How to Select and Grow Azaleas
- 1). Check the pH balance of your soil prior to planting. Azaleas tend to do their best in acidic soil with a range of 4.5 to 5.5. Purchase a soil pH testing kit from your local county extension office. Dig a 6-inch-deep hole, collect soil samples to mail to the laboratory's address provided. Wait for the results. Make lime soil amendments to acidic soil and sulfur amendments to alkaline soil.
- 2). Make sure you have adequate drainage. Poor drainage is one of the most common reasons azalea plants succumb to root rot. Dig a 6-inch-deep hole and fill it with water. If the soil hasn't drained in an hour, you need to amend the planting area with a 4-inch layer of compost and sand.
- 3). Dig a hole 2 1/2 times the diameter of the root ball and at the same depth as the azalea is in the container. Place the azalea plant in the hole and make sure that you pack the soil so that the plant is slightly higher than the surrounding area.
- 4). Water the area thoroughly and spread a 2-inch layer of acidic mulch. You can use pine needles, peat moss and pine bark to keep other vegetation from competing with your plant and releasing acidic substances.
- 5). Prune azaleas in the late spring after they have stopped blooming. Use pruning shears to prevent a twiggy growth characteristic of using shears. Trim off all damaged, diseased and weak branches. Thin out the crown to encourage air circulation. Deadheading azaleas is done only for cosmetic reasons.
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