- Scientific or Latin name: Azalea spp.
- Common or usual name: Azalea
- Family: Ericaceae.
- Origin: Japan.
- The Azalea is a shrub that stands out for the spectacular color of its flowers.
- Flowers with different shades from white to pink purple.
- In a single plant may have flowers of 2 colors and even 3.
Styles
- It adapts well to almost all styles and sizes. Its roots are very fine and difficult to model in styles of rock.
Light:
- Sol, but avoid prolonged exposure during the hottest time. Under the shade of trees in the midday sun is a good area.
Temperatures:
- Not supported too well so frost should be protected from harsh winters.
- Humidity:
- Spray Azalea leaves with soft water on hot days especially.
Wind:
- Away from the wind.
Substrate:
- It is very important to a substrate of acid pH (pH less than 6.5).
- The substrate that gives the best results Kanuma, it is a type of clay originating in one of the native azaleas and thus an ideal substrate for them. Mixed with volcanic usually gives excellent results.
- 100% Kanuma or any land or acid mixture, such as the land of heather, with adequate acidity with a pH 5.
Irrigation:
- Very common, thoroughly, until water runs out the drainage holes. The Azalea is very sensitive to lack of moisture.
- You have to use soft water as possible, ie, that is poor in lime, if not, the substrate is no longer acid, which is what you need, and leaves amarillearían surely sooner or later. You can compensate if you add iron chelates.
- The most suitable water is rain (you can pick up on drums), mineral water, reverse osmosis filtered water or tap water acidified using citric acid.
Feeding:
- Fertilize frequently especially during the period of vigorous growth (spring) and autumn, reducing the fertilizer in the periods in which growth stops (during peak winter and hot summer.)
- Should be added from time to time iron as iron chelates.
- We should never pay a transplanted bonsai, wait for it to grow.
Pruning:
- Pruning should only be made if the tree is healthy.
- The new shoots are pruned in late summer or early fall when the wood is mature.
- You can cut or blunt new shoots appearing after flowering during the summer, leaving two or three to help control tree vigor and shape your figure according to the chosen style.
- The clamping (cut ends) should be done after flowering.
- Remove the flowers as soon as they start to wilt.
Transplant:
- Every 2 or 3 years and preferably in spring after flowering so as not to weaken and lose the flowers of the year.
- Put in the shade for a couple of months until he recovers completely.
- During the transplant should serve well rotted roots anywhere, not totally eliminate the ground to keep the fungus that acts in symbiosis with plant roots.
- You have to prune the roots during the transplant but not cut too fine roots to allow them to recover during the winter.
- During the transplant agree dead branches and prune the branches to clarify something.
Wire:
- The placement of branches through the wiring can be made between the spring and summer, after flowering, taking care not to damage or bark, very delicate, and the branches because of their fragility.
- No wire should be too young branches without lignified enough nor thicker branches.
- Whenever possible it is advisable to use other techniques to model the cup instead of wires, such as pruning, stretchers, weights, etc..
A tip: It is best not to water the day before the fence.
Pests:
- Aphids, insect, nematodes, caterpillars, weevils, whitefly azalea (Pealius azaleae), Rhododendron bugs, etc.
Diseases:
- Rust, chlorosis, nutrient deficiency, such as powdery mildew and other leaf spots and wilting flowers and buds, caused by a fungus that prevents the flower buds do not open, turn brown and dry, the buds appear covered with black dots. Remove affected buds.
- Iron chlorosis:
- The azaleas are very sensitive to the lime in the soil and prefer an acidic substrate. Any excess will produce a minimum of lime chlorosis.
- Fixed the problem with adequate acidity of the substrate, adding water and iron chelates.
Multiplication:
- The Azalea can be reproduced by cuttings, seeds and layers.
Cuttings:
- The tender can take root cuttings from late spring to mid summer and the cuttings: Lane since mid-summer through early spring.
- Should shorten the larger leaves, apply hormones, high humidity and heat of fund to facilitate the development of roots, which usually happens around 10 weeks.
- The green shoots often root better than the old (wood).
- By layering in spring and autumn.
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