Botanical Title: Rhododendron simsii
Good azalea care will assist your flowers to remain lovely. You may discover azaleas on the market in florist’s retailers any time of 12 months, however these beautiful blooms are particularly well-liked within the winter when gardens are out of bloom.
In case your potted azalea simply got here from the florist or backyard middle, it seemingly has a plastic or foil overlaying over the plastic pot. Take away any wrapping straight away in order that the drainage holes aren’t blocked.
Nurseries develop azaleas in small pots to limit their roots (they bloom finest this fashion), so do not repot your plant. If you wish to cowl up a plain nursery pot, slip it right into a cachepot (an ornamental container with out drainage holes). I preserve pebbles on the backside of cachepots to maintain the internal pot above the drainage water.
This tender blooming home plant, often known as florist’s azalea, flowers in abundance in shades of pink, white, peach, lavender, purple or bi-colored. Azalea flowers are about 1-2 in (2.5-5 cm) throughout and are sometimes double or semi-double. Some azalea varieties have ruffled petals.
Darkish-green, oval leaves cowl this small, spreading shrub. Its woody stems bear clusters of flowers at their ideas. With brilliant gentle and funky temperatures, azalea will bloom for about 3-4 weeks.
12 months-Spherical Azalea Care
Deadhead flowers. Prune off spent flowers to encourage extra blooms and preserve your plant trying its finest.
Make it re-bloom. This tender florist’s plant is considerably difficult to get to rebloom and is usually handled as a brief home plant and tossed out after blooming. It wants about 2 months of chilly — however not freezing — temperatures (between 40-55°F/4-13°C) in fall or winter to supply buds.
Good azalea care – cautious watering, brilliant gentle, deadheading – will deliver on these fairly flowers.Prune your plant. Pruning azaleas will pressure the stems to department out, making it a way more enticing plant. Yearly pruning will promote vigorous new development. Do not be afraid to prune massive crops again laborious, after flowering. Azaleas produce flowers on the finish of latest stem ideas, so you may get extra flowers this fashion.
Pruning azaleas tip: Lower the stem at a forty five° angle, 1/4-inch above a leaf node (the place the place a leaf or department is hooked up to the stem). Use clear, sharp pruning shears to keep away from tearing the woody stems.
Dropped flowers? Shield your azalea plant from drafts. Flower buds might shrivel and switch brown if uncovered to the new, dry air of a warmth vent. Add further humidity with a room humidifier or by inserting the plant on a tray of moist pebbles. I would not advocate misting as a result of azalea is susceptible to fungus, which might kill the plant.
Brown leaves are sometimes a symptom of azalea ailments comparable to fungus or root rot. An affected plant ought to be discarded as a result of it is not going to get better.
Repot solely when crucial, each 3 years or so. Azaleas flower finest when barely pot-bound. By no means repot a plant when it is in bloom, which can trigger its flowers to drop. Wait until after flowering and use a pot with a drainage gap. Utilizing a clay half-pot — additionally known as an azalea pot — is right for proscribing the plant’s roots and in addition permits good drainage.
One thing bugging your plant? Dry indoor air might entice spider mites to houseplants. You may seemingly uncover webbing between leaves and stems as the primary tell-tale signal of those pests. Deal with any infestation instantly. If not managed early, they will destroy your plant then transfer on to your different indoor crops. In case your azalea is badly infested, do away with it.
With good azalea care, this lovely flowering shrub will dependably produce blooms for a few years. Keep in mind — it is frost-tender. Not like hardy azaleas that may be grown within the backyard, this florist’s sort can’t face up to freezing temperatures and shouldn’t be planted open air until you reside the place winters are quick and gentle.
Azalea Care Ideas
Origin: Asian hybrids
Top: As much as 2 ft (60 cm) as a potted plant. Dwarf azaleas are extra compact.
Mild: Vivid gentle, no direct solar.
Water: Use a pot with drainage holes and water completely to moist all of the roots. Empty drainage tray in order that plant is not sitting in water. If allowed to dry out, foliage shrivels and flowers wilt. This acid-loving plant should not be watered with laborious water. Use rainwater or distilled water.
Humidity: Reasonable (a minimum of 40% relative humidity) or increased. Do not mist with water as a result of misting can result in fungus. It is best to make use of a cool-mist room humidifier to lift moisture within the air round your houseplants.
Temperature: Cool to common room temperatures (60-70°F/16-21°C)
Soil: Peat-based (lime free) potting combine
Fertilizer: Fertilizing azaleas in the course of the rising season will preserve them wholesome and flowering. With azalea care ought to be taken to make use of a fertilizer specifically made for acid-loving crops. Feed each 2 weeks with a high-phosphorus fertilizer that incorporates iron, diluted by half. Yellow leaves with inexperienced veins are an indication of a nutrient deficiency attributable to an excessive amount of lime.
Propagation: Could be propagated from stem cuttings, though it’s gradual to root and the outcomes not often match the standard of the unique plant.