Some plants you can't have enough of: the Japanese azalea - a slightly smaller relative of the rhododendron - is one of them. This flowering shrub, perfect for the shady garden, can be easily propagated in early summer using cuttings or planters. If you're lucky, you can harvest seed capsules in autumn and use the seeds inside for sowing.
How to propagate a Japanese azalea?
The Japanese azalea can be propagated by cuttings and planters. For cuttings, cut half-ripe branches in early summer and root them in water or potting soil. With lowering plants, bend flexible shoots of the mother plant into a prepared hollow and wait for the roots to form.
Propagate Japanese azalea through cuttings
The cuttings of the Japanese azalea are also cut in early summer, i.e. H. ideally between the end of May and the end of June. Do not use shoots that are still soft, green: these are too immature to root on their own and would simply rot. Instead, cut half-ripe branches about 15 to 20 centimeters long, although these should not bear any flowers. Then proceed as described:
- Remove all but the top pair of leaves.
- Keep the cut as angled as possible (this is where the roots should develop).
- This makes it easier for the cutting to absorb water.
- You can root the cutting in a water glass (Choose a dark container (€16.00 on Amazon)!)
- or just put it in potting soil.
- Keep the substrate slightly moist.
- Use low-lime rainwater for watering.
- Put a cut PET bottle over the plant.
- This takes on the function of a mini greenhouse.
- Place the pot with the cutting in a warm and bright place.
Propagation by reducers
The method of propagating the Japanese azalea using planters is also promising. However, you need a little patience for this method; it is a little more tedious than the cuttings method. In contrast to this, the shoots to be rooted are not separated from the mother plant. And this is how you do it:
- Find some flexible, preferably semi-ripe shoots.
- Either dig a small depression directly into the ground under the mother plant
- or dig in a plant pot filled with soil.
- Now carefully bend the branch downwards
- and cut its bark lengthwise.
- Dig this spot into the prepared hole
- and weigh down the branch with a stone or something similar.
- Keep the area slightly moist.
Once rooting has occurred, you can separate the sinker from the mother plant.
Tip
If you don't remove the inflorescences, the azalea will, with a bit of luck, form seed capsules. You can use the seeds inside for sowing. Sow them immediately or keep them cool and dry to plant in spring. Azaleas are light germinators, which is why you should not cover the seeds with soil.
