What are the cultivation methods and precautions of azalea

Rhododendron growth habits

Azalea prefers a cool, humid, ventilated, semi-shady environment. It is afraid of both extreme heat and severe cold. The suitable temperature for its growth is 12℃ to 25℃. When the temperature exceeds 35℃ in summer, the new shoots and leaves grow slowly and are in a semi-dormant state. It is necessary to protect it from the sun and shade in summer, and keep warm in winter.

How to grow azalea

Soil: Rhododendron prefers acidic soil. When planting, you can use some mountain loam and fertilizer, or you can use leaf mold, sandy soil, garden soil and then mix it with cake fertilizer, stable manure, etc., mix well and then plant.

Light: When caring for azalea, you can expose it to more scattered light to facilitate the healthy growth of the plant.

Watering: The soil in the pot should not be too dry at normal times. It should be kept with sufficient moisture during the flowering period. The temperature is high in summer and water evaporates quickly, so the plant's demand for water increases. At this time, water should be added in time to prevent the soil in the pot from being too dry.

Fertilization: Apply thin fertilizers frequently to meet the nutrient needs of the plant's growth and development. In the autumn bud expansion period, apply phosphorus fertilizer before the plant blooms, and stop fertilizing until flowering. Fertilize again about half a month after the flowers fade to supplement nutrients. After the flowers fade, nitrogen fertilizer should be the main fertilizer. Apply less fertilizer or no fertilizer after winter.

Pruning: Prune them in time, and remove dead branches, diseased branches, and overgrown branches to increase ventilation and light transmission. Before the plant blooms, it is also necessary to remove the overly dense buds. After the flowers bloom, the remaining flowers are not easy to fall off by themselves, so they should also be cut off in time to avoid consuming nutrients.

Precautions for growing azalea

If you want azalea to bloom early in winter, you can control the indoor temperature at 20℃~25℃ and increase the indoor air humidity. The beautiful flowers will bloom after about one month.