How to shelter a garden rhododendron for winter: when it is done in the fall, at what temperature and how to properly build a "house" for deciduous azalea, as well as a photo

Rhododendron is increasingly found in garden areas. Abundantly flowering bushes serve as a wonderful decoration of any country house or territory near a private house.

This plant requires proper care, which includes shelter for the winter.

We will tell you when and how to cover deciduous, including Japanese, and evergreen varieties of garden azalea for the winter, how to close the plant in the "house", and also show a photo.

What is this plant?

Rhododendron, which the Greeks called the "rosewood" for its beautiful, varied shapes and colors, is an ornamental shrub (or small tree) of the Vereskov family with dense glossy leaves and large flowers that bloom in spring and early summer.

Likes acidic soil and partial shade, in the open sun it can "burn out". It responds well to plentiful watering, especially before wintering.

Rhododendrons also include azaleas, bred in greenhouses and at home. Both differ in the number of stamens (in azaleas five, in rhododendrons - seven or more) and in appearance of the lower side of the leaves (in azaleas it is smooth, in rhododendrons it is finely scaly).

Why is seasonal protection important for a flower?

Rhododendrons come from the highlands of the northern hemisphere. Wild shrubs easily tolerate severe frosts that occur at high altitudes.

Reference. However, there are varieties bred by breeders (mostly evergreen) that are not so hardy and must be sheltered for the winter. In addition, they do not tolerate strong winds (and in winter blizzards are frequent) and the bright winter sun. Young plants also need shelter, which are undergoing acclimatization and are not yet very strong.

Do I need to shelter in the fall?

Deciduous rhododendrons (Daurian, Japanese, yellow, Canadian), as a rule, do not need to be covered, you can cover only the root neck of the mulch. It is imperative to shelter the evergreens - from snow, and from the wind, and from sunburn. Even if the leaves of this plant can withstand the cold due to the ability to save moisture, the flower buds will freeze and the bush will lose its decorative effect.

Read more about whether to cover rhododendron for the winter, it is written here.

At what temperature?

Since rhododendrons are originally winter-hardy plants, they are not afraid of small frosts. You can think about shelter when a stable low temperature is established - from -10 ° C and below.

Up to this point, you can even do harm by closing the bushes from minor cold weather: the root neck will begin to warp and the plant will die. Suddenly changing weather - either frost or thaw - is also not useful for bushes.

In the middle zone of Russia rhododendrons usually shelter in mid-November, and judging by the last years, when the winter was late, then in early December.

Material selection

The rhododendron bush is lignified, the trunk and branches can break under the weight of snow. Therefore, the shelter must be durable, light and reliable.

For the construction of the frame, you can use various materials:

corrugated cardboard - suitable for low shrubs younger than a year;
plastic arches for greenhouses;
wooden blocks - a strong frame is built from them;
metal arches 6-10 mm thick (you can use an insulated cable);
metal fittings;
plywood.

As a covering material, it is best to use:

spanbond;
burlap;
garden batting.

Important! You can not cover the rhododendron with a plastic film - it creates unbearable conditions for the plant: the accumulation of condensate without ventilation, which is why there is a high risk of development of rot or rot.

Here's how to cover rhododendron for the winter and what material to choose.

Make a "house" yourself or buy ready-made?

If there is no time or opportunity to make a cover structure yourself, you can buy it. Garden stores sell inexpensive, ready-made shelters for rhododendronsconsisting of a wire frame and a cover made of garden cover batting. They are convenient to use: the plant can be quickly covered and quickly closed.

However, according to gardeners, the frames of such structures are not very durable. Therefore, if you have the time, desire and the necessary materials, you can make a "house" for the rhododendron yourself.

Nuances for different types of azaleas

All types of azaleas are very sensitive to lack of moisture, so the shelter protects not only from frost, but also from drying out.

Deciduous azalea - a bush up to one and a half meters high with large flowers of various shades from white to lilac. Before sheltering, you need to bend the branches to the ground and sprinkle with oak leaf litter, peat or soil so that they do not freeze in winter.
Japanese azalea - This is a dwarf variety of rhododendron (30-50 cm) with small flowers (3 cm) of different colors from orange to pink. It can grow at home, and after flowering - and on the street. Before sheltering, the Japanese azalea should be abundantly watered - before the frost begins, and after cooling to -10 ° C cover with a spanbond.
Evergreen azalea - bush up to 1 m high, flowers with a diameter of 7 cm. An adult plant tolerates frosts well up to -30 ° C. Only young azaleas that can be covered with fir spruce need protection.
Katevba azalea, otherwise called multi-flowered, is one of the most winter-hardy varieties up to 2-3 m high with large (up to 15 cm) leathery leaves and flowers of lilac-lilac color. Before wintering, treatment with fungicides is recommended. Katevbinskaya azalea is not afraid of severe frosts, therefore it is sheltered from the wind and the sun, making a frame of boards or bars covered with non-woven material.

Some gardeners believe that all kinds of azaleas and rhododendrons should be sheltered for the winter - since winters are very cold and windy.

How to close it - step by step instructions

Before shelter, be sure to abundantly water the bush under the root and on the leaves and mulch to a height of 5 to 20 cm (depending on growth) the trunk circle of fallen oak leaves, rotted pine needles and peat.

Reference. For mulch, it is better to take dry oak leaves, since they rot for the longest.

Inventory preparation

You will need materials for the manufacture of the frame:

saw;
screwdriver;
screws;
hacksaw for metal;
jigsaw for cutting plywood.

When using any frame, covering material will be needed:

twine or special plastic fasteners;
knife or scissors.

Method selection

Next, you need to determine the method of shelter, which depends on the age of the bush, its height and width, as well as on the type of rhododendron.

First way:
1. A frame is made of three boards or bars fastened in the form of a wigwam. Its height is calculated so that the shelter is at a distance of 15-20 cm from the branches.
2. They pull on the frame a ready-made purchased cover (or sewn independently) from a covering material so that the bottom of the cover lies on the ground.
3. The cover is spread, the part lying on the soil is crushed with bricks or simply sprinkled with earth, so that the shelter is not blown away from the wind.
The second way:
1. A vertical arc frame is constructed of plastic arcs (as for a greenhouse) or wire / cable (6-10 mm thick) with a step of 30-35 cm. Across the arcs, the wire is also fixed at a distance of 30 cm, so that a mesh with cells is obtained.
2. Covering material is thrown onto the frame and fixed on top with the same frame or tied with twine. You can fix the spanbond with plastic mounts.
3. The bottom of the shelter is also crushed with bricks or soil.
Such a frame can be installed before the onset of cold weather, leaving one end open for ventilation. When stable frosts are established (below -10 ° C), close both ends.
The third way:
1. The bush is wrapped with metal or plastic mesh, or they simply set the inclined supports around it - the height should be greater than the height of the bush itself.
2. Spunbond (lutrasil) is thrown onto this net (supports), carefully cover the bush and tied around with twine.
3. The bottom of the shelter is pressed to the ground.
Fourth way:
1. They build a "stool", the legs of which can be wooden or metal fittings, and the roof - from a piece of plywood.
2. Cover the resulting structure with spanbod or lutrasil.
3. The edges of the material are pressed to the ground.
This method is also suitable for stunted plants.
The fifth way:
1. In a cardboard box (it is better to take corrugated cardboard), holes are made for ventilation.
2. A box is set on a bush.
3. Cover the structure with a covering material, the edges of which are attached to the soil.
Suitable for young low bushes.
Attention! You can not put spanbond on a bush without a frame - under the weight of the snow, branches will break and flower buds will crush. Any frame should not touch the branches, it is better if there is at least 15 cm to them.

Photo

Next, you can see what a winter shelter looks like for garden azaleas.

Possible mistakes

The location of the frame is too close to the branches.
Thin arcs - bent under the weight of the snow.
Material not pressed from below.
Lack of watering and mulching before shelter.
Shelter too early.
The use of film.

Winter care

Caring for a sheltered plant is as follows:

maintaining the "house" in general condition;
shaking off excess snow;
replacing cover material torn from the wind.

Problems and solutions

If the shelter is too early, rooting of the neck of the neck can begin, and the bush will die, in addition, the leaves will turn black due to condensation.
If the rhododendron is already covered and it is too difficult to disassemble the structure, you can simply open the spanbond on one side for air circulation.
If the shelter is too late at the "rosewood" leaves may curl into a tube. At the same time, they are as if gathering in a fist, lowered down. Do not worry, because this is a natural process - twisted leaves save moisture, and "hanging" does not allow snow to collect on them.

When do I need to shoot?

In spring, when the heat comes, you can remove the shelter from the rhododendrons. Warm up at the time of the opening of the bushes should not only air but also the ground, because when the air has already warmed up well, and the ground is still frozen, the leaves begin to evaporate moisture, and the roots cannot get it yet. The draining of the plant begins. To speed up the process of thawing the soil, it is necessary to water the rhododendron.

Reference. Rhododendrons can only be opened on a cloudy day, as leaves that have weakened during the winter are afraid of burns from the bright spring sun.

Useful video

More information on how to properly cover the rhoddendron for the winter is provided in the video:

Conclusion

If you correctly make a "house" for the rhododendron and cover the bush in time, it will winter without problems and in the spring will delight gardeners with bright beautiful flowers. It is important to know the rules for sheltering rhododendrons and azaleas for the winter and observe them.