Introduction of Rhododendron Pruning Methods
(1) plastic
The 1 ~ 4-year-old rhododendron has a small tree body, so the purpose of pruning and cultivation is to accelerate the growth as much as possible and cultivate a good tree skeleton.
The methods used include coring and thinning branches, but it also depends on the growth of seedlings. If the growth is vigorous, when the new shoots grow to 4 ~ 5 cm in that year, pick the stone. After coring, the top of the branch usually grows 2 ~ 3 branches in different directions, and many branches can grow 4 branches. But in order not to let the crown spread disorderly in the future, only two branches were left. In the second year, after two branches are cored, 2 ~ 3 branches are left, and coring is continued in the third year. When the number of branches reaches about 20, the tree is formed.
For weak seedlings, we can strengthen the management of fertilizer and water, and don't pick the core for the time being, otherwise the sprouted branches will be thinner after picking the core. At the same time, the buds formed during this period should be peeled off. In order to maintain nutrients, let them grow more branches and let them grow well so as to form as soon as possible.
The coring frequency is generally one year 1 time, and more coring times will affect the high growth and crown development of plants in the future. At the same time, more coring times, more branches and more nutrient consumption lead to insufficient branches, and the growth potential will be weakened in the second year.
The number of thinning branches varies with varieties. Xi Juan's "Crown" and "Red Kirin" are very short. If there are too many branches left, the crown of the tree will not open, so more branches should be thinned. Chun Yan' has long branches, so it can be left more appropriately; Twelve-power weight' has few branches and does not need to be refined.
(2) Pruning
Pruning period is usually carried out after flowering in spring, 1 1 month later. Different age stages have different pruning purposes and methods, so the pruning of rhododendrons is generally carried out according to their age stages.
5 ~ 10-year-old rhododendron, the tree skeleton is initially formed, but it is still in the early flowering stage. According to this feature, the pruning method is to combine thinning with short cutting, continue to improve the tree structure, and properly smear buds, peel buds and sparse flowers at flowering stage.
In the early stage, the adventitious buds should be erased at any time to prevent them from growing into branches, and all the sprouting branches clustered at the base of the plant should be thinned out to avoid consuming nutrients. Cutting the branches that grow too high and too long is to cultivate the crown into a round head; Rhododendron is usually not suitable for use because it is a terminal flower bud and will fall off when cut short. The length of the stump should be determined according to the needs of the tree shape and branch posture. Because many adventitious buds germinate after cutting, they should be smeared to maintain ideal branching. There are too many buds, which makes the nutrition scattered and not concentrated. Generally, it is necessary to peel the buds at this time. The method is to pinch the top of the branch with one hand and the bud tip with the other hand and break it to one side. After the bud blooms, it should be thinned.
/kloc-Rhododendron from 0/0 to 20 years has begun to take shape and entered its full bloom stage. The purpose of pruning in this period is to maintain the healthy growth and normal flowering of plants. The method adopted is thinning branches and flowers. Sparse weak branches, pests and diseases, dead branches, cross branches, overlapping branches, over-dense branches, sprouting branches, etc. That is, all branches that hinder growth and tree shape are sparse. At the same time, for branches with too many buds, the buds should be properly removed so as not to affect the germination of new shoots. In order to prevent the phenomenon of flowering every other year, plants should be properly spaced to ensure high-quality flowering every year.
Rhododendrons over 20 years old are flourishing, with full crowns and many flowers, which is the best time for viewing. Pruning is mainly about thinning branches and flowers. In addition to the thinning of branches mentioned above, we should also cut off branches that do not bloom and only consume nutrients and disturb the tree shape. Proper flower thinning is to keep the tree strong and prolong the flowering period.
Rhododendron is resistant to pruning, and the new shoots pruned before May can form flower buds that year. Generally speaking, the new shoots in early autumn can still be lignified. If the new shoots are pulled out too late, they will easily freeze in winter.
In addition, after the flowers wither, they should be removed together with the ovary in time, on the one hand, to reduce nutrient consumption and promote other buds to open next; On the other hand, it is neat and beautiful. Although it is troublesome, it is good for future growth.
When the vegetative growth of old branches weakens, the growth potential decreases, the hair branches gradually become shorter and thinner, and the flowering quality decreases, it is necessary to update old branches. The specific method is as follows:
One is retraction and pruning to promote the germination of strong branches;
Second, thinning the branches, that is, loosening the useless branches that disrupt the tree shape one by one, so as to concentrate nutrients and promote the emergence of newer branches;
Third, weak branches should be regenerated or long branches should be used to fill the space of plants.
It is also interesting to cut azaleas into regular spheres or cylinders in Japan.
Through our introduction, I believe everyone has a deeper understanding of the pruning methods of rhododendrons.