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Rhododendron Anneke belongs to the Knapp Hill-Exbury hybrid group, which is one of the most frost-resistant, which is especially suitable for growing crops in the Russian climate. Rhododendron Anneke is a yellow variety of perennial, deciduous shrub. The plant is used in the design of garden plots and is decorative throughout the warm season.
Description of Rhododendron Anneke
Rhododendron Anneke forms a slender, compact bush. The growth of branches is vertical, the growth rate is good. An adult plant over 10 years old reaches a height of 1.2 m and a width of 1.5 m. The leaves are elliptical, glossy. In summer they are green, in autumn they change color to yellow.
Flowering begins in the second year of cultivation. Anneke rhododendron begins to bloom together with the leaves blooming, from the end of April until the first ten days of June.
A photo of Anneke's rhododendron shows that the plant produces monochromatic flowers, bell-shaped, lemon-yellow in color, and 6-8 cm in diameter.The stamens are yellow, long, and curved. The petals bend back with a slight twist. 7-10 flowers are formed in the inflorescence. Flowering is abundant.
Winter hardiness of rhododendron Anneke
The yellow deciduous Anneke rhododendron tolerates winters well. Belongs to frost resistance zone - 5. Withstands freezing down to -30°C without shelter.
Planting and caring for Anneke rhododendron
Rhododendron Anneke grows well in both sunny areas and shade. It is best to plant it in groups of 3 or more bushes. Ornamental shrubs are planted near walls, in open areas of lawns and near ponds.
To grow rhododendron Anneke, you need an acidic substrate, which is used for planting and mulching the soil.
Hostas and ferns are used in joint plantings. Ornamental shrubs are not planted next to trees that have a wide and dense root system, for example, large spruce, lilac and bird cherry.
Deciduous rhododendron is planted in a place where the soil around the bush will not be trampled. Also, for crops with a shallow root system, loosening and digging of the soil around the bush is not used.
Selection and preparation of a landing site
A deciduous shrub can grow in one place for 30 years. Therefore, you should think in advance about a place for permanent cultivation, taking into account the growth of the bush. The proximity of crops is also taken into account. The distance between bushes and trees is maintained at least 70 cm.
Plants are demanding on soil composition. Growing ornamental shrubs requires an acidic soil reaction - pH 4-5.5. To do this, in areas with a different type of soil, holes or platforms are dug and the soil is completely replaced with a suitable one.
Seedling preparation
Seedlings with a closed root system, growing in containers before planting, can be planted at any time during the warm period. When removing a seedling from a container, it is necessary to inspect its root system. When growing in a container, the roots of the plant, which have been in contact with the walls for a long time, die off.
It will be difficult for young roots located inside the coma to break through the formed felt layer. In open ground, such a plant will not develop and will die. Therefore, the felt layer of dead roots is removed completely or cut in several places.
Landing rules
To plant the Anneke rhododendron, prepare a planting hole, the size of which is several times larger than the earthen ball of the seedling. The soil removed from the planting hole is mixed in equal parts with coniferous litter, which includes bark, needles, and small branches of coniferous trees. Red high-moor peat is also used for the substrate.
Sand is added to the soil mixture to loosen it, and a complex mineral composition is used as fertilizer. The prepared components are mixed. Drainage is poured at the bottom of the hole to a height of 20 cm. The acidic substrate is poured up to half of the planting hole or in quantity, depending on the size of the seedling.
The seedling is lowered vertically into the planting hole. The main rule when planting is not to deepen the root collar of the plant, leaving it above the ground at a height of 2 cm.The planting is covered with the remaining mixed substrate and pressed down so that there are no voids left between the root system and the soil. After planting, the plant is watered abundantly.
Pine bark is used for mulching, adding it several times a season. When growing ornamental shrubs, do not use manure, black soil or lowland peat.
Watering and fertilizing
The soil under the Anneke rhododendron is always kept moderately moist. Water the bush with heated rainwater, and add an acidifier to the water for irrigation once a month. In dry weather, the crown is sprayed.
For active flowering, the shrub needs fertilizing. For this purpose, liquid fertilizers are used for rhododendrons or flowering plants.
Trimming
The deciduous Anneke rhododendron lends itself well to pruning and shaping. But due to the small annual growth, most often only sanitary pruning is used when growing. Only old or broken shoots are removed.
Preparing for winter
Rhododendron Anneke is frost-resistant. But in severe frosts it must be protected with dry shelter. Due to its early flowering, the hybrid is more suitable for southern growing regions.
Reproduction of deciduous rhododendron Anneke
Anneke hybrid rhododendron is propagated vegetatively: by cuttings and layering. Cuttings of early flowering shrubs are taken at the end of spring. Planting material is taken from the tops of healthy bushes and from semi-lignified shoots.
The cuttings are cut from 7 to 10 cm in size, the cut is made at an angle of 45°. A few leaves are left on top of the cuttings, the lower ones are torn off. Planting material is soaked in growth stimulants for a day.Grow in a planting container, in a soil mixture for rhododendrons. On average, cuttings take several months to take root.
Diseases and pests
Heather crops are susceptible to many fungal diseases. Especially pathogenic microflora spreads due to errors in care and the wrong place of cultivation.
Diseases of rhododendrons:
- gray rot;
- rust;
- late blight
Changes in leaf color that are not associated with seasonal changes or fungal diseases are often associated with insufficient soil acidity.
Rhododendron pests are also spreaders of diseases and independently cause damage to shrubs.
Pests of rhododendrons:
- acacia false scale;
- rhododendron bug;
- spider mite;
- rhododendron whitefly;
- slugs
When growing ornamental shrubs, it is necessary to carry out preventive inspections. Some insect larvae can be difficult to detect. Therefore, to prevent diseases, spraying is used with drugs with a wide spectrum of action: insecticides, fungicides and acaricides.
Conclusion
Rhododendron Anneke is one of the brightest yellow flowering shrubs. In spring it blooms first in the garden. Changing leaf color throughout the season allows the shrub to remain decorative even after flowering. Rhododendron requires special growing conditions.
