Azalea Bloom Times and Flowering Groups

Heirloom azalea varieties can grow over 20 feet tall, while dwarf varieties may stay under three feet. Here are some tried and true types:. Pruning is not mandatory with azaleas, as they show to best effect when allowed to have a slightly informal growth habit. That said, azaleas can benefit from mild pruning that will force bushier, fuller growth. Azaleas start forming buds in summer, so the best time to prune is right after the flowers drop off in late spring. Deadheading spent flowers will help the plant look tidier and will help direct the plant's energy into green growth. However, it must be done carefully, as the buds for next year's flowers are already developing just below the current flowers. It is too easy to pinch off the future buds if you're not careful. Although it is a slow process, azaleas can be propagated by stem cutting or layering. Rooting stem cuttings is generally the more straightforward method for most gardeners; here's how:.

More advanced gardeners can try the layering method; here's how:. Azaleas will grow easily from commercially purchased seeds or seeds you collect from seed pods when flowers drop. Growing from seeds is slow, requiring at least two or three years before the new shrubs flower. For this reason, seed-starting is not often attempted by amateur gardeners. And be aware that offspring produced by seeds from hybrid shrubs may not look like the parent plant. However, for pure azalea species, seed propagation does work predictably.

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Here's how to do it:. Smaller varieties of azaleas can be excellent choices for container culture. And growing in pots can be a good option when your garden soil isn't suitable for growing azaleas. Use a big pot at least 16 inches in diameter and 12 inches deep. Heavy materials such as ceramic or concrete are best, as they will resist tipping. The growing medium must be light, well-draining, and acidic in pH. A commercial peat-based potting mix blended with extra perlite or vermiculite often works well. If transplanting from a pot into the ground, dig a hole as deep as the container and about twice as wide, and blend in some peat moss and compost to improve the soil texture and pH. Feeding azaleas should be reduced after midsummer, and watering should also be somewhat reduced in early fall to toughen the plant up for winter. But after a few hard frosts, it's a good idea to water deeply to hydrate the plant, which will help prevent winter burn.

If you live in a USDA zone that is borderline for the variety you are growing, apply a three- to five-inch layer of dry mulch over the plant's root zone after it goes dormant. Keep the mulch slightly separated from the plant's trunk. This mulch should be removed in spring after the soil warms. If azaleas show signs of winter damage in your regions, such as split bark, you may need to protect your shrubs over winter by tenting or draping them with burlap. This is not a very attractive solution, so choosing varieties known to be cold-tolerant in your region is best. The pests and diseases most likely to affect azaleas will vary greatly depending on the species and region you're growing it in. Overall you should be resigned to the reality that azaleas can be susceptible to quite a large number of insect and disease problems:. Various aphids, borers, lacebugs, leafhoppers, mealybugs, mites, nematodes, scale, thrips, and whiteflies can all attack azaleas.

A horticultural oil such as neem oil can address these pests, though if left alone, insect pests may eventually be controlled by beneficial predatory insects. Various diseases can attack azaleas, including canker, leaf spot, rust, and powdery mildew. Often these are merely cosmetic and not life-threatening, though they can be treated with fungicides.

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But there are also very serious root rot fungal diseases, such as Phytophthora root rot, that cause leaf wilting, stem dieback, and eventual death of the shrub. Root rot diseases occur most often in dense, wet, poorly drained soils, but if your landscape is host to these fungi, you may be unable to grow some azalea cultivars. Look for varieties known to be resistant to common fungal diseases—or choose a different type of shrub altogether. A mature, healthy azalea in a favorable location will usually bloom with no intervention, but if yours doesn't, possible reasons might include the following:. Most azaleas bloom in mid spring mid to late April , but some bloom earlier or later, and it's easy to choose a variety for any design need.

Azalea Groupings

Most azalea varieties stay in bloom for about two weeks, barring rain or wind damage from a storm. Azaleas have small, 2- to 3-inch funnel-shaped flowers in white, pink, peach, orange, yellow, purple, or red varieties. Some azaleas have no fragrance, while others might smell like honeysuckle or slightly like carnations. If you get the "Encore" variety of azaleas, your spring-flowering azaleas may rebloom again in the fall. Otherwise, you can only expect your azaleas to bloom once. To encourage the most blooms each season, give ample water, make sure your plants are in dappled shade, prune just after flowering not later in the season when you might prune away new bud growth , keep the soil acidic, moist, and well-draining, and give fertilizer. It is not necessary to deadhead azaleas. They will fade and drop on their own. However, if you want to prevent the flowers from dropping seeds, deadhead them or pluck the faded petals off the plant as they start to turn brown.

Deadheading is best done within three weeks after the bloom period. Take care not to remove any pale, fuzzy buds curled tightly on the tips of branches those are your buds forming for next year. Azaleas are temperamental, requiring specific growing conditions. They often have frequently reported cultural symptoms. This is a classic sign of winter burn, which occurs when a shrub is exposed to frigid winter temperatures or desiccating winds. Prune off the dead growth; the shrub usually recovers just fine. But if this is a frequent occurrence, you may find it necessary to shield the plant over the winter months. Winter burn and dieback are more often seen with evergreen varieties. This is a symptom of a dreaded root rot fungus, Phytophthora. These diseases cause the roots to constrict, preventing water from reaching the branches. Once such a fungal disease is present in the soil, you may find it impossible to grow some types of azalea. There is no cure for root rot, but you can reduce its likelihood by ensuring the soil is well-drained.

When the leaves on azaleas or rhododendrons show yellowing but with visible darker green veining, it is likely chlorosis. With azaleas, this is the result of alkaline soil that causes an iron deficiency in the plants. Often, feeding the shrubs with an acidifying fertilizer will help relieve the condition. Acidifying amendments, such as peat moss, pine needles, or agricultural sulfur, can also help. This results from an airborne fungus that overwinters on and around the plants. Clear away old mulch and plant debris early in the spring, then spray the plants with fungicide as the flowers are just opening. In the garden industry, the names "azalea" and "rhododendron" are often used interchangeably. Detta medför att bladen blir bleka eller till och med helt vita och växten får nedsatt livskraft. Kloros kan orsakas av för lite ljus eller av näringsbrist av exempelvis kväve eller järn som då kallas järnkloros. Det kan även orsakas av för högt eller lågt pH -värde, exempelvis på grund av för höga halter av kalk i jorden vilket kallas kalkkloros.

Vissa växter kan ha ärftliga fel som gör dem helt, eller partiellt, oförmögna att bilda klorofyll. Det senare resulterar i vitbrokiga blad, så kallade panascherade blad. Vid torka kan benägna växter och träd drabbas av kloros. Tillståndet föregrips av att bladen slokar eller krullar ihop. För att skydda sig mot torkan stänger växten klyvöppningen , varigenom fotosyntesen upphör. Klorofyllen kommer därför att förloras. Därför kan träd börja anta höstfärger redan på sommaren. Löven eller bladen fälls sedan de blivit klorotiska.