with peat, moisten it every 4-5 days. In the fall, the shoot is cut off with a pruner from the mother plant and dug out so as not to damage the roots.

Selection and preparation of the landing site

Choosing a place for a rhododendron, where to plant a single bush or a group of plants on the site, is a difficult question, since the plantings will grow in the same place for 20-30 years or more. Moreover, these plants are difficult to grow. They do not like the open sun, in this case, the foliage can acquire a brown tint.

The site must be protected from strong winds and stagnant melt water. If the soil does not allow water to pass through well, drainage is needed under the bush.

In terms of design solutions, the bushes look especially attractive if they are planted at some distance from each other in the form of multi-colored spots against the background of an emerald lawn.

Landing rules

The planting hole is made 2 times larger than the volume of the seedling root system. If the soil in the area is alkaline, it is necessary to prepare an even larger hole, as under an adult bush. Enclose the edges with a sheet of plastic and fill the pit with a substrate of peat and acidic soil, leaving 15-20 cm on top. The bush is placed in the center of the hole, the roots are straightened and covered with acidic soil. After backfilling, they are carefully tamped with soles, watered, then mulched with chips or peat.

How to care for a garden flower rhododendron

Plant care consists of shaping and pruning, watering and fertilizing, sheltering bushes for the winter and protecting them from spring frosts.

Fertilizers

In the spring, to stimulate growth and flowering under the bushes, nitrogen-phosphorus fertilizer Ammophos is given 30-40 g in the near-trunk circle, after removing the mulch. In August, 20 g of superphosphate and 30 g of potassium sulfate are introduced in the same way. To increase the decorativeness of the leaves during the growing season, foliar feeding with complexes with microelements is recommended.

Pruning

Young bushes in the second or third year of planting need formative pruning. Choose a central strong shoot 40-45 cm long and cut off its top. During the summer, he begins to give many lateral shoots, the plant bushes, acquires a lush spreading shape. In subsequent years, pruning is reduced to sanitary. Remove old, too long branches, diseased and broken shoots.

Preparing rhododendron for wintering

At the end of September, frames are prepared for rhododendrons, which are subsequently covered with a white covering material. Plants have a long growing season up to 200 days and not in all regions manage to shed their foliage before winter. This happens already under a spacious shelter. In spring, the plant wakes up early and throws out the buds, the frame protects from them from frost, under the fabric it has enough light.

Frame

Diseases and pests

Among the diseases, ornamental shrubs can be affected by viral mosaic in the form of rusty spots on leaves and growths, tracheomycosis and late blight. To combat these diseases, the drugs Fundazol, Strobi, Skor are used. Insects-pests that sometimes settle on rhododendrons are spider mites, tobacco thrips, acacia pseudo-scale insects. In this case, drugs Aktara, Karate Zeon, Fufanon are effective.

The rhododendron garden is magnificent in its bloom! It is enough to follow the recommendations on how to plant, grow and care for the garden rhododendron flower, and the plants will certainly delight you with their fragrance.