Azalea

lynseydee

I bought some azaleas last year that had been reduced. My plan was to get them put in the garden but never got around to doing it. Since we have decided to move in about 18 months I have decided I will put them into pots instead which I bought at the weekend. Out of the 7 I have bought I think I have definitely lost 2 of them and a third that looks like it's on its way out but I would really like to try and save it as it is a white flowering one that looks quite pretty (from the picture anyway). I have scratched at the bark and underneath it is still green but all the leaves have turned brown apart from 2 but I don't know if they are new leaves or ones that just haven't died yet. I have looked on the label and this is what it says:

Azalea japonica. This particulary attractive hardy garden plant blooms in a wide range of colours. It likes a sunny spot and flowers abundantly. The plant belongs to the shorter varieties of the Ericaceae family, reaching a height of some 50cm (Japanese Azalea). Do not prune, but remove dead flowers.

Is there anyway I can save this plant?

Kay_Peel

:rolleyes2 Strange isntructions, Lynseedee. If you don't prune an azalea, the lower 'branches' lose their leaves, go brown and die off. You are left with a mass of top growth - which looks fine - but underneath, it's all twiggy. I took an azalea in hand last year, for that reason.

I stripped all the dead twigs from underneath. I took out a few small branches. I then pruned it back to a join where there was the hint of a shoot. I didn't go mad - just reduced it to a third of its size. I drenched it. Took the top layer of compost out of the pot and replaced it with new compost. I then put some bark chippings around it in the pot. I was rewarded by new shoots coming from below, strong new growth and gorgeous flowers this year.

The soil around here is very acid - which azaleas love and thrive on - so I may have been lucky.

You are so right about the white azalea, too. There's just something about the white one - it puts all the garish pinky ones in the shade. :T

Kay

full-time-mum

Make sure you buy the special compost when you pot them up as I don't think the regular stuff is OK. Can't remember what it is called (even though I got some this afternoon) but it will list as particular suitable for a range of plants including azalea.

lynseydee

Hi full time mum, I bought some ericacous (sp?) soil as I know this is the soil it likes. They are still in the original pots I bought them in so don't know if it is crying out for some more space. The pots I bought for them are slightly bigger so hopefully it will like being in a bigger pot. I just hope I don't lose it altogether

Hi KP, I don't know if it says not to prune it as it is a dwarf variety already. Maybe I could try repotting it and see if it likes that. Maybe I could also try what you did with yours and see how it gets on.

lynseydee

Well, I repotted all of my azaleas and the one I thought I might be losing seems to be sprouting new leaves. It is still looking a bit bare and woody but hopefully by next year it will look more like the others. Looks like I haven't lost it after all and all it needed was a bit more room to spread its roots.