How to Plant Rhododendrons in Your Landscape: Garden Tips | Early Season Garden Tour
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- čas přidán 16. 05. 2023
- I was recently asked some questions about the details of how I planted my rhododendrons on my property, so I thought I'd do a "how to plant rhododendrons in your landscape" video. These garden tips come from my personal experience here at our nursery and have served me well along the way. I'll give you the pitfalls to steer away from as well. We'll also do an early season garden tour since many of you have been asking. The garden tour is a couple weeks behind so many of the plants are in full bloom now but I've been filming away, so we'll have another garden tour coming soon that's more updated on the blooms.
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I moved into a house that already had rhododendron planted in the yard. This past winter the high winds completely uprooted one of the bushes. I tried to save it but it did finally died. Today I purchased 2 more to replace the uprooted one and continue to add more to my property. I watched this video for the tips. Thank you for this. I learned so much. I have sandy soil so I hope my new plants adapt and grow as well as the others in my yard. They bring me joy
Yep, just slowly add more at a rate you can manage and you’ll have a spectacular garden in a few years.
To save money and get more identical plants, you can just trim faded flowers and remove lower leaves to root them in sand or fit bark like he uses. I filled a leaky birdbath with sand and peony cuttings this weekend and know I will have 20+ more bushes by the fourth of July
How to plant Rhodies? Have someone else do it who knows what they are doing. 😂 Mine came with my house that’s why they are still alive. Your rhododendrons are beautiful!
Haha, thanks Steph!
I went to someone's house once and they had a lavender rhodie that was at least 35 feet tall, that was 15 years ago. It even had a small tree house in it!
Haha, I believe it! Hope I live long enough to see that here.
@@MikeKincaid79 I think you will, your grass will be gone and you will have tunnels where it once was. You may need a tower to enjoy all the beauty. Those things spread wider than they grow tall!
Lol, funny you mention tunnels because the paths are already getting encroached upon and I've often thought that I'd be walking through tunnels of them someday. There is a rhododendron nursery a few hours north of us called Chimicum Woods (he has a website). His rhododendrons are really old and some are 30 feet tall!
@@MikeKincaid79 That nursery sounds really interesting! I will have to look it up. Just a thought, you could use cattle pannels to create arches to train the rhodies over when they are about 4' apart.
I just planted my rhododendron yesterday! My yard is an old field with pine trees just outside the fence. Horse manure and bark mulch mixed in a little heavy soil and sun from morning until 1-2pm and shade from the forest after that.
I had your tip in mind when planting! 😁
Awesome! I'm sure it will bring you joy for years to come.
Always love your rhododendron tours and just added 3 different colors of rhododendrons this spring-summer inspired by you. Thank you!
Awesome! You can't go wrong with this plant. Enjoy your new rhododendrons and all the blooms they will bring for decades to come.
I really love to have a Rhododendrons + Azalea garden. But I hope to extend the season of flowers at least through out summer. Any suggestion about the companion planting ?
Yes! Plant lots of hosta and hydrangea. Flowering dogwoods (pink and white) are wonderful companion trees. The trees will bloom with the rhododendrons but the hosta and hydrangea will bloom the remainder of the summer. For more color, you can have a few dahlia gardens around and maybe some black eyed susans.
Thank you for your videos and instructions. What fertilizer do you use for your potted plants? I probably listened to a video about this but I forgot what you use. What fertilizer do you recommend when growing plants in pots and do you use the same fertilizer for all your plants? Many thanks!
I use the same fertilizer for all my plants. It's a commercial fertilizer that's specifically formulated for acid loving plants like azalea and rhododendrons. Here's a video all about it: czcams.com/video/F5BRZwFEe50/video.html And here's a video that's more in depth about the different types of fertilizers I use: czcams.com/video/ob8tdCoi6kk/video.html
@@MikeKincaid79 Many thanks!
I've got a Q. I picked up several rhodies from a nursery, all of which pushed their leaf buds and show fair to good growth except for Rhododendron x 'Dreamland'. It was planted close to most the others, but got more direct sun. Is it possible that the excess sun was affecting it? Since I had another spot I'd since moved it and will be watching to see how it does.
Yes, that will absolutely affect it. I have Dreamland and it's an absolutely gorgeous variety once it gets established and gets some size on it. I think it prefers a little more shade and needs to get established. Stick with it and it will be amazing in the years to come. I happen to have an example of what you're talking about right out my front door. I have 2 Yaku Sunrise planted (one on each side of the steps) facing west. They both get lots of shade but the one on the south side of the steps gets a couple hours more sun than the one on the north side. The north side plant is absolutely beautiful and is a perfect speciment. The south side plant doesn't look good at all and is struggling a little, even though they are the same plant, growing 5 feet apart. Sun makes all the difference and you may find that you need to move it to just a little more shade. When in doubt, move them to more shade. You'll find that they bounce back and perform much better.
I have lots of beautiful varieties of rhododendrons and azaleas in my garden. The majority of which I have grown from seed pods I liked in public gardens.the pods have to be open and stratified by frost to germinate.The seeds are tiny and need careful handling when sowing and pricking off. I am self taught and made several mistakes when learning.
Seed grown plants can produce a number of variations from just one pod due to the pollinators visiting a range of other varieties and some take a number of years to mature to flowering .
I am 82 years old now and I have derived a lot of pleasure from watching them grow into beautiful specimens in my garden.
That is really cool and I’m glad you shared it with me. Gardening is a huge and amazing hobby. I aspire to create my own rhododendron crosses one day. Thank you and keep being an inspiration to younger gardeners like me.
When you started, I said I'll pick my favorite - I can't. Love them all! Beautiful!! Thanks for adding to the beauty of the world.
I have a new favorite every day at this point, lol
Had just come in from my garden “walk about” to determine what my next projects will be for today, and again noted the question for you re: one of my Rhododendrons. It was bought from Lowes with a tag that only said “ Rhododendron”. She bloomed beautifully with huge dark fuschia blooms and then this year, for the first time, all of the many large buds looked as if they had been nipped off by an animal, and the leaves were torn and brown.
We have a deer fence around the entire property and never even see rabbits. Any idea what could have caused this ONLY ON THIS SINGLE RHODI? The others are gorgeous and covered with huge buds just starting to open now on May 17. I am in zone 5b.
Our soil is clay and rock only, and so I do amend the soil with bark mulch, perlite, bonemeal, and Espoma Hollytone.
The Rhododendrons are on the East side of our house and growing with Japanese Maples, Pieris japonica, a large cross between a Spruce and a Fir, and under planted with Polemonium, Astilbes, Hakonacloa grass, and Violets, Lamium, Ajuga, and Galium odoratum.
I LOVE THIS ENTIRE AREAS.
I have a large east facing hillside covered with tall old growth White Pines, and hope to underplant with many Rhododendrons. I am hesitant since I don’t want to damage their roots🤔
I will spend this evening going over all of your videos on Rhodes and their propagation. There are no specialized nurseries for them near here, and many in nurseries are for zone 6 -8.
Sounds like a wonderful planting you have there. I'm not sure what the problem could be. At first, I thought maybe the buds got zapped by the cold weather but then you said they are missing completely. That tells me a deer ate them possibly. We have a ton of deer around here and they don't generally touch the rhododendrons, only occasionally, but I do hear from people on the east coast that they deer devour their rhododendrons.
Ah, but we have had a deer fence around 3 acres for 20 years, so no deer. There would not be much of a garden without the deer fence.
The buds were beautiful all Fall and Winter, and then started disappearing and were gone. We do have a bear that comes around each Spring, but he/ she usually disappears with our bird feeders and the suet feeders. Yes, pulls them down and leaves with them entirely.
The bear has never eaten any of my garden and actually seems to very carefully avoid stepping on any shrubs.
I cut the bitten off stems down to a viable bud area and they now on May 16, have buds for next year already.
I do scatter used coffee grounds around the Rhodes, as well as other ericaceous shrubs
Hey Mike! Love this video! Jealous of your Rhodos. I have watched all of your rhodo propagation vids but I cannot remember, is there a single best time to take cuttings? Springtime to give them time to develop roots before winter?
Thanks for your support! Rhododendron cuttings are best taken as semi-hardwood cuttings in August and then rooted on bottom heat outdoors all winter.
@@MikeKincaid79 What soil temp do you aim for? I have some native rhododendron and flame azalea I'd like to attempt to grow.
A lot of people don't like it these days, but gardens grow and are ever changing. Great to see your garden grow and you with it. You are the Rhododendron Master. A lot of great information here. If you get time away from the new house, I'll be watching for your mid and late season tour too.
Yep, working on the mid season now. It's amazing how much is blooming right now! Lots of yellow and orange.
Hi Mike where can I buy some of the Rhododendrons you are talking about in this video? Is there a mail order company you would recommend? Thank you
I've found them at various nurserys all over the puget sound over the past 18 years or so. You can buy many through mail order though. Try Down's Rhododendron. I've purchased many from him at his nursery but he also does mail order.
Hello! In Florida 8b zone. We spoke before, it's say that rodododendron are sisters to azaleas. Would they grow in this area during our winter time, like a camilla?
I'm in 8b as well, but I'm not familiar with your weather down there. If it's really hot and the sun is intense in the summer, then I'd plant them in shade and make sure they get plenty of water. I would think azaleas are more suited to your area than rhododendrons but, again, I'm unfamiliar with your area. And yes, azaleas are in the genus Rhododendron.
To add to my earlier comment…is the brown fuzzy leaf underside of Teddy Bear unusual? Are there others that have this “magnolia” type of leaf?
My very favorites in your beds are those with a tight growth habit, and of those, Horizon Monarch, Honey Butter, Seaview Sunset, and Many Moons.
Any special insights for digging large enough holes when planting under established, big root trees?
There are several varieties with that fuzzy underside but they are unusual. Many of them descend from the species 'bureavii', which has the same fuzziness. I also have some with a silver fuzz underneath. You named off many beautiful varieties and I would agree that they are some of the nicest. You have good taste! As far as planting under big trees, the best advice I can give is to water well for the first 5 or more years until they get very well established and also much with a deep layer of mulch, like 6 inches. Try not to plant too close to a tree trunk. It would be better if it were planted out closer to the drip line of the tree.
I am so glad I found your page. You changed my life.
What are you up to?
Hi, how would you describe the color of "elizabeth". I am looking for a orange, reddish melon color hydrangea, does this describe "elizabeth"?
No, Elizabeth is a true red. It's also a rhododendron, not a hydrangea. I'm not aware of any orange hydrangeas. If you're looking for a reddish melon rhododendron then you may want to check out 'Lem's Tangerine'.
@@MikeKincaid79 im sorry i meant rhododendron. My mistake and yes i am looking for a melon colored one. Or bright red. Lem's tangerine is little lite colored for what i am looking for.
You have given me a new love ❤️ never knew much about Rhododendrons other than hearing the name. Can’t wait to make me a bed ❤️
Sweet! They’re the king of landscape plants. Theres a reason they’re planted in just about every botanical garden around the world.
What’s a good hardy variety that’s long blooming? Yellow flowers would be a plus
Nancy Evans is very hard to beat. It's a low grower and nicely rounded shape that doesn't require any pruning and performs year after year. Many Moons has bigger blooms than Nancy Evans and is another great one for yellow.
@@MikeKincaid79 thank you!!
Mike,
Have you ever tried to grow mountain laurel from cuttings? Do you amend for pH? I've read that rhododendrons like acid soil.
No, I haven't, but eventually want to get a few plants. You're referring to Kalmia, correct?
@@MikeKincaid79 Yes, I am. I recently learned that they are related to rhododendron. They are native to the North East and typically grow as substory in forested areas. I just planted one in a partial sun location in my yard in the St. Louis region. It gets quite hot here in the summer so I'm waiting to see if it can take the heat, I mulched heavily to protect the roots.
I bought two English Roseum rhododendrons for part of a mixed hedge between my yard and the neighbors. The garden bed is 14 feet wide. Can I keep them pruned to around 6-7 feet or will they take over? I wasn’t sure how well they prune back.
Yes, they will handle pruning very well. You can keep many plants at whatever size you want.
@@MikeKincaid79 thanks for the info! Your gardens are amazing!
Your gardens always so beautiful, you are definitely Mr Green thumb’s. 👋
Is there a type or species of Rhododendrons that can take full sun all day in Northeast Georgia? Zone 8 a. It can get hot during the summer.
You can grow many varieties in full sun but they won't look their best. If you do give it a shot then mulch really well and keep watered through the whole summer. Make sure they roots always have moisture.
❤@@MikeKincaid79
Thank you so much! You have one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen and the vast amount of different colors, varieties, species, etc.. is absolutely amazing! I hope you are considering creating a book with all of the pictures, types, names, and the info. for each. I would definitely buy it! I am new so I will check your website out too.
I got to small beautiful blooming Nova zemblas in my not too big garden. Can i keep them compact by pruning?
Absolutely! My mother-in-law has one that she prunes back every few years.
@@MikeKincaid79 thank you. I want to keep them bushy just like your's but then a 5 times smaller. Keep up the good work love your videos and especially the Rhodo tours
Got another one coming in a few days.
I totally agree with you and how big a rhododendron can get😊 I live in the Isle of Man (UK) and we have thousands and thousands of them in private gardens and arboriums, and they are at least 30ft high. Funny cause when I see those amazing trees full of flowers I remember your videos and how much more amazing your garden will look like when they grow from a bush to a tree full of flowers everywhere 😅
That's exactly what I'm looking for. Thanks for sharing your experience with them. I'd love to visit that part of the world someday and see all the well established gardens you guys have.
Coffee grounds are acidic also keeps the snails away.
I have 2 large Rhododendrons and 2 large Azaleas that I have had growing in front of my house. I keep cutting them back because they are growing up in front of my windows. Should I destroy them or is there a way to replant away from the house?
You can always replant them but it’s a serious job digging up a rhododendron that’s well established. Especially if you don’t have equipment.
Hi Mike, do you use Holly Tone Fert. for your Rhododendrons? Do you sell Rhododendrons?
I use Apex: Cool Weather Special. It's a commercial fertilizer I get in 40 pound bags.
How do you pick a favorite, Mike? It's so hard! Some are more beautiful than others, I guess it's color preference in the end! Looks great! Good to see you Mike as always ❤🤗 Have a blessed week ❣️
Always great to see you, Camelia. Just wait until you see the next tour. The blooms exploded with color really fast this year and there are a ton of oranges and yellows.
I have a 25 year old Nova Zembla Rhododendron, it bloomed massively 2 years ago, then last year hardly nothing and I was having a lot of leaves falling off….Any suggestions? It gets afternoon sun…..Michigan zone 6
Hard to say without more info but they will usually have a ton of blooms one year and then not that many the following year. The best advice is to mulch deeply right now, apply a slow release rhododendron fertilizer, and keep it watered through the summer. It'll probably bloom beautifully for you next year.
30:57
😃 that’s my favorite!
the white campanula👍🏾
She's a nice one!
Hi Mike
I have a rhododendron looks really ropey. It’s got brand-new leaves on the end of the branches, but they no leaves anywhere else and it looks really weak. What do I do ??
Also, very leggy
Sounds like it needs more sun but that’s all I can really say without more info. I have some varieties that get leggy regardless of where they’re planted. Pruning can also help it branch out more and fill in.
@@MikeKincaid79 thank you when do I prune them in the autumn or winter, and how far back should I go?
I like to prune in the winter. You can do light pruning early on in the spring after the plant blooms but don't prune in the summer or fall. Heavy pruning should happen in the winter though and the rule of thumb is to take off 1/3 of the branches every year for 3 years until you get it down to the size you want. Some rhododendrons can be cut to the ground all in one winter and will still come back stronger than ever. This is true of many of the old ironclad varieties.
@@MikeKincaid79 ok thanks you
How do you start off cuttings
You've come to the right place. I have lots of videos about it on the channel, plus a website with a paid video area for even more detail.
Can bees pollinate them n change the color.
Nope, the genetics determine the color. I have massive amounts of native pollinators swarming the blooms in spring and the colors come out the same every year. You can breed them and create new colors but that's a different topic.
Mike I have heard there is one ( only one) variety that poisons the soil. Do you know which one?
I've never heard of this but just found some information about it: www.slef.org.uk/userfiles/file/slef-documents/rhododendron_poisons_the_soil.pdf Seems like it's an old wives tale that is only partially "rooted" in truth.
Daggum, I am diggin your yard tours, brother.
So what can I do to convince you to take a few Ingrid Melquist cuttings this year, and send one north? I’d love to bonsai it and test your branching theory!
I’ll get you some. I take them in August so remind me. I can work on rooting some for you of if you have a propagation setup, send some cuttings.
@@MikeKincaid79 I don’t have full set up with (reliable) bottom heat. To cold outside, too warm/dry inside. And I practice the crud out of your techniques, but I won’t pretend I can do a Rhodie yet.
I’ve set a reminder. 👍🏼
Yeah, just help me help you, lol. Remind me and I'll get some cuttings going.
Hey brother
It’s August 1st. Just a reminder here. If you have a few minutes between your new home and the 3,791 other chores you do daily
😉
BTW, sent you a Facebook message with the same thing. But it came from my legal name.
Great Vids, very helpful. We have Several Rhodi's and Azaleas that are layer rooted from last year and the year before. Now that they have their own roots, when should i cut them from the main plant? I plan on transplanting in the fall, we are in the NW(Snohomish Co).
Right now is a perfect time, as long as they have good roots. They will have all summer to get established on their own roots. I like to prune back the top so that the new roots don't have as much plant to support in the beginning. Also, keep them in a shaded location through the first summer.
Great guide and tour! Thanks a lot :) I am one of those that unfortunately have planted rhododendrons in places with full sun and even planted them on small artificial hills (yeah, I know 🤦) Originally I did that to make some curved lines in the otherwise dull looking garden, but I got myself a lot of weeds to remove. So now I am considering moving the rhodies next to some shrubs (I think they are Siberian Dogwood) that hopefully gives them some shade so that they can put on some growth.
They like to grow in lots of organic matter too, so mulch heavily around them after planting. The roots tend to be more shallow and are fine hair like roots, so they like growing into cool and moist mulch.
Do you ship live plants across country?
I don't at this time but plan to in the future.
Mike, I hope you’re doing well! I’ve come to absolutely love your videos. I had no idea you were so knowledgeable about gardening and plants and man, I have learned a ton!
Hey, what's up! Good to hear from you. Miss seeing you around but hopefully you've moved on to greener pastures. Glad you enjoy the videos. Yep, plants are my passion!
Companion planting is so important. Sometimes the difference between life and death. And waiting for things to mature is excruciating! But look at it now!! I'm picturing high school dance pictures in front of those beautiful blooms and shrubs!
Definitely will make for some stunning backdrops.
Thanks for showing us the road on rhodes.
My day wouldn't be complete without a little wordsmithing from mark.
Hi sir.. sir I have grapes vine and grapes on it.. so I have a problem. Suddenly my grapes started wilting and most bunches infected. What should I do. What is solution please guide??
Nothing. It's bunch rot. Try again next year.
Yep, try again
Thanks 😊
I'm blown away, Mike! Thank you so much for this informative video! You went way above and beyond making this video to answer my questions! And yes, all the information you presented here will help us immensely as we start on our Rhododendron garden!!! Thank you for the love and passion you have for these incredible plants! You have inspired us with your videos of your amazing Garden!
Glad it was helpful. I made a video a few years ago in which I actually planted a new bed. Not sure you've seen it yet but here it is: czcams.com/video/-kL8n0_cH2s/video.html Maybe there's more in there that can help you. Now, I actually mixed some wood chips in with the soil in this one and it worked out great, but the operative idea is that there's soil mixed in so it's heavier medium and I'm not just planting in wood chips. I just filmed another tour and showed this bed now and it's thriving. I planted a bunch of Loderi King George in it and mention that to you in the video so you can see how they look. I'll try to get that video up faster.
What is the update of biggest fig tree propagation , for bonsai (BONSAI) please do a video on that?
We'll get to it. I made one last year too if you want to see it: czcams.com/video/L8taTRdN_W0/video.html
I have deer come in my yard. Do they like to eat these plants?
Only if you live on the east coast.
Hi Mike,
I grow Naselle in San Francisco...it looks a lot like that Lem's Cameo x Big Sam cross. I know so many beauties have Lem's Cameo as one of the parents. I also grow Tahitian Dawn (gorgeous flower makes up for leggy habit), Countess of Derby, Cupcake, The Hon. Jean Marie de Montague, Cornubia (from Greer Gardens), and Horizon Lakeside (that was started from a cutting). Wish I had more space to grow lots more! Like Honeybutter and Fire Rim and some dark purple burgundy ones.
Looking forward to more of your bloom tours!
Yes! Lem’s Cameo is the parent of many rhododendrons. That Tahitian Dawn and the Horizon Lakeside are 2 I don’t have and now you’ve sent me on another mission 😂. I have to have them! I may have a Fire Rim in a 1 gallon pot if you’re interested.
Hey mike how do we buy rhododendrons from you??
Working on that but it will be in the future.
@@MikeKincaid79 I’m hoping in the near future 😃
LOL, me too. My challenge is the shipping and pricing of plants to make it worthwhile. It's so expensive to buy plants online and I don't want to turn people off. Maybe I just need to put it out there with competitive pricing and see what happens. Most 4 inch pot rhododendrons go for 30 bucks, which sounds insane but it takes a long time to get them to that point from a cutting. I just hate charging that much but it's the only way it would make sense from a business perspective, so I do nothing, lol. I wish there was a way to just ship plants to people for free and the revenue came in another way, cause we all have to eat. I keep trying to figure out how to do this like SB Mowing. He mows all those lawns for free, because he enjoys helping people, and gets paid by making videos about it. Now that would be ideal. I'd love to plant rhododendrons for free and film it for CZcams. Just surprise people and make it happen. Wouldn't that be cool!
@@MikeKincaid79 that would be cool. Just now I’ll be one of your very first customers.
How do you keep deer from eating all those beautiful Rhododendron plants and flower buds?
The deer don’t touch them, and I have whole families of deer wandering through my property on a daily basis. That’s one of the reasons I originally chose rhododendrons. Now the east coast is different. I get comments from New Englanders all the time that tell me the deer over there decimate their rhododendrons. No idea why the difference. All I can say is that every part of the rhododendron is poisonous and there must be a bunch of dead deer over there 😂
Those flowers are very beautiful, thank you for sharing.
You’re very welcome.
I love the video Mr Mike. It looks like a botanical garden in your back yard. I just feel like planting something in the ground now after watching this. Very inspiring and uplifting, keep it up buddy!!
Happy to inspire!
I live in South Texas. I wonder if they'd grow down here? Love the house by the way!
It may be too hot but I'm not as familiar with your weather. You may be able to grow azaleas though. The desert version of these would probably be something like oleander.
@@MikeKincaid79 you got it right. I'm in San Antonio and summer is HOT! I thought that I would ask though. We can grow oleanders. I'll stick with those. Thanks so much!
Not sure if you can grow it there but if you have more desert like conditions, I'd be growing a ton of Mexican Bird of Paradise. Love that plant!
Thank you for sharing❤
I agree with the grouped Rhodies. Maintaining moisture and form what I like to call Tapestry. My only concern would be any leafy branches touching soil, best to not contact the ground.
The branches touching the ground isn't a problem, that's just nature. The branches on the ground will actually root and form new plants so that's really the only concern. Believe it or not, I pruned all of these beds up about halfway a few years ago. They've all grown back so much that you can't even tell. Pretty cool!
My favorite channel ,spectacular specimens like no other ,always looking forward for your videos,thank you .
Thanks so much, glad you enjoy them Jesus.
It's great to have a tour of your rhodies!
Thanks! Just wait until you see the one I'm working on.
I have questions about Rhododendron ?????
I've got answers!
Mike's research Rhododendron roots used with kefir grains
?
Milk Kefir Grains
6 minutes of reading
Where does milk kefir come from? To reach us, this famous fermented milk has crossed the ages and many adventures.
The First Traces of Kefir
Milk kefir has been around for several thousand years. Its oldest traces were found in a 4,000-year-old tomb located in the Xiohe region of China.
Kefir was therefore consumed in the ancient world! Throughout the ages, kefir has reportedly been prized and consumed by many cultures around the globe.
However, according to several historians, milk kefir has reached us today thanks to its great importance to the peoples of the North Caucasus.
More than 2,000 years ago, this region between Russia and Georgia was populated by nomadic mountain people, who raised herds of goats and cattle for their milk.
We tend to forget it, but fresh milk has a very short shelf life. Without a refrigerator, the best way to store it is to ferment it.
The nomads of the Caucasus fermented their milk in leather skins with kefir grains.
Kefir was part of their daily life: when the shepherds took kefir from the bottles, they added new fresh milk to it, to make kefir continuously.
This technique was passed down from generation to generation. Back then, kefir grains were very valuable and part of family heirlooms.
Kefir Grains: a Divine Gift?
According to legends, the kefir grains were given as a gift to the Karachai people by the Prophet Muhammad himself. It is no wonder that they are attributed a divine origin.
Kefir grains, also called “seeds of the prophet”, have almost magical powers: they transform milk into a healthy, safe and fortifying product that can be kept longer than the original product. Kefir grains are true magicians!
From a scientific point of view, kefir grains are said to have formed from adding and removing milk in bottles of animal skins.
The microorganisms in raw milk and those in the bottles would, eventually, have formed a symbiotic colony of yeast and bacteria in the form of small gelatinous grains.
Therein lies the magic of kefir grains: no one through the ages has succeeded in recreating kefir grains artificially.
To create kefir grains, you absolutely need… kefir grains! The grains were born from chance, and then perpetuated through time.
The kefir grains were long kept secret by the peoples of the Caucasus. According to their beliefs, the grains would lose their “magical” powers if their existence were revealed to outsiders.
To talk about it, or worse, to give it away, was to commit a religious crime and to risk destroying an ancient tradition.
Russia Wants to Unravel the Secret: Espionage and Seduction
During the 14th century, Russian researchers began to take an interest in the remarkable longevity of Caucasian mountain people.
Some doctors attributed this vitality to kefir, and they obtained it to test on patients. The earliest scientific studies of the time declared that kefir helped treat many illnesses such as digestive disorders and tuberculosis.
However, it was very difficult to obtain kefir, and Russian scientists could not reproduce it.
They lacked the “magic” ingredient: kefir grains. It was impossible to get their hands on it!
A procession of doctors entrusted the mission of obtaining kefir grains to one person - Irina Sakharova.
This young woman, barely 20, graduated with full honours from a renowned cheese school, and won awards for developing a unique method of making butter.
And as a bonus: she was gorgeous.
The young woman was sent to spy in the court of Prince Karachai, Bek-Mirza Barchorov.
Her mission? To charm the prince, so he would offer her kefir grains and the secret to ferment kefir. Simple, right?
Irina Sakharova and Bek-Mirza Barchorov
Sakharova and Barchorov, May 5, 1908
The prince was indeed seduced. During her stay, Sakharova received flowers and gifts of all kinds, and the prince never took his eyes off her during the celebrations.
The young woman took advantage of this attention and insisted that he offer her some precious kefir grains.
However, given the religious ban on sharing kefir grains with foreigners, Barchorov refused to reveal his secret. Sakharova returned home empty-handed.
However, on the way back, she was captured (!) by the prince’s men and brought back to her court.
The prince wanted to marry her.
Sakharova obviously refused the marriage. She contacted those who had sent her on espionage to try to get her out of this mess.
The affair reverberated through the course of Czar Nicholas II. The rejected prince was forced to offer compensation for his actions, risking disturbing relations between the two peoples.
He offered jewellery, gold and treasures, but Sakharova refused. She had a mission to fulfill, and did not intend to fail.
Under the order of the Czar, and at the sustained demands of Sakharova, the prince had to hand over the kefir grains to her.
In 1908, Irina Sakharova brought the first grains of milk kefir to Russia.
After Russia, the World!
Kefir quickly spread in Russia. At first, it was used in sanatoriums to treat the sick.
By the 1930s it was marketed on a large scale and quickly became everyday food, as common as eggs or bread.
Now, milk kefir is produced all over the world. It can be found under many names: Tibetan mushroom, prophet’s seeds, snow lotus, kewra, talai, galodium, tara, etc.
Many cultures have adopted kefir and incorporated it into their diets.
Mike, I hope you found this interesting. I could go on about Kefir for hours, but the North Caucasus people figured out how to take the fermented milk and mix it with the root of the Rhododendron and I'll let you research the results of drinking this mixture after the milk grains changed it's roots property's.
Mike I was able to obtain my kefir grains in the UAE. Now you can obtain over the internet but beware of not getting the real white milk grains that look like cottage cheese .
Lovely video Mike! Thanks for sharing your garden with us!😎💖👍JP
You're welcome! I'm working on the next tour video and it's full of yellows and oranges.
@@MikeKincaid79 😎
They are beautiful, evergreen 🌱and the bees 🐝 love the blossoms 🌸🐝🤗 Thanks for sharing 👍
Yes they do!
💖💖💖Love it love it love it !!! Wonderful video !!! I could watch these all day, great information, beautiful scenery, and a wonderful tour guide, who could ask for more??? Thank You for the tour and lots of love to you all💖💖💖
Thanks Glenda! Just wait until you see the next tour I'm working on now.
I have 3 in my garden now because of you 😂😂
Nice! Lol
I love Rhododendrons Beautiful flowers !!!!! .....
They are! Wait until you see the current tour I'm putting together.
@@MikeKincaid79 😯
I enjoy my Warlock plant
I don’t have one but think I’ve seen it. Is that a dark maroon color?
Yes
Probably the closest thing I have is 'Black Magic'. "Black Widow' is fairly dark as well.
If I was able to root one easily... I don't have good luck even with your methods. I would send you one. If you were in Alabama I would say come grab you some clippings.
I use mushroom mycelium to make my potting mix using the help of the Red Wiggler.
Love reg wiggler worms
@@MikeKincaid79 Before I add the worms to a new setup, (worm bin) I add mushroom mycelium to the cardboard that is at field capacity and I let it incubate for a couple of weeks and the cardboard is covered in white growth. Every couple of days I will mix up the bin to insure good air circulation. At the end of the process I add my little buddies and then I stand back and watch at the results. (Amazing results in a few days of what the worms will do) . You will know something good is taking place, because you will see BSF in the area.
Oh my gosh that is sooooo beautiful. Thanks for sharing. I was so excited to see the notification of this tour. I’m so jealous lol. Guess I have to start propagating roadies. Tysm
Just wait until you see what I filmed last evening. We’ve got ten times the blooms now!
Beautiful garden Mike! Thank you for the tour! Made my day!!❤❤❤❤
Thank you for the very complete and very passionate explanation on how to grow Rhododendrons plants. with the provision of this explanation I will immediately start to try. Thank you very much
Thanks for watching and I'm glad you enjoyed it. Good luck!
Love those!
Wow! I do love that look 😍 I will try it 🥰
Would you consider making a video encyclopedia of the different rhododendron?
Listing the size, leaf structure and of course color of the blossoms? It would make an awesome tool.
You made my husband laugh when you said Banzai. 😂 Bonsai
Hi again!
Just looked up Naselle's parentage:
Seed parent: C I.S. x unnamed hybrid
Pollen parent: Lem's Cameo
Wow! Thanks for sharing that. We’ll I guess it’s good that I continue to call it by the name it was sold to me as. Now I’m more curious than ever and want to go back and ask Roger why it’s named Big Sam x Lem’s Cameo. Thanks again for the info.
Hi Again!!
A few websites are showing Naselle's parentage as Big Sam x Lem's Cameo!!!
The original breeding info I sent was from the American Rhodie Society!
The plot thickens!!!
All I know is Naselle is gorgeous and has terrific foliage that is slightly burnished when young.
I love the Singing Tree website for plants!
I 'll think about that 1 gal. Fire Rim...how much with shipping to CA??
Yes, I love that new growth when it comes out the burgundy color.
some of the varieties you mention would in fact be 'cultivar(s)
Hi Mike, that looks like artillery fungus! Thanks for a great video
Thanks, never heard of it. I'll have to check it out and see what I can do about it.
It isn't mold it's Mycellium . I take a wild guess and say Oyster or Lion's Main Mycellium
If you continue to have pest issues and wants to spray, look into Sevin SL Carbaryl Insecticide. Its from Bayer and comes in a 2.5 gallon jug for not much cost, it is a concentrate and will treat a huge area. I use it to spray down my lawn when the insect pressure gets too much and I use either a hose end sprayer or a battery powered sprayer, depending on what kind of pests I'm targeting.
The only thing to watch out for is not to spray when your flowers are blooming as it can kill bees. Read the label before you spray so you can get the correct concentration required for your particular pest.
Thanks for the tips. Right now, the bees are buzzing! I'm hoping those lady bugs and lace wings can do some damage first.
Yeah guilty as charged. Full sun no water not good. I'd like some big wood rhodies in the forest bottom.If I quit now I will have gained nothing, hah..
LOL, definitely forest under-story plants. If you've got a good shaded spot, that would be best.
Well that was well worth the tour and you say another tour in a couple of weeks Yes Please 💫 Those were such beautiful colours You're so lucky to be able to grow all these flowering shrubs,in Saskatchewan we are limited in what to grow so lilacs seem to be best The red Rhode is my favourite Wouldn't that be a show stopper if you planted one colour in one full bed , especially the red or an orange It'll be spectacular when your whole property is planted with rhodedendrons I'll have to keep watching for a few more years I think you have a few other priorities on your agenda 🥴. 🇨🇦🦩
Yes, that red is stunning when in full bloom. I've thought about lining the front of my property with them on the road side so that people driving by will have a show! Just wait until the next video. I have a full bed or orange and yellow.
I can't wait for that video I love the bright electric colours Your channel is so diverse and just so fun 🇨🇦🦩
Thanks Liz. I appreciate the feedback on the diversity of the channel. I like making all kinds of videos but sometimes feel like the diversity turns people off. I've thought about making cooking videos once we get this new kitchen up and running. That would fill out winter time videos while the plants are sleeping. I love to cook and took 2 years of culinary arts.