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Rhododendron can be propagated not only with the help of ready-made seedlings purchased from a special nursery. If there is at least one shrub of this species on the site, you can use proven methods of growing ornamental crops and expand your collection of rhododendrons.
How to grow rhododendrons
Rhododendron is a very beautiful ornamental crop that is unpretentious to growing conditions. The visual appeal of rhododendron and its botanical characteristics make the plant quite expensive. If you want to plant several shrubs on your site at once, you will have to spend a lot on purchasing seedlings. However, it is possible to avoid unnecessary expenses and use planting material taken from existing plants.
You can save on rhododendron propagation by resorting to propagating the plant yourself. There are the following ways to propagate rhododendron at home:
- cuttings;
- growing from seeds;
- propagation by layering;
- dividing the bush.
It should be noted that home propagation of rhododendron is a rather slow process, and this is its main disadvantage. A ready-made seedling allows you to enjoy the decorative appearance of the plant as early as next year, whereas with independent propagation, the shrub will reach full strength only after a few years. But growing shrubs on your own is very interesting, quite simple and allows you to do without costs. That is why methods of propagating rhododendron are popular among gardeners.
How to propagate rhododendron from cuttings
The most common way to propagate shrubs is by cuttings, or growing an individual plant from a small shoot taken from an existing bush. The advantages of cuttings include not only the simplicity of the process, but also the speed of reproduction of rhododendron - in some cases, after 1-2 years the shrub can begin to bloom beautifully for the first time.
The first stage of cuttings is the preparation of material for propagation. It is carried out according to the following rules:
- from the end of May to mid-June, shoots are cut on an adult bush - it is necessary to cut rhododendron with young annual shoots that are already half lignified;
- the length of the cuttings is left from 7 to 15 cm, while on each piece a few leaves are left at the top, and the leaves at the bottom are removed;
- The lower part of the shoot is cut with a sharp, clean blade at an angle of 45 °; the cut should not be straight, but inclined.
After the cuttings for rhododendron propagation are prepared, they will need to be placed in water with the addition of a growth stimulator for a day.If you follow the rules of reproduction, you can root a rhododendron without a stimulant, but the process may take a long time.
While rhododendron is being propagated by cuttings in water with a stimulant added to it, it is necessary to prepare nutrient soil and pour it into a small container. The soil for the cutting should correspond to the usual requirements of an adult shrub. Since rhododendron prefers soil with a high level of acidity, it is customary to prepare mixtures of peat, sand and coniferous soil, taken in equal proportions, for cuttings.
The further process is as follows:
- the prepared soil is placed in small containers, lightly compacted and leveled;
- the cuttings are placed in the substrate at a slight inclination of 30 ° with a slight depth;
- the soil around the shoots is lightly pressed and watered abundantly;
- cover the container with plastic wrap and place the cutting in a room with a temperature of about 25 ° C and good lighting.
For rapid rooting, rhododendron cuttings require not only high temperature, but also high humidity - the containers are covered with film for just this purpose. But since the cuttings need access to oxygen, the film needs to be lifted from time to time so that the plant can breathe.
In homemade miniature “greenhouses” the cuttings remain for 2-3 months, this is the average time it takes them to take root. Growing rhododendron from cuttings is not difficult; the plant reproduces very well - if you follow the rules of propagation, the shoots are almost guaranteed to give strong roots.
- Since rooting of cuttings planted in early or mid-summer occurs closer to autumn, the first wintering of young plants takes place at home.
- The stronger cuttings are transplanted into new, more spacious containers, trying to preserve the old substrate around their roots. Fresh soil should also be acidic, consisting mainly of peat with the addition of pine needles.
- The transplanted cuttings are watered regularly, carefully monitoring the level of soil moisture.
- A couple of weeks after transplanting, the plants can be fed with nitrogen fertilizers for the first time - this will ensure faster and more successful growth.
Throughout the winter, young rhododendrons must be kept in a bright but cool room; it is best if the temperature does not rise above 12-15 °C.
You can plant cuttings in open ground in the spring, in a temporary place where the plants can finally get stronger. You can also leave young rhododendrons at home for 1-2 years and simply transfer them to larger containers. In the latter case, after 1-2 years the plants can be immediately planted in a permanent plot.
Propagation of rhododendrons by seeds
Reproduction, planting and care of rhododendrons is also carried out using the seed method - seeds can be purchased at the store or collected independently from adult rhododendrons on your site. The seeds of the shrub fully ripen in late autumn, when the capsule becomes brownish-greenish and the seeds inside it turn brown.At this time, in dry weather, it is necessary to collect.
The seeds are not sown immediately after harvest, but in February or early March. For sprouts, you need to select containers with drainage holes at the bottom and fill them with a standard soil mixture for rhododendrons - soil consisting of peat, sand and pine needles. Before planting seeds, the soil must be disinfected - seeds are especially sensitive to any infections.
When planting seeds, you need to adhere to the following algorithm:
- pour soil into the prepared containers, but do not compact it or water it;
- the seeds are scattered on the ground, since some of the planting material may not sprout; it is more practical to initially take fairly wide containers and place several seedlings in them at once;
- between individual seeds leave gaps of about 1.5 cm - this will avoid subsequent thinning of the seedlings;
- The seedlings are carefully watered with water without covering them with soil on top, and then covered with film to create greenhouse conditions.
The first stage of propagating rhododendron by seeds is the simplest. After sowing, the container with the seeds should be placed in a warm, bright room with a temperature of about 25 °C. The soil needs to be moistened as needed, and the film should also be periodically removed from the container to ensure oxygen access.
The first shoots may appear in just 2-3 weeks, and the film from the containers can be removed. But it is at this stage that difficulties will arise in growing rhododendron.
- Sprouts obtained from seeds have increased sensitivity to temperatures. You can’t leave the seedlings in the heat; they will grow too weak and quickly die at the slightest stress. It is best to place the container with sprouts in a cool room with a temperature no higher than 12-15 °C.
- Rhododendrons propagated by seed are demanding on the watering regime. Drying out the soil leads to almost instantaneous death of seedlings, but sprouts also react poorly to waterlogging. It is necessary to constantly monitor the level of soil moisture, and it is better to supply the sprouts with moisture through the tray as before - this reduces the risk of moisture stagnation in the soil.
- When the seedlings get a little stronger, they will need to be taken out into the fresh air for a short time once a day. The process is a hardening of plants; rhododendrons from seeds must get used to outdoor conditions in advance.
As June approaches, the seedlings can be moved to larger containers and the distance between individual sprouts slightly increased. Once warm weather sets in, young rhododendrons can be taken out into the garden and left in the fresh air until autumn - this will strengthen the plants and make them more resilient. The container should be placed in a lighted place, but protection should be provided from direct sunlight.
In the autumn of the first year, rhododendron seedlings are brought back into the house into a cool room with a temperature below 18 °C. You can’t leave the plant outside yet; the seedlings are still too weak and vulnerable. During the winter, they are carefully watered; it will also be useful to organize artificial lighting for the seedlings so that the daylight hours for the rhododendron are at least 16 hours.
With the onset of spring in early March, the young plants will need to be replanted and the distance between the shoots increased again. A couple of weeks after this, the rhododendron can be fed for the first time with nitrogen fertilizers for active growth. In the second summer, the plant is again taken out into the garden and left until autumn, and with the onset of cold weather it is returned indoors.
Thus, rhododendron is planted from seeds into open ground only in the third spring after propagation - in a temporary place. The shrub should strengthen itself in outdoor conditions for another 1-2 years, and only then can it be transferred to a prepared permanent site.
Propagation of rhododendron by seeds is considered quite difficult, since young shoots very often die at the slightest change in temperature or when watering fails. The disadvantages of this method of propagation include the fact that it will be possible to plant plants in the ground in their final location only after a few years, and rhododendron will begin to bloom after 6-10 years.
How to propagate rhododendron by layering
Another popular method involves growing shrubs outdoors - propagating rhododendron by layering. In this case, rooting occurs directly in the ground, and already in the first year the layering overwinters in the open air. The propagation procedure must be carried out in the spring; if you postpone it until later, the shoots will not have time to take root and will die.
The breeding procedure is as follows:
- an adult rhododendron is carefully examined and several long shoots are selected, located as close to the ground as possible;
- the shoots are bent to the ground and in the place where they come into contact with the soil surface, a small cut is made along the wood, slightly splitting the stems;
- You can place small chips in the places of the cuts - this will promote rapid rooting and prevent the cuts from closing;
- make small depressions about 15 cm deep in the ground, place cut shoots in the holes and secure them with wire or staples;
- The layering is covered with soil suitable for rhododendron on top and mulched with a layer of peat.
The upper part of the shoot should remain above the ground. During the summer, the cuttings are regularly watered.
As a rule, by autumn the cuttings take root quite well. However, they must survive the first winter, still being connected to the mother bush; if the transplant is carried out in the fall, the plant will not have time to adapt to the new place and will die.
Before the onset of cold weather, the layering is covered with spruce branches and dry leaves. In the spring, the shelter is removed and young plants are carefully dug out of the ground, after which they are separated from the main bush. It is better to preserve the earthen lump that has formed around the roots and replant the rhododendron along with it, so as not to damage the young shrub. Immediately after planting in a permanent place, the rhododendron is watered, mulched and carefully monitored throughout the season until the plant has fully adapted.
How does street rhododendron reproduce by dividing the bush?
Reproduction by dividing the bush is a reliable, but not the most popular agricultural method. Despite the fact that it is quite simple to propagate rhododendron in this way, very few new plants can be produced from the mother bush, and besides, the bush itself receives quite serious damage.
Reproduction by dividing the bush occurs as follows:
- an adult, healthy, well-grown rhododendron is selected on the site, the decorative effect of which will not suffer from the division procedure;
- in the spring, with a sharp shovel, the mother bush is cut into several separate parts, each of them must have strong, intact roots and healthy shoots;
- small roots near the base of the bush are removed with a knife, the separated bush is planted in acidic prepared soil in a specially created greenhouse, or, in the case of a small bush, in a spacious container.
Further care for the separated bush is carried out according to the standard scheme - in the first year of life, the rhododendron needs regular watering, mineral fertilizing and protection from direct sunlight. For the winter, the rhododendron still remains in the greenhouse, although the temperature in it drops significantly.
A year after separation from the main bush, new shoots appear in the plant, and at the beginning of summer the rhododendron is transplanted to a permanent place in open ground, where it continues its formation.
Advice from experienced gardeners
Rhododendrons can be propagated in many ways. In addition to the existing algorithms for planting seeds, cuttings and layering, there are also some nuances of growing shrubs that experienced gardeners know about.
- Which rhododendron propagation method to choose depends on its individual characteristics and the type of shrub. Seed propagation is most often used to increase the population of wild rhododendrons. For varietal ornamental species, it is better to choose to plant rhododendron by cuttings or use layering, so the plants are more likely to take root successfully and retain all the characteristics of the main bush.
- For any propagation, it is necessary to take planting material only from strong and healthy plants. Sick and weakened rhododendrons will produce offspring that are equally weak and prone to wilting.
- When propagating rhododendron by cuttings at home, the plant may begin to form buds in the second year of life - even before planting in the ground. At this moment, it is best to cut off the buds and pinch the tops of the plant’s shoots; the fact is that early flowering is detrimental to the growth of vegetative mass. In the first years of a plant’s life, care should be taken primarily to ensure that it produces more strong roots and grows shoots.
- Cuttings of evergreen rhododendrons, as well as propagation by layering or seeds, is a more complex process than propagation of deciduous rhododendrons. Shrubs that shed their leaves for the winter are more unpretentious and, in general, are much more amenable to cultivation at home.
In general, for beginners, gardeners most recommend breeding rhododendrons by cuttings or layering. Both of these methods of propagation are very simple, while seed propagation or dividing a bush requires more experience and knowledge and also has significant disadvantages.
Conclusion
You can propagate rhododendron without spending too much on ready-made seedlings - home propagation methods allow you to independently increase the number of beautiful and graceful shrubs. However, when propagating rhododendrons at home, you need to prepare for the fact that the process will not be fast, and the plant will reach maximum decorativeness only after a few years.
