A new product of rhododendron-- heather rhododendron

Heather rhododendron, also known as tree rhododendron, alpine rhododendron, heather, is one of the most popular high-grade potted flowers in recent years. This variety is introduced from Holland, Belgium and other countries. Compared with common rhododendron varieties such as spring cuckoo, summer cuckoo and western cuckoo, their flowers are large and dense, and when they are in full bloom, they are like a big flower ball, giving people the feeling of flowers in clusters, so they are suitable for large and medium-sized potted plants and decorate halls, restaurants, restaurants and other places. Magnificent.

Heather rhododendron is a perennial evergreen shrub or small tree of rhododendron genus of rhododendron family, with many branches, plump crown and compact plant type; leaves alternate, densely attached to the top of branches, oval or lanceolate, leathery and glossy, and some varieties have golden markings or edges on the leaf surface; the back of the leaf is lighter and densely pilose. The inflorescence of heather rhododendron is racemose umbrella-shaped, the flowers are terminal, several flowers gather on the branches and are spherical when in full bloom, its diameter is usually 15 cm ~ 20 cm, and some varieties can reach more than 25 cm; the flowers are bell-shaped, single or double; the flowers are rich in color, such as purplish red, pink, orange, pink, purple blue, white, yellow and so on. The natural flowering period is from March to May, the blooming time can be advanced to January to February by artificial flowering, and the flowering time per plant can reach one month.

Heather rhododendron is a temperate alpine plant, most of which are native to southwest China, mainly distributed in the plateau and mountain areas with an altitude of 2000 meters to 4500 meters above sea level. Heather rhododendron likes cool and humid semi-shade environment, has certain cold tolerance, suitable temperature for growth is 15 ℃ ~ 25 ℃, is not resistant to drought, afraid of extreme heat and hot sun exposure, but also afraid of stagnant water. Every year, the residual flowers can be cut off after the flower fade, and the branches can be truncated at the end of the flowering period to promote the growth of leaf buds. Watering should follow the principle of "no dry, no watering, watering thoroughly" to avoid stagnant water in basin soil and excessive drought. If the air is too dry, spray water to the plant and its surroundings to increase air humidity. When the rotten alum fertilizer is applied every 10 to 15 days during the growing period, the solid compound fertilizer can also be sprinkled on the surface of the basin soil and slowly absorbed by the roots after shallow burial.

The high temperature and heat in summer is extremely disadvantageous to the growth of heather rhododendron. When the temperature exceeds 30 ℃, the plant growth is inhibited, and when the temperature exceeds 35 ℃, the plant will suffer different degrees of heat damage. Therefore, in summer, the plant can be moved to a ventilated and cool shade shed for maintenance, and pay attention to ventilation to avoid diseases in the muggy environment. When drying at high temperature, appropriate water can be sprinkled to the plant and its surroundings to cool down and humidify. Avoid stagnant water in the basin soil in the rainy season to avoid rotting roots and stop fertilizing at the same time. After the autumn is cool, the normal management of water and fertilizer can be restored and the light can be increased appropriately. The year-round high temperature in South China is not conducive to the growth of heather rhododendron, especially in summer high temperature, poor maintenance is easy to cause death, it needs to be moved to cool areas for cultivation in order to spend the hot summer.

The heather cuckoo can withstand 0 ℃ low temperature when it is placed in a sunny place indoors in winter. Therefore, the growth temperature should be controlled below 15 ℃ in winter to avoid excessive temperature and affect plant flower bud differentiation. Every 1 ~ 2 years, the pot of heather rhododendron ornamental in pot needs to be changed. The basin change should be carried out after flowering, and the basin soil should be made of slightly acidic sandy soil with loose air permeability, rich humus and good drainage, and can be mixed with saprophyllite or peat soil plus vermiculite or river sand. The pH value of basin soil should be adjusted between 5 and 6.0.

Heather rhododendron can be propagated by cuttings or strips after flowering, and tissue culture is used for large-scale propagation. When the new plant is on the pot, do not press the matrix too firmly, let it breathable, and do not prune it, and prune it when the root system is developed and the terminal bud begins to grow, so as to promote branching and make the plant type plump and compact.

In the environment of high temperature and humidity, heather rhododendron is prone to stem rot and leaf brown spot, which can be controlled by spraying carbendazim or topiramate. Soil iron deficiency and partial alkali can also lead to plant chlorosis, which can be prevented by adding black alum (ferrous sulfate) during watering and fertilization. Insect pests mainly occur in summer and autumn, such as red spiders and military insects, which can be sprayed with 1000 ~ 1500 times of omethoate.