How to propagate an azalea at home

Azalea (Azalea) is a flowering shrub plant up to 1.5 m in height. This is a spectacular representative of the rhododendron genus from the Heather family. Its leaves are shiny, small, lanceolate. The flowers are bright, collected in bunches of several pieces, growing from the axils of the leaves. Azalea prefers to live in cool conditions of mountain forest belts, therefore, it is rarely found in a temperate continental climate. Novice growers are interested in how to propagate an azalea at home, since this process is accompanied by many difficulties.

How to propagate an azalea at home

You can propagate and grow a flower in different ways, which one to choose depends on the time of year and how much it is planned to reproduce the plant. Breeding options:

• Seeds. This method is the most difficult and is often used to breed new varieties of plants. Also, azalea seeds are used for reproduction, when it is necessary to grow many plants in a short period of time.
• Cuttings. It is carried out in the spring during the growing season, the material is taken from an adult plant. This is a difficult, but quite effective way of reproduction.

Azalea

• By dividing the bush. Plants, whose age reaches 3 years, are divided into 2-3 parts. Each section has full-fledged healthy roots, which guarantees a high degree of survival. Therefore, novice growers prefer to use this particular breeding method. A properly selected soil mixture will help the plant adapt faster.
• Vaccination. When azalea cuttings are unsuccessful, use this propagation method. Of all the options, it is the least demanded. Choose a healthy shrub and a high-quality stem with an eye. A small incision is made on each of them. Then a cutting is applied to the cut on the bush. To fix them, they are wrapped with plastic wrap.
• Layers. Reproduction by layering is often used for garden varieties. The bush shoot is tilted down and buried in soil. After a while, roots begin to grow on it.

Azalea grafting

Propagation by cuttings - advantages and disadvantages

It should be borne in mind that when growing a plant such as an azalea, propagation by cuttings at home is fraught with poor survival rate, since the plant is quite whimsical. The main advantage of cuttings is that the species characteristics of the plant are fully preserved. To activate the growth of azaleas, the soil must always be moistened. Heating and lighting play an important role in the development of culture, therefore they are created artificially. In the first year of life, the azalea should begin to develop actively. If this does not happen, she will most likely die.

How to root cuttings

Since it is difficult to root an azalea, healthy shrubs with a good root system are used for cuttings. Plants 3 years old are best suited for this procedure.More mature specimens may not take root as they lack nutrients. And cuttings from a too young azalea can quickly dry out without rooting.

The appearance of the cutting

It is allowed to make cuttings from last year's azalea shoots. Their length should be at least 8 cm and contain 2-3 leaves. If this year's stems are used, they should be alive and not lignified. Cutting preparation:

1. With a pruner or a sharp knife, make an oblique cut at an angle of 45 degrees. Scissors are not suitable for this job. In order not to infect, the instrument is sterilized before use.
2. In order for the nutrients to be directed to the formation of roots, half of the leaves located on top of the cutting are cut off, the lower ones are completely removed.
3. The lower cut is made under the kidney, stepping back 1 cm.
4. In the area where the roots are to be formed, the bark is removed.

Before propagating the azalea, you need to choose the right material. For this, the process is broken in half. If you hear the crackling of a tree, then the quality of the cuttings is excellent and can be used for the propagation procedure.

What soil is suitable for rooting

Indoor rhododendron requires soil with a special composition. The plant loves loose acidic soil, universal is not suitable for it:

• before cutting the azalea, it is kept for 5 hours in a root growth stimulator. For 1 liter of water, 2 tablets of heteroauxin are needed. You can also use zircon, but soak the material for 24 hours;
• finished cuttings are planted in the ground to a depth of 2 cm;
• the distance between the processes must be at least 3 cm.

Moisture during rooting

Azalea belongs to moisture-loving plants, therefore, the soil in the pot should not be allowed to dry out. If you feel dryness by touching the ground with your finger, then the plant needs to be watered. With proper care, the first roots will appear in 30 days. The formation of their own shoots indicates a good survival rate of seedlings. Weak, dying specimens do not release shoots.

Beginners should know how azalea reproduces and the basic rules of this procedure:

• at home, the flower is propagated from March to October;
• until the plant has faded, no manipulations with it can be carried out;
• so that the seedlings grow better, they are sprayed with water and covered with foil;
• unlike adult specimens, cuttings do not tolerate sudden temperature changes that occur during watering with cold water, so the temperature of the water used must be room temperature;
• the seedlings are aired once every 7 days by removing the film;
• it is necessary to root as many cuttings as possible at the same time, since no more than 4 out of 20 will take root.

Azalea sprouts

The air in the room is drier than under the film. In order for the sprouts to adapt to new conditions, after rooting, the film is removed for 3 hours a day. After a few days, the time is increased by 5, then 7 hours. A week later, the seedlings are transplanted into separate pots. In order for them to take root faster, they are kept in greenhouse conditions for 14 days (covered with foil).

Temperature and lighting

If the temperature standards are observed and the lighting is maintained at the required level, the rooting of the cuttings will be successful. The material used is placed in the brightest and warmest room with an air temperature of +25 ° C. There should be no drafts in this room. To prevent the air from stagnating, do regular ventilation. Sometimes cuttings do not germinate due to the cool temperature.Then the bottom of the container with seedlings is heated with an incandescent lamp to +27 ° C. In addition, the container can be installed close to the battery.

Growing from seeds: what is good about this method

The experience of those gardeners who know how to grow an azalea from seeds shows that this is a rather complicated process that requires a lot of effort and time. A germinated seed sprouts in 14 days, provided that the material was of high quality and the growing conditions were followed by all the rules. It is possible to plant a young azalea in open ground only after 9 months, which is a disadvantage.

How to choose the best seeds

Seed material can be purchased at the store or harvested by yourself when the plant has faded. Collection process:

Azalea seeds

• The seeds are arranged in a five-leaf box. Their size is small, no more than 2 mm in length, and their shape is elongated.
• The dark brown color of the seeds indicates that they are well ripe and ready to reproduce. In this case, the box remains green.
• The collected material must be dried before planting. To do this, it is wrapped in paper for 2-3 days.

It is easier to propagate an azalea from fresh seeds, the shelf life of which does not exceed 3 months. The use of 3-year-old seed is allowed if it has been stored in a cool dry place.

What should be the soil for planting seeds

Sowing seeds is carried out from March to April. They are laid out on peat tablets or sown in the top layer of the soil. If the propagation of azaleas is carried out in February, then additional lighting should be installed in order to increase the length of daylight hours to 12 hours. Sun and humidity are the main parameters affecting seed germination. Sowing is carried out in the following sequence:

1. Any sowing container is suitable. Drainage holes are made on the lower part.
2. The soil mixture is purchased in a store or made independently from peat, sand, sod and deciduous soil, humus, which are taken in equal proportions. All components are disinfected in a solution of potassium permanganate before mixing. If necessary, a baking powder is added to the mixture - vermiculite. The seeds are sown in warm soil.
3. The pot with the plant is covered with foil or glass, this will create a greenhouse effect. To prevent the appearance of mold, the container with seeds is periodically ventilated by lifting the film.
4. Waterlogging of the seeds should not be allowed, therefore, the soil is not watered, but irrigated from a spray bottle. Irrigation is carried out with a special solution prepared on the basis of oxalic acid. In 10 liters of settled water, you need to dilute 4 g of acid.

Temperature

To grow seed, bright light and a standard air temperature of +20 C ° are required. A month after planting, the first shoots will begin to appear. Spraying with a solution of "Zircon" and "Epin" will help stimulate their growth and development.

Humidity

The sprouts are kept in humid conditions. They are covered with foil, forming a small greenhouse. Before planting plants in a permanent place, they must be adapted to cool conditions. Vases with seedlings are taken out into a room with a temperature lowered to +10 ° C. Thanks to this hardening, the flower's immunity will increase, which will allow it to more sustainably endure various diseases. You can stimulate the root system using the bottom irrigation method. At the same time, the seeds will not become waterlogged from water, and the sprouts will receive enough nutrition.

Greenhouse for azalea

How to properly transplant young azaleas into a separate pot

Often, transplanting an azalea into another container does not affect it in any way. If the flower looks bad, the reason may be hidden:

• in a bad environment;
• poor quality soil.

With a lack of minerals in the soil, the leaves of the plant turn yellow and fall off. The same happens if the acidity of the soil is low. When several full-fledged leaves are formed on a young plant, it can be transplanted. An adult azalea is transplanted every 3 years after flowering. Step-by-step transplant process:

1. For the first planting, the pot is chosen with a diameter of 10 cm. You can use a cut plastic bottle, glass jar. For subsequent transplants, the container is selected one size larger than the previous one. Drainage is laid at the bottom of the selected container.
2. A wire structure is erected over the pot, on top of which a plastic wrap is stretched. The leaves should be loosely located inside the mini-greenhouse and not go beyond its borders.
3. The azalea is transplanted carefully, along with an earthy clod, so as not to damage the root system. The transshipment method is often used. The roots contain a special microflora, if violated, the plant will die.
4. The plant will wither if the root collar is deeply buried in the ground.
5. After planting, young seedlings are watered abundantly, after 4 days the watering procedure is repeated. The water is used filtered, warm. Due to the cold liquid, the root of the plant will disappear.
6. Follow-up care is carried out as for an adult specimen. To form a strong bush, the buds that appear are cut off.

Transplant with an earthen ball

Getting new rhododendrons at home takes a lot of patience. If you take the time to find quality seed material and choose the right soil for planting, the result will not be long in coming. After a few months, the azalea will bloom with a lush crown.