The azalea is another shrub that does beautifully in the south and 'shows its color' early in the spring. Very low maintenance - just a good pruning every few years. Please remember not to prune these babies until after they bloom; but before July.
Of course if you have some of those tall limbs that towers over the shrub - and you don't mind sacrificing the blooms on that limb, it's OK to cut it off. Getting rid of these tall limbs sometimes improves the overall appearance of the shrub.
The only insect problem I've had is lace bugs. These are easily identified by white 'speckles' on your leaves. It sorta looks like someone has sprinkled bleach on the leaves. The damage is irreversible, but pruning and new growth soon takes care of the damaged leaves.
I haven't encountered any diseases with my azaleas.
If you buy any potted azaleas (or any shrub) in the spring, dump the shrub out of its container and see if it has roots circling the pot. If it does, loosen and spread out these roots PRIOR to planting. Otherwise, the roots will contine to grow round and round (rather than spread out) and will ultimately cause the demise of the plant.
This can usually be accomplished with your fingers or with one of those small gardening forks. I usually loosen all the roots and remove the medium in which rhe shrub was planted. This isn't necessary; just the way I do it. Remember, too, to soak the shrub in water a couple of hours prior to planting. This hydrates the plant well and lessens the possibility of loss.
February (now) is the time to fertilize the dazzling azaleas that grace our homes and landscapes. I use a basic balanced fertilizer, usually a 10-10-10; about 1 1/2 cups to 2 cups depending on the size of the shrub. I use a cup - sprinkle the fertilizer over the shrub (don't do this when the leaves are wet - it'll burn them), shake the shrub a little to ensure the fertilizer goes on down to the ground - then go on to the next one. You'll need to fertilize them again in May and July.To ensure that I get plenty of blooms the next spring, I add aabout 1/2 cup Epsom Salts to the July fertilizing program.
Don't let the name "Chryzalea' confuse you in the photo below. A very good gardening friend named Chris air layered three limbs of this azalea from her garden for me; since she had no idea as to the name of it, Chryzalea is the pet name I gave her. These were quite immature in 2010 and I expect a better showing in 2011. They are red with an orange tint.
Below is a purple Formosa. These are foundation plantings all around my house. A nursery friend of mine was closing up shop and let me have these azaleas . .oh, it's great to have gardening/nursery friends!
And a deciduous (it loses it's leaves in winter) lavender azalea is shown below. This one is much later blooming than the Formosa's and puts on it own private show along with a sweet aroma. I actually bought this azalea!
This winter I added two yellow and two pink/white striped to my azalea collection. These are also decidous and I really am hoping they bloom at the same time as the decidous lavender one above.
The yellow ones are planted under a pink blooming ornamental cherry tree (purchased and nurtured by Patsy until my schedule allowed me to pick it up) and the pink-striped is planted under a dogwood tree . Of course it will be a few more years before yellow or pink/white make a real show.
One of my Bible Study partners has a myriad of azaleas in and around her pine trees. I'm going today to get some white Formosa to plant in front of the purple Formosa's. YIPPEE!
