Treat yourself to a fragrant exotic plant: azalea Nabucco, the secrets of growing and caring for a flower

Azalea Nabucco is a whimsical tropical flower, but with proper care, it can grow into a beautifully flowering shrub, decorating gardens and household plots, flower beds, flower beds, grows well on spacious loggias and balconies.

Azalea, often called deciduous rhododendron, is considered a real exotic beauty. It blooms for a very long time and lush buds cover the bush itself.

The rules of care, sorting, flowering period and step-by-step instructions for growing a plant, you will learn about this from our article.

Description

Azalea Nabucco - decorative deciduous flower - shrub. This species belongs to the large heather family - there are about 800 of its representatives. Translated, azalea means "rosewood" - a flowering and fragrant exotic plant. This species belongs to deciduous shrubs. It is evergreen or semi-evergreen. The homeland of the Nabucco azaleas is Japan, the Himalayas, Southeast Asia and Australia.

At the age of 9 - 10 years, the Nabucco azalea reaches one and a half meter growth, up to 1 m wide its crown grows. Blooms in late spring. Flowering occurs simultaneously with the blooming of leaves - this is a feature of Nabucco azalea.

The flowers are quite large, up to 8 - 9 cm bright scarlet, with curved stamens. Flowers are collected in dense inflorescences. During flowering, do not fade from the sun.

Places of landing are desirable secluded, windless. Azalea Nabucco loves partial shade. Usually planted near juniper bushes and other needles. Watering is required plentiful and regular, aridity of the soil is unacceptable - the flower may die. The grade is frost-resistant.

Tip: if the winter is not snowy and windy, it is advisable to cover the Nabucco azalea with any dry coating.

History of occurrence

Azalea Nabucco is a relatively young hybrid of azaleas Knapp Hill (NEP Hill). Natural representatives of azaleas were discovered by scientists - breeders in the early 20th century. These exotic flowers were called Kurum azaleas. In modern floriculture, sub-grades of the hybrid Nabucco variety have appeared, which are perfectly adaptable to our conditions, quite resistant to winters in our regions.

Differences from other rhododendron species

During flowering, flowers and leaves bloom simultaneously. Watering should be intensified, Nabucco azalea does not tolerate drought - this is the peculiarity of caring for exotic. It is this type of azalea that adapts well to open ground, it is considered a frost-resistant species.

Subcort

Kamchatsky

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The bush spreads over the surface of the soil, is a deciduous variety. The flowers are large, blooming in June. Flowering is not numerous, but quite long. In autumn, the leaves, before dropping their leaves, are painted in a bright, orange - red color. In nature, this species grows in Kamchatka, Alaska and Japan. He loves light and is quite adapted to cool areas.

You can read more about the Kamchatka rhododendron here, and in this article we talked about the azalea of ​​the Lights series.

Arabesque

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This variety is characterized by extraordinary flowering brightness. The flowers are bright red in color, have an average size of 4 - 5 cm. It blooms in mid-May. The leaves are glossy, elongated, medium size. The variety itself is low, grows slowly, always looks like a neatly growing decorative bush. In winter, the leaves change color, become dark burgundy.

Fireball

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This subspecies belongs to deciduous shrubs. The leaves are oblong, medium. When blooming, they have a bronze hue, then become dark green. In autumn, change color to red, with a raspberry hue. In the fall they get a bright orange color. It blooms in early June. The flowering is violent, the flowers themselves are fiery - red, quite large - 6 - 7 cm in length. The flowers are in the shape of a bell or a small cup. It is considered a frost-resistant fast-growing hybrid of azaleas.

Bloom

When and how?

Flowering occurs in late spring - early summer, it is so large-scale and magnificent that during flowering the bush is completely covered with bright flowers, because of which the leaves are almost invisible.

Care

Before flowering and during it requires abundant watering. After flowering, it is recommended to immediately collect dry pedicels, inflorescences. Withered leaves are also removed. When a young shoot appears, pinching is necessary. The top must be clipped - the first time in May, in the summer the procedure is repeated 2 times. A pinch forms a beautiful tree with a lush crown.

Tip: Before and after flowering, Azalea Nabucco takes a cold shower.

What to do if it does not bloom?

Damage to the roots by pests is possible - preventive measures are needed. If the Nabucco azalea is located in through winds, it may linger in development and flowering.

Use in design

Widely used by designers in the conversion of country houses. Looks good in group plantings on flowerbeds, as well as with coniferous trees or juniper bushes in the garden.

Step-by-step instructions for growing

Azalea Nabucco loves light, but it is better to place it in penumbra places.

What should be the soil?

The substrate should be acidic and loose. Mulching is preferably carried out 2 times a year, adding small coniferous bark or fallen conifer needles. The mulch layer should be 5 - 6 cm thick. Better to buy the soil mixture in the store. Suitable soil for ferns and orchids.

The composition of the substrate for Nabucco azalea:

• Heather land - 2 hours
• Sheet land - 1 h.
• Humus - 1 hour
• Shredded pine bark - 1 h.
• Expanded clay drainage base.

Experienced growers add 3 hydrogel granules to the soil mixture.

Rooting

When planting, acidic soil is used, consisting of peat and heather land. Clay heavy earth does not fit the Nabucco azalea. When planting, they dig a deep hole with a depth of 50-60 cm and a diameter of 60-70 cm. A drainage of at least 10 cm is placed at the bottom. At 50%, the pit is filled with moss - sphagnum, then filled with a ready-made special substrate.

Important: to form a drain for excess accumulated water, preventing rotting and freezing of roots in winter.

Temperature

There are varieties that can survive only in the southern latitudes; they tolerate summer temperatures well up to 25 - 30 ° C. Some frost-resistant hybrid varieties of Nabucco can withstand temperatures down to -25 ° C.

Optimum temperature: in winter - no higher than 14 ° C, and in summer it is permissible with good humidity 20 - 21 ° C.

Watering

In summer, daily watering and spraying are desirable. In winter and autumn, watering is reduced. Watering should be on the entire surface of the substrate so that the roots are not washed out. In late autumn and winter, you can only water in dry weather. Water should be purified, soft and chilled.

For watering, add 1 - 2 tsp. vinegar, lemon juice or several crystals of citric acid to neutralize lime.

In winter, you can put pieces of ice or snow in the pot. In the summer, ice cubes can be frozen for such cooling.

Top dressing

Nabucco azalea needs to be fertilized from the moment of flowering. Fertilizers must be special, intended only for acidic soils.

It is not recommended to fertilize during the formation of the kidneys - there is a risk of shedding.

In spring and summer, they feed it once a week with special fertilizers for azaleas or use a solution of nitrate and potassium sulfate - 15 - 20 g per 10 liters of water. Usually, fertilizing is combined with watering.

Pruning

Pruning is carried out every spring from a very early age on the Nabucco azalea. Immediately remove the faded inflorescences and last year's long shoots, they are cut by a third.

Nabucco azalea pruning rules:

1. Disinfect cutting tools with alcohol.
2. First, cut long shoots by a third.
3. Then thin shoots are thinned out.
4. Remove weak and diseased shoots.
5. Places of cuts are treated with charcoal or Runnet paste.

Transfer

Transplantation is carried out in early spring, it can be transplanted before and after flowering.

Transplant procedure:

1. Drain is poured into the pot, 3-4 cm thick.
2. The root is extracted from the previous pot, after soaking the substrate.
3. The old substrate is removed.
4. They clean the flower from old and diseased roots.
5. Abundant watering.

How to propagate?

This species can be propagated by cuttings:

1. The procedure is carried out from late spring to mid summer.
2. When the buds begin to be laid, cuttings are cut with a length of 8-9 cm, leaving 3-4 leaves on them.
3. Before planting, the cuttings are lowered for 1 to 2 days in a solution with a root growth stimulator.
4. Then, for rooting, they are planted in a ready-made special substrate.

Attention: the optimum temperature for rooting cuttings is 20 - 25 ° C. Regular watering and spraying are recommended.

It is necessary to ensure the circulation of warm air from below - usually they lift containers with cuttings on a bench. After rooting, seedlings should not be immediately planted in open ground, they should be wintered in a cool room with a temperature of 2 - 5 ° C.

Diseases and Pests

The most dangerous pests for Nabucco azalea:

• Spider mite braids branches and leaves with a thin cobweb, eats leafy sap, leaves become brown - gray and fall off. Washing the leaves with a soap solution will help. You can spray with a solution of Actellik: 2 - 3 ml per liter of water.
• Azalea Moth twists the leaves into a tube. Leaves dry and fall off. Helps with this disease sulfur.
• Rhododendral Bedbugs - The main pests of Nabucco azalea. They leave ugly spots on the leaves, lay eggs inside the bush. Diazine treatment required.

The most common diseases of beautiful azalea:

1. Chlorosis Nabucco azalea leaves begin because of hard water or heavy soil. It is necessary to feed the flower with iron chelate. Soil replacement will be required.
2. Late blight - rotting of the root. It is necessary to adjust the breathability of the substrate and irrigation. Spraying the leaves with a phytoerm solution will help.

Prevention of various problems

• The leaves of the Nabucco azalea darkened, began to fall off - improper watering, it is necessary to adjust it.
• If the leaves turn yellow, the flower lacks nitrogen, magnesium or iron. The process of photosynthesis is disrupted, the leaves become pale. Necessarily need fertilizing with complex fertilizers.
• In summer, the leaves wrinkled and spots appeared on them - you need to increase the air humidity, “cool” the flower with ice, and shade the windows, especially at lunchtime.

Breeding Nabucco azaleas requires knowledge, skills and efforts. But if you follow all the rules for caring for the exotic, prune and feed it in time, you can expect its generous flowering.