Azalea, caring for it well

Round, dense shrubs that cover themselves in small bright flowers in mid-spring and late spring, azaleas (Rhododendron) are in fact small-flowered rhododendrons, grown for spring colour above deep green evergreen leaves. They are heath plants first of all: give them acid, well-drained soil in part shade, and the blooming is spectacular.

Azalea at a glance

Name	Rhododendron
Family	Ericaceae
Type	shrub
Height	1 ½ to 4 feet (50 to 120 cm)
Exposure	part sun and shade
Soil	acid, heath soil
Foliage	evergreen
Flowering	mid-spring to late spring

Caring for this plant, from planting to pruning and including watering, should give you magnificent flowers.

• The best way to plant heather plants
• Read also: Azalea japonica, the Japanese azalea

Planting azaleas

It is important to not over-expose your azaleas to sunlight, so favor a spot that is partly shaded.

• Azalea needs heath to grow well.
• The soil must be well drained because this is a shrub that hates stagnant water.
• Follow our advice on planting heath plants.

To generate spectacular blooming, add heath plant fertilizer.

• Set the top of the root ball level with the surrounding soil, because azaleas root shallowly and sulk when their base is buried.
• Where the ground is chalky, grow the azalea in a pot or a raised bed of ericaceous compost instead of trying to acidify the bed.

Caring for indoor azaleas

Indoor azaleas generally bloom over the winter because they were “forced”, that is, their development was sped up so that they would bloom early.

Thus, azaleas aren’t really indoor plants, and they are vulnerable to indoor heating as much as they are to freezing.

Here are the rules on growing your indoor azaleas:

• Set azaleas up in a room where temperatures don’t exceed 60°F (15°C) and don’t drop below 50°F (10°C).
• Give them light but not direct sunlight.
• Water when the soil is dry, regularly but without drenching the roots, which might rot.

Read on here to guarantee that the beautiful winter azalea you received will live on for years!

Indoor azaleas after flowering

It is sadly quite difficult to keep a forced plant, because its life cycle has been disturbed.

But it is worth a try, because it may well work.

For that,

• Remove wilted azalea flowers regularly (deadheading).
• Place your potted azaleas in a cool room, ideally around 50 to 60°F (10 to 15°C).
• Stop watering until the first leaves fall off, which will take about 1 month.
• That is the time to re-pot your azaleas in heath soil or plant them in your garden if you are certain that it won’t freeze anymore.

Even if azaleas normally bloom in spring, indoor azaleas won’t bloom again immediately if they had just bloomed indoors during the pas winter.

• Read more: how to extend the lifespan of a gift azalea

Pruning outdoor azaleas

Pruning isn’t mandatory at all, but it might be needed at times, if only to reduce the size of the plant or balance the branches out.

Start with removing wilted flowers regularly (deadheading) to spur appearance of new buds.

Directional pruning

Directional pruning is performed over the first 2 or 3 years of azalea plants, on new growth. Its purpose is to increase branch density.

• Pinch new growth with your fingernails, just above a leaf.
• Renew this step regularly so that many new branches may grow and make the plant denser.
• This pruning temporarily interferes with blooming, but will make the plant denser, hardier, and blooms will be much richer in subsequent years.

Pruning to reduce shrub size or balance growth

Azaleas can be pruned their whole life long, even though it’s recommended to refrain from pruning as much as possible to ensure nice blooms every year and let the shrub take on its natural shape.

• Start with removing dead and fragile wood, and branches that have only few or no leaves.
• Once flowers are wilted, prune just below the flower stalk.
• To reduce branch length, wait for blooming to be over.
• Take note that severely pruning your azalea will jeopardize the following year’s bloom.

Which azalea pruning, and when

Pruning an azalea is never obligatory, but four distinct operations are described here, each with its own timing and its own consequence for the following spring. Match the one you need to what you are trying to achieve.

As a rule, prune as little as possible so the shrub keeps its natural rounded shape and flowers every year.

Choosing an azalea variety

Garden azaleas fall into two camps: the low evergreen Japanese kinds that keep their leaves all winter, and the taller deciduous kinds grown for hot colours and, in some cases, scent. The table below sets out widely sold varieties of each.

All there is to know about growing azaleas

Azalea shrubs are actually small-flowered rhododendrons, and they stand out in spring thanks to their beautiful bright and colorful bloom.

Azalea grows into nice round shrubs that highlight its generous blooming and the deep green of its leaves.

Azaleas are part of the heath plant group, like camellia.

Japanese azalea is usually hardier than other types of azaleas.

• Water azaleas with rainwater whenever you can, since the lime in hard tap water gradually yellows the leaves.
• Set the root ball so its top sits level with, or slightly above, the surrounding soil; azaleas are shallow-rooted and commonly perform poorly when planted too deeply.
• Pale azalea leaves with still-green veins indicate interveinal chlorosis, often from lime-induced iron deficiency in alkaline soil, though waterlogging, root damage, or other nutrient problems can cause the same symptom.

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