Azalea care and fertilization rules

Azalea blooms in winter, during the New Year holidays, on days when it is freezing and snowing outside. However, all this charm is often not maintained for a long time. In order for the azalea to grow and continue to delight others, it is necessary to choose the right food for this plant.

Azalea care rules

To protect the flower from imminent death, to ensure long-term flowering and maintain its healthy appearance, it is necessary to adhere to certain care rules.

One of the most important is proper lighting. Azalea is a fairly light-loving plant, so the lightest window is most suitable for it. It is better if this is a window from the north or east side, since this flower should also be in a slightly cool place. The maximum air temperature for this flower is 12-15 ° C, the air in the room should be slightly humid, because dryness and heat are two main enemies of azaleas. Azalea should never be in a draft.

The soil for this capricious plant should be loose and acidic; a special soil that is directly intended for azaleas is best suited. Soil is also suitable for growing ferns and orchids. Such soil can be easily purchased at any flower shop or ordered online.

In the event that you decide to prepare the earthen mixture yourself at home, you must definitely include leafy soil, sand and high moor peat in it. Hydroponics are also great for growing azaleas. The pot must be spacious, but not too deep, and have good drainage at the bottom.

An important place in the care of azaleas is taken by proper watering. The soil should be slightly damp at all times, but not wet. It is absolutely necessary to avoid stagnant water. The root system of this plant is designed in such a way that it looks like a crumpled felt, so the azalea does not tolerate both drought and strong moisture. In both the first and second cases, the leaves begin to darken, and soon they completely fall off.

To avoid this unpleasant phenomenon, water for irrigating azaleas must also be prepared in advance. Ideal for azaleas is cold yet soft water. Since this flower does not tolerate lime, you need to add a few drops of vinegar and a few grains of citric or oxalic acid to the watering liquid. Watering with snow water gives a very positive effect. To do this, in winter, you can bring snow from the street and spread it on the surface of the earth in an azalea pot. In summer, this watering can be carried out using melted ice when defrosting the refrigerator.

Fertilizer for azalea

Since azalea is a very delicate flower, not all fertilizers are suitable for it. Optimal in this case will be special feeding "Azalea", which are produced by different brands and presented in the form of a stick. In the spring-summer period, it is recommended to fertilize the plant once a week, and in winter - once a month.

During the flowering period, you should pay attention to such fertilizers as "Kemira-Lux" and "Uniflor-Bud", they will help to increase budding and accelerate flowering, since they contain a large amount of phosphorus and potassium. The main thing when choosing a fertilizer is to pay attention to the fact that there is no chlorine in the composition, because it is harmful to azaleas.

To stimulate the growth and flowering of azaleas, fertilizers such as Zircon, Epin-Extra, HB-101, Ecogel-Antistress and many others are perfect, which can be easily purchased at any flower shop.Preparations can be presented in various forms: liquid, dry, sticks, suppositories, granules and others. But, despite the fact that caring for an azalea is quite troublesome, the result is still worth the effort.

Observing all the rules and providing this plant with the necessary care, you can not only avoid the disease of the bush, but also enjoy its beauty and good mood for a long time!