In tropical zones, azaleas will bloom in full shade. Space plants 2 to 6 feet apart, depending on their estimated mature size. Dig a hole as deep as the root ball and 2 times as wide. Set new plants so that their top roots are at soil level or slightly below. If you plant them any deeper, the roots may rot. Fill the hole half full with soil, then water it well to settle the soil before filling with remainder of soil. A lack of water reduces flower-bud formation. In fact, this can keep the trunk too wet and encourage rot.
Always leave a few inches around the trunk free of mulch. Fertilize azaleas and rhododendrons sparingly and only when flower buds swell in the early spring, even if they are fall bloomers. Heavy applications of fertilizer will burn the plants. Water plants during the summer if rainfall is less than 1 inch per week. After flowering, deadhead where practical, to promote vegetative growth rather than seed production.
In regions with severe winters, wrap evergreen rhododendrons with burlap in the fall and apply extra mulch around the base of the shrub. Azaleas and rhododendrons may be transplanted at any time during the growing season, but they transplant most successfully during fall or early spring, when they are dormant and temperatures are cool. If you need to reduce height, prune after flowering in the spring.
Otherwise, just remove dead, damaged, or diseased branches at any time of year. On young and old plants, simply snap off spent flower stalks by bending them over until they break away from their stems.
Be careful not to damage growth buds at the base of each flower stalk. It blooms mid-season with violet-blue flowers. Zones 7 to 9. Zones 5 to 8. Pale pink flowers bloom in mid-season. It grows to 4 feet and bears deep purple-pink flowers. Zones 3 to 8. It bears small, light purple flowers. Excellent in the front of a border or in a rock garden. Vegetable Gardener's Handbook.
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Easiest Roses to Grow for Beginners. It bloomed beautifully this year. Now looks like it is dying. As noted above, you can remove dead or damaged parts at any time.
Are you ready: You may be too good to these plants! One source suggests these causes: Too much shade. This is very common in North America where, in order to regulate sun and soil temperature, plants are placed in deep shade. This allows healthy, if straggly growth, but can inhibit flowering. Extend the mulch well beyond the outermost branches of the plant.
Pull mulch away from the main stem to help prevent disease. Watering: Rhododendrons are shallow-rooted plants and require irrigation during dry periods. This is especially true of those planted in the preceding spring.
Rhododendrons planted in warm weather in sandy soils may require watering of the root system twice a week during the first year. Newly planted rhododendrons require regular watering during dry spells for the first several years. Pull back a small area of mulch beneath the canopy of the plant and check the soil moisture level.
When the soil feels dry, wet it to a depth of 8 to 12 inches. Use soaker hoses or drip irrigation to slowly water the base of the plant. Be mindful that rhododendrons in waterlogged soils will decline and become susceptible to root rot diseases. It is important to reach a balance between regular, deep watering and good drainage to promote a healthy plant. Fertilizing: With proper soil preparation and mulching, very little fertilizer is necessary — particularly for the older, established plant.
Do not fertilize rhododendrons at planting; newly planted shrubs can be fertilized after they become established. Allow newly planted shrubs one to several months, depending on their size, to begin establishing their root system in the landscape soil before applying fertilizer.
Once the shrubs are established, have a specific reason, such as increasing the growth rate or correcting a nutrient deficiency, before deciding to fertilize. Maintaining a mulch layer of compost or other organic material over the roots of shrubs will usually provide sufficient nutrients for adequate growth and plant health. A nutrient deficiency can be exhibited by a number of symptoms including stunted growth, smaller than normal leaves, light green to yellowish leaf color and early leaf drop.
Be aware that these same symptoms can be caused by other problems such as heavily compacted soil; stresses from insects, disease organisms and weeds; and excessively wet or dry soil. Fertilization will not correct those problems, so be certain that you know the cause of the symptoms and treat them appropriately. Having your soil tested is one way to determine if applying fertilizer will benefit your shrubs.
In the absence of a soil test and other cultural or pest problems, use a complete fertilizer with a ratio of or , such as or The best time to apply fertilizer is when it will be readily absorbed by the roots of the plant and when the soil is moist, which can be any time from late spring after new growth emerges up to early fall.
Fertilize after flowering, especially when using a slow-release fertilizer. Avoid fertilizing plants stressed by drought during the summer months. Without water, plants are unable to absorb nutrients, so it is best not to fertilize if water is unavailable. Since low acidity is of particular importance for rhododendrons, test the soil periodically through your local Clemson Extension office to determine the pH level as well as fertility levels.
Pruning: Rhododendrons need very little pruning. Remove dead or damaged wood at any time. Pruning to shape the plant or to keep it within bounds should be done after flowering. Deadheading is an important type of pruning. Break out only the spent blooms to avoid damaging the dormant buds.
Another form of pruning is called disbudding. Explore the different varieties of rhododendrons and see why these bushes are so beloved by gardeners. Rhododendrons, along with their close cousin azaleas, are generally shade lovers. They are native to the forests of the eastern U. A spot with good morning sun and afternoon shade is ideal. If you live in cooler regions in the far north, your bush can handle more sun, up to six hours a day.
Another factor to consider when siting these attractive bushes is the pH of the soil. They love acidic soil with a pH as low as 4. It is easy to do a simple pH test of your soil. If you find the pH to be too high, there are many options. A lack of water reduces flower-bud formation. In fact, this can keep the trunk too wet and encourage rot. Always leave a few inches around the trunk free of mulch. Fertilize azaleas and rhododendrons sparingly and only when flower buds swell in the early spring, even if they are fall bloomers.
Heavy applications of fertilizer will burn the plants. Water plants during the summer if rainfall is less than 1 inch per week. After flowering, deadhead where practical, to promote vegetative growth rather than seed production. In regions with severe winters, wrap evergreen rhododendrons with burlap in the fall and apply extra mulch around the base of the shrub.
Azaleas and rhododendrons may be transplanted at any time during the growing season, but they transplant most successfully during fall or early spring, when they are dormant and temperatures are cool.
If you need to reduce height, prune after flowering in the spring. Otherwise, just remove dead, damaged, or diseased branches at any time of year. On young and old plants, simply snap off spent flower stalks by bending them over until they break away from their stems. Be careful not to damage growth buds at the base of each flower stalk.
It blooms mid-season with violet-blue flowers. Zones 7 to 9. Zones 5 to 8.
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