Heather rhododendron, also known as alpine rhododendron, is a rhododendron of the rhododendron family Rhododendron perennial evergreen small shrub, scientific name.
Heather rhododendron is a trendy flower newly introduced from the Netherlands, Belgium and other countries in recent years, and it is also one of the high-end potted flowers that has become popular in recent years. It's the New Year flowers again.
Heather rhododendron is one of the artificial hybrids of alpine rhododendron native to the mainland and rhododendron species in Europe and the United States.
Compared with the common species of spring crane and Western azaleas in rhododendrons, its leaves are dense, large and bright, and the leaves are green in color. Its flowers are large and dense, rich in color and bright color, and when they bloom, more than ten to dozens of flowers grow at the top, giving people the feeling of flowers blooming.
The inflorescence is a general umbel-shaped inflorescence, which is constantly clustered on the branches, and when blooming, it is spherical in diameter of 15 cm to 20 cm, and some varieties can reach more than 25 cm.
The flowers are bell-shaped, single-petaled or heavy-petaled, and the flowers are rich in purple, pink, pink, peach and other colors.
The flowers are large and dense, blooming like a large flower ball, and the feeling of the flowers is blooming, which is an excellent indoor potted flower that can not only observe the leaves, but also enjoy the flowers. Suitable for large and medium-sized salt planting, luxurious and magnificent.
More than 100 years ago, British botanists discovered alpine rhododendrons from Tibet, Yunnan, Sichuan and other places on the mainland and introduced them to Europe. After hundreds of years of research and continuous exploration by horticultural workers. Europe used the original Chinese species of alpine rhododendron to cross with European and American rhododendron varieties, and bred many human hybrids, one of which is heather rhododendron.
Alpine rhododendron is a national second-class protected plant, most of which is native to the southwest region of the mainland and is distributed in the plateau mountains of 2000 to 4500 meters. Alpine cuckoos are not tolerant to high temperatures and prefer cool, moist semi-shade conditions.
The natural flowering period is from March to May, and the flowering period of a single plant can be up to 30 days. Artificial flowering can be opened 1 to 2 months in advance, and the flowering period of each plant is about 1 month.
The artificial flower-promoting cultivation of heather rhododendron can bloom during the New Year's Day and Spring Festival, which can greatly increase the festive atmosphere of the festival.
Cultivation: Choose acidic soils that are loose, breathable, well-drained and rich in organic matter. Optional pine needle soil or grass charcoal, perlite or river sand, manure prepared according to 5:3:2, disinfected and prepared. The inflorescence of heather rhododendron can reach a diameter of 15 to 20 cm and generally needs to be changed twice.
Fertilization master the principle of "thin fertilizer and diligent application".
Propagation method: Alpine rhododendron can be propagated by cuttings or strips after flowering, and tissue culture method is used for large-scale production. Do not prune immediately after the new plant is potted, and when the plant begins to grow, prune when there are 2 to 3 h functional leaves, mainly to promote branching, so that the plant type is plump and compact.
Mostly in the cooler spring and autumn seasons, if there is a greenhouse, in winter can also be inserted to select short internodes, the base has been lignified robust and full, no disease and pest infestation branches, each length of 6 cm a 10 cm, inserted in sand or vermiculite, before cutting, the base of the spike is first stored in the vitamin solution dipped out to promote rapid rooting, more roots and then vertically inserted into the soil.
Strip pressing method: After the spring flowering period, select strong 1-3 year old branches for bad peeling and tie plastic film to the peeling place. It is filled with moist sandy soil. To keep it moist, it takes about 3 to 4 months to root.