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Planting Azaleas Last Updated: 20/05/2013 |
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Azaleas are classified under the parent plant group (genus) of rhododendrons. They are ericaceous plants first discovered in Japan over 400 years ago. These first azaleas were evergreen species which were able to hybridise and interbreed together creating many bright and beautiful colours. Interestingly though, it is thought that the first azaleas to reach European shores were deciduous varieties, commonly found in Turkey, the Far East and the USA. These early varieties found their way to the Netherlands in the 17th Century. These were subsequently introduced to the UK in the mid 18th Century. The main differences between deciduous and evergreen azaleas apart from the dropping of leaves, of course, are that deciduous azaleas tend towards vivid yellows, oranges and reds as colours, with some particularly vibrant burgundy varieties also available. Evergreen azaleas are generally pinks, reds, purples. Evergreen azaleas also tend to be more bushy, compact varieties, whereas the deciduous varieties will be more upright and open. Finally, there are many (most) deciduous azaleas which have scent, where evergreen varieties do not. Planting your azalea is the most important investment in time and care that you can make. That admittedly makes it sound like a huge task, which it is not. Ensuring that the position in the garden and the ground preparation is correct doesnt take much work, but will make all the difference in the end. The first priority is to make sure that your soil is acid. The easiest way to do this is by looking around your area, particularly talking to neighbours. If you have pine trees, gorse, heather, camellias in your area then chances are that your azalea will thrive. Your final confirmation could be to buy a small pH testing kit from your local garden centre and follow the instructions to test your soil. You should look for a pH of below 6.5. Make sure you avoid any frost pockets in the garden, where cold air flows downhill. Avoid areas which catch the Spring's early morning sun, as the rays of early morning sun after a frost will transform a beautiful bush into a mass of brown flowers. The same is the case with excessively windy positions; Spring winds can still be particularly cold and biting, which will cause havoc with your flowers. Finally, avoid wet, clay soil. Azaleas hate having their roots submerged for extended periods of time and they tell you so in no uncertain terms! In any gardening situation, the one thing that you can do to give your azaleas a great start in life is to add plenty of organic matter, humus. This does NOT mean muck! Although you may wish to avoid it on ecological grounds, the very best you can do is to build in plenty of peat to your planting hole. If you are unhappy with this, then you can use rotted pine needles, well rotted fine woodchip or anything else with good drainage and the ability to 'open up' the soil. To plant an azalea, dig out the planting hole to twice the width and twice the depth of your pot. Into the soil you've dug out, add the same quantity of humus and mix thoroughly. Put that back into the hole. Dig out again, but just enough to fit the plant rootball, leaving the top of the rootball 1 inch / 2.5cm below where the top of the soil will be. Back fill with the remaining soil and in the Spring, top dress with a 1/2 tablespoon of a slow release granular fertiliser. Your plants will love you even more if you subsequently provide them with a thick (2 inches (5cm) thick layer of pine needles, or woodchip mulch each Autumn. (Do not use grass cuttings, stable manure or kitchen waste). This provides insulation in the winter, moisture retention in the summer and the worms will work on taking that humus down into the soil. |