Rose alpine: photo, planting, care, reproduction

Rose alpine (aka rhododendron, or rosewood) is a beautiful garden plant belonging to the heather family and represented in cultural cultivation by semi-leafy, deciduous and evergreen bushes. Counting over a thousand varieties, an attractive flower has firmly won its place in the garden areas of many florists, as well as in their hearts.

Rhododendron (photo is in the review) looks great near water bodies, in hedges and alpine hills, along the edges of lawns and along the tracks. This plant is especially original in group plantings, created on the color contrast of numerous varieties, which number is not one thousand.

Description of the Rose Alpine

The main advantage of the rhododendron is the flowers (red, purple, pink, white, purple), which, depending on the characteristics of the variety, are different in shape: bell-shaped, funnel-shaped, tubular. The leaves of the garden bush also differ in shape and size. The fruit of the plant is a multi-seeded box with small (about 2 mm) seeds. The root system is fairly compact, located close to the soil surface and consists of a large number of fibrous roots.

Growth conditions

Alpine rose is a flower that comes from foggy Albion. It prefers a mild, humid climate and an acidic, water-permeable, humus-rich soil. With a close location of groundwater plant should be planted on a raised bed. It is very important to determine the correct location for the rhododendron: with moderate shading, without destructive drafts. In conditions of the domestic climate, winter-resistant varieties are recommended for cultivation. Optimum neighbors for a garden flower are trees with a deep root system: oak, larch, pine. Nearby maple, willow, alder, poplar or elm will deprive the alpine food rose, as they will consume nutrients from the soil at the same depth. Good neighbors for a garden flower are apple trees and pears.

Secrets of watering

Caring for an alpine rose consists in carrying out the most necessary procedures: watering, sprinkling, feeding, forming a bush, and also fighting pests and diseases. It is not recommended to loosen and dig the soil near the rhododendron because it is close to the surface of its roots. Weeds should be removed manually, without the use of garden tools.

Correct and timely watering of the plant positively affects the bookmark of the flower buds of the next year. It should be produced by soft rain or standing water. It is especially necessary to moisten the soil during the formation of buds and flowering. The day before watering it is recommended to acidify and soften by adding a small amount of peat to it. The frequency of irrigation measures is determined by the state of the leaves: with lethargy and the acquisition of a matte shade, one can judge the plant's need for moisturizing. Along the way, the Alpine rose leaves are often sprayed with soft water.

Trimming the bush

Rhododendron (photo conveys the incredibly fresh charm of the garden plant) needs minimal pruning, since the bush itself is able to form the right shape. Pruning an alpine rose is carried out in the spring, before the juice begins to move. Too high plants are recommended to cut, also it is necessary to save them from frozen and old shoots. Sections of branches 2-4 cm thick must be treated with garden varnish.

Rosa alpine has a property to bloom abundantly and bear fruit with a frequency of every two years. To avoid such constancy and to ensure abundant annual flowering, wilted inflorescences are recommended to break out. This will give the plant the strength to form the flower buds of the next year.

Fertilizer activities

Rose alpine, like any garden plant, needs regular feeding. And it is recommended to fertilize even those rhododendrons that were planted this year. The first top dressing is carried out in the early spring, the latter is carried out at the end of July, at the end of flowering and with the beginning of the growth of young shoots. The optimal fertilizer for an alpine rose is half-bred manure, diluted with water in a proportion of 1 to 15 and infused for several days. Before applying fertilizing, the plant must be watered. Of the mineral preparations of rhododendron, superphosphate, ammonium sulphate, potassium and calcium in weak concentration are most suitable.

Seed mode of reproduction

The alpine rose propagates in a seed and vegetative manner. Plant seeds should be sown in a well-moistened soil consisting of sand and peat land at a rate of 1 to 3. Planting tanks to create a greenhouse effect should be covered with glass and put in a bright spot for germination. As necessary, the substrate is recommended to be moistened, daily to aerate and remove condensation from the glass. Approximately a month later, the alpine rose will please young shoots, which should be planted more freely with the appearance of 2-3 real leaves. The first year young shoots are kept in the greenhouse, and the next season they are planted in the open ground to a permanent place of growth. With the seed method of planting, seedlings develop very slowly and will bloom 6-8 years later.

Alpine Rose: Vegetative Reproduction

The easiest way to reproduce the rhododendron is to dig in the layers, for which growing at the very bottom of the bush a flexible, young shoot should be bent, laid in a previously made groove and pinned to the ground in its middle part. The top of the shoot should be left on the surface, tied vertically to the peg.

The method of propagation by cuttings consists in planting cuttings, cut from a semi-mature shoot, into a sand-peat mix. The lower sections of future plants are preliminarily recommended in the growth stimulant. The planting container should be covered with glass or film and patiently wait for the 3.5 month period necessary for the emergence of shoots of evergreen bushes and 1.5 for deciduous shrubs. Cultivation is carried out in boxes from coniferous-peat mixture. In winter, the plant is kept in a cool bright place at a temperature of + 8-12 ^o C. In the spring, a couple of years can be grown in boxes, and after 1-1.5 years, planted in a new place.