Japanese rhododendron and Katevba rhododendron will make a wonderful pair

Rhododendrons - decoration of any garden, they amaze with the variety and beauty of their flowers. Some of the rhododendrons are only 10 cm tall, others can reach 10 meters in height. The leaves of rhododendrons can be evergreen (remain on the plant for about seven years, e.g. Sikhotinsky rhododendron), deciduous (fall from spring to autumn, e.g. Japanese rhododendron) or wintering (remain on the plant for one year). The shapes of the leaves are also varied - round, ovoid, ellipsoid, spear-shaped.

Rhododendron is a grateful and almost unpretentious culture. However, for the garden you should choose a plant that will withstand the weather conditions of your area; many rhododendrons are not winter-hardy or young shoots freeze slightly.

Among the most popular rhododendrons for the strip where there are severe winters: Japanese rhododendron, Daurian rhododendron, Sikhotinsky rhododendron, yellow rhododendron, Caucasian rhododendron, Smirnov rhododendron, Katevba rhododendron.

Suitable for rhododendron semi-silty place with permeable soil. The soil under the rhododendron should not be loosened, as the surface roots are damaged, and should be fed very carefully; only if necessary, special nitrogen fertilizers should be added in the spring.

Rhododendron requires regular watering, it does not tolerate drought well, the water should not be cold and chlorinated.

After wintering, all damaged or dead parts of the plant should be cut out; rejuvenating pruning can be done. After the rhododendron has faded, all the inflorescences must be carefully torn off or cut off so that they are not replaced.

If rhododendron is planted in poor unsuitable soil, there are no nutrients and regular watering, then the plant weakens and is affected by pests, diseases and does not tolerate wintering well.

To be on the safe side, the plant can be covered with agrofibre for the winter and the root circle can be mulched.

When choosing a rhododendron, it is also worth considering the life form of the plant in order to correctly distribute the rhododendrons. For example, Japanese rhododendron decorative from spring to autumn, with its green foliage, flowers and then orange-red coloring of the foliage, but in winter the plant sheds its leaves, so it should be placed next to a plant that is decorative in winter, for example, it can be planted rhododendron katevba, which is evergreen.