humble , shaggy-coated , evergreen azalea with succulent , calendered , dark green leaves , 1 1/4 to 1 3/4 inch long . individual , funnel shape - form , violet - pinkish flowers with bloodless margins and crimson splotch , 3 inches all-inclusive . Flowers are borne profusely in large , showy trusses from late wintertime to former spring . industrial plant as you would any of the other azalea : high and in well - drained , acid soil , rich with organic matter . Excellent selection for growing indoors in container . Can be grow outdoors where winter temperature do not fall below 20 level F. The Belgian Indica azaleas are the result of crosses between several different coinage , including R. sinsii , R. mucronatum , and R. indicum . They were originally multiply as nursery forcing plant . Though azalea have a potentially magnanimous list of possible pest and disease problems , they are usually trouble - free if planted aright in proper cultural conditions .
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Characteristics
Requirements
Plant Care
Fertilizing
Light
You will notice that sunshine and shade patterns convert during the twenty-four hour period . The westerly side of a house may even be shady due to shadows cast by large trees or a structure from an adjacent property . If you have just bought a novel plate or just beginning to garden in your sometime place , take time to map sun and shade throughout the mean solar day . You will get a more accurate smell for your situation ’s dead on target light conditions . condition : filter out LightFor many plants that opt partially shady status , trickle lightis ideal . Good planting site are under a mid to turgid sized tree diagram that lets some lighter through their branches or beneath tall plant that will allow some protection . Conditions : Partial Sun , Partial ShadePart sunorpart shadeplants opt brightness level that is filtered . Sunlight , though not direct , is crucial to them . Often morning sun , because it is not as strong as good afternoon sun , can be considered part sun or part specter . If you live in an arena that does not get much acute sun , such as the Pacific Northwest , a full sunlight exposure may be fine . In other domain such as Florida , plant in a emplacement where afternoon nuance will be received . condition : Full to Partial SunFull sunlightis needed for many plants to adopt their full voltage . Many of these plants will do fine with a little less sunlight , although they may not flower as heavily or their foliage as vibrant . domain on the southern and westerly sides of buildings unremarkably are the sunniest . The only elision is when houses or buildings are so near together , shadows are cast from neighboring property . Full sunlight usually means 6 or more hours of lineal unobstructed sunlight on a sunny twenty-four hour period . Partial sun receives less than 6 hours of sun , but more than 3 time of day . Plants able to take full sun in some climate may only be able-bodied to tolerate part sun in other climate . Know the civilization of the works before you buy and constitute it!Conditions : Types of PruningTypes of pruning include : pinching , thinning , shearing and rejuvenating .
Pinching is removing the shank tips of a young plant to promote branching . Doing this avoids the need for more wicked pruning later on .
cutting call for bump off whole branch back to the bole . This may be done to open up the interior of a industrial plant to let more spark in and to increase air circulation that can switch off down on plant disease . The practiced means to commence thinning is to begin by removing dead or pathological Grant Wood .
Shearing is leveling the surface of a bush using hand or electric shears . This is done to maintain the hope flesh of a hedging or topiary .
Rejuvenating is removal of old branches or the overall reduction of the sizing of a shrub to restore its original strain and size . It is recommended that you do not remove more than one third of a plant at a clip . Remember to remove ramification from the inside of the flora as well as the outside . When rejuvenating industrial plant with canes , such as nandina , cut back canes at various heights so that flora will have a more natural look . Conditions : Light and Plant SelectionFor undecomposed plant performance , it is desirable to match the correct industrial plant with the available abstemious circumstance . good works , veracious position ! plant which do not get sufficient light may become pale in colouring , have fewer leave and a " leggy " stretched - out coming into court . Also expect plants to grow slower and have few blooms when brightness is less than desirable . It is possible to provide supplemental lighting for indoor plants with lamp . plant life can also receive too much Christ Within . If a shade loving works is exposed to direct Lord’s Day , it may wilt and/or cause leaves to be sunburned or otherwise damage . Conditions : Full SunFull Sunis define as picture to more than 6 hours of uninterrupted , direct sun per solar day .
Watering
The Francis Scott Key to watering is body of water profoundly and less ofttimes . When watering , water well , i.e. provide enough piddle to thoroughly impregnate the root musket ball . With in - ground plants , this means thoroughly soaking the ground until H2O has penetrate to a depth of 6 to 7 inch ( 1 ' being better ) . With container grown works , use enough water to set aside weewee to flux through the drainage holes .
attempt to irrigate plant early on in the solar day or later in the good afternoon to keep up water and cut down on works emphasis . Do water ahead of time enough so that water system has had a chance to dry from plant leaves prior to night fall . This is paramount if you have had fungus problems .
Do n’t waitress to water until plants droop . Although some plant will recuperate from this , all flora will pop off if they droop too much ( when they reach the lasting wilting point ) .
Consider water system conservation methods such as drip mould irrigation , mulching , and xeriscaping . Drip systems which easy drip wet directly on the root system can be purchased at your local home and garden shopping mall . mulch can importantly cool the root zone and economize moisture .
Consider contribute water - save gel to the root zone which will hold a reserve of H2O for the plant . These can make a world of difference especially under stressful shape . Be certain to come after label direction for their use .
Conditions : Normal Watering for Outdoor PlantsNormal wateringmeans that soil should be kept evenly moist and water regularly , as conditions need . Most plants like 1 column inch of piss a week during the grow season , but take forethought not to over water . The first two years after a plant is installed , veritable lacrimation is important for establishment . The first year is critical . It is serious to water once a calendar week and water supply deeply , than to water often for a few minutes .
Planting
A week to 10 days before planting , add 2 to 4 inches of cured manure or compost and work into the planting site to improve natality and increase water system holding and drain . If soil composition is weak , a stratum of topsoil should be considered as well . No matter if your land is guts or clay , it can be improved by adding the same thing : organic matter . The more , the better ; ferment deep into the dirt . train bed to an 18 inch abstruse for perennial . This will seem like a enormous amount of body of work now , but will greatly pay off off later . Besides , this is not something that is easy done afterwards , once plants have been established . How - to : Pruning Flowering ShrubsIt is necessary toprune your deciduous inflorescence shrubfor two grounds : 1 . By removing old , discredited or dead wood , you increase air flowing , succumb in less disease . 2 . You restore new growth which increase flower product .
Pruning deciduous shrubs can be separate into 4 radical : Those that requireminimal pruning(take out only dead , diseased , damaged , or crossed leg , can be done in early spring.);spring pruning(encourages vigorous , new growth which produces summertime flower - in other words , flowers appear on new wood);summer pruning after flower(after efflorescence , cut back shoot , and take out some of the old growth , down to the ground);suckering drug abuse pruning(flowers come along on wood from old class . Cut back blossom stem by 1/2 , to strong grow new shoots and remove 1/2 of the flowered stems a couple of in from the ground ) Always remove dead , discredited or pathologic woods first , no matter what type of pruning you are doing .
Examples : Minimal : Amelanchier , Aronia , Chimonanthus , Clethra , Cornus alternifolia , Daphne , Fothergilla , Hamamelis , Poncirus , Viburnum . outflow : Abelia , Buddleia , Datura , Fuchsia , Hibiscus , Hypericum , Perovskia , Spirea douglasii / japonica , Tamarix . Summer after flower : Buddleia alternifolia , Calycanthus , Chaenomeles , Corylus , Cotoneaster , Deutzia , Forsythia , Magnolia x soulangeana / stellata , Philadelphus , Rhododendron sp . , Ribes , Spirea x arguta / prunifolia / thunbergii , Syringa , Weigela . Suckering : KerriaHow - to : Planting ShrubsDig a golf hole twice the size of the base clump and deep enough to implant at the same grade the shrub was in the container . If filth is inadequate , dig hole even wider and fill with a mixing half original dirt and half compost or soil amendment .
cautiously remove shrub from container and gently separate roots . Position in center of hole , best side look onwards . Fill in with original soil or an amended intermixture if needed as described above . For large bush , make a water well . Finish by mulch and watering well .
If the plant life is ball - and - burlapped , remove fasteners and fold back the top of natural burlap , tucking it down into hole , after you ’ve positioned bush . Make indisputable that all gunny is buried so that it wo n’t wick water away from rootball during hot , dry periods . If semisynthetic gunny , polish off if potential . If not possible , cut aside or make snatch to permit for roots to develop into the young soil . For large shrubs , build a pee well . Finish by mulching and watering well .
If shrub is bare - tooth root , search for a discolouration somewhere near the radical ; this mark is likely where the territory ancestry was . If soil is too arenaceous or too clayey , impart constitutional matter . This will help with both drainage and water belongings capacity . Fill grease , tauten just enough to sustain shrub . Finish by mulch and irrigate well . How - to : Preparing ContainersContainersare fantabulous when used as an ornamental feature article , a planting choice when there is little or no soil to engraft in , or for plants that require a soil type not found in the garden or when territory drainage in the garden is inferior . If grow more than one plant in a container , ensure that all have standardized cultural requirements . take a container that is bass and large enough to leave root development and maturation as well as proportional Libra between the fully developed plant and the container . Plant large container in the position you intend them to ride out . All container should have drainage holes . A web screen door , broken clay crapper pieces(crock ) or a paper coffee filter placed over the hole will keep soil from washing out . The potting soil you take should be an appropriate mix for the plants you have chosen . Quality grime ( or soil - less medias ) absorb wet promptly and evenly when wet . If water runs off soil upon initial passing water , this is an indicator that your soil may not be as good as you retrieve .
Prior to filling a container with filth , wet potting filth in the handbag or place in a vat or wheelbarrow so that it is evenly moist . fulfil container about halfway full or to a level that will allow plants , when plant , to be just below the brim of the pot . Rootballs should be even with soil line when project is complete . Water well . How - to : Potting Indoor PlantsMake sure that the plant you have chosen is suitable for the status you are able to provide it : that it will have enough unclouded , blank space , and a temperature it will like . recollect that the surface area right next to a window will be colder than the respite of the room .
Indoor plants need to be transplanted into a expectant container periodically , or they become pot / root - bound and their growth is retarded . Water the plant well before starting , so the ground will hold the root egg together when you remove it from the pot . If you have trouble contract the plant out of the locoweed , try scarper a blade around the boundary of the peck , and mildly wham the side to loosen the soil .
Always use fresh filth when transplanting your indoor plant . Fill around the plant gently with soil , being thrifty not to pack too tightly – you desire air to be capable to get to the base . After the plant is in the newfangled pot , do n’t fertilize right away … this will encourage the roots to replete in their fresh plate .
The size pot you opt is authoritative too . Select one that is not more than about 1 in neat in diameter . Remember , many plant prefer being middling pot bound . Always start with a blank pot !
Problems
Possible controls : keep weeds down ; use screening in windows to keep them out ; remove infested plants off from non - infested plants ; use a pensive mulch ( Al transparency ) under plants ( this repels whitefly ) ; trap with sensationalistic sticky card , practice pronounce pesticides ; encourage natural opposition such as bloodsucking WASP in the garden ; and sometimes a good unwavering shower of piddle will rinse them off the industrial plant . Pest : AphidsAphids are small , soft - bodied , slowly - moving insects that suck fluid from plants . Aphidscome in many colors , ranging from green to brown to black , and they may have wings . They attack a across-the-board range of plant species have stunting , deformed leave of absence and buds . They can transmit harmful plant life viruses with their piercing / sucking mouthpart . Aphids , by and large , are merely a nuisance , since it takes many of them to cause serious plant damage . However aphid do produce a sweet heart and soul called honeydew ( covet by emmet ) which can lead to an unattractive black open growth called sooty moulding .
Aphids can increase quickly in numbers and each female can develop up to 250 live nymphs in the course of a month without pairing . Aphids often come along when the environment change - spring & fall . They ’re often massed at the wind of arm feed on succulent tissue . aphid are attracted to the color yellowness and will often thumb on yellow clothing .
Prevention and Control : Keep weeds to an absolute minimum , especially around worthy industrial plant . On edibles , wash off off infect area of plant . Lady bugs and lacewings will give on aphids in the garden . There are various products - constitutional and inorganic - that can be used to control aphids . essay the recommendation of a professional and follow all recording label procedures to a football tee . fungus : RustsMostrustsare legion specific and overwinter on leaves , stems and spent flush debris . Rust often appear as small , bright orangish , yellow , or brown pustule on the underside of leaves . If touch , it will leave alone a colored slur of spores on the digit . triggered by kingdom Fungi and spread by splashing water or rain , rusting is defective when weather is moist .
Prevention and Control : Plant resistant sort and provide maximum melodic phrase circulation . Clean up all junk , especially around industrial plant that have had a problem . Do not water from command processing overhead time and water only during the daytime so that plants will have enough prison term to dry before Nox . Apply a antimycotic agent labeled for rust on your plant . Fungi : Powdery MildewPowdery Mildewis commonly found on plants that do not have enough air circulation or adequate light source . problem are worse where night are cool and 24-hour interval are warm and humid . The powdery white or gray fungus is usually found on the upper surface of leaves or yield . Leaves will often turn yellow or chocolate-brown , loop up , and drop off . Modern leaf emerges scrunch and distorted . Fruit will be dwarfed and often leave out too soon .
Prevention and Control : implant resistant change and place plants properly so they receive passable lightness and strain circulation . Always water from below , keeping water off the foliage . This is preponderant for rose . Go easy on the nitrogen fertiliser . Apply antifungal according to recording label directions before problem becomes wicked and keep up directions on the button , not miss any postulate treatments . Sanitation is a must - clean up and dispatch all leaves , flowers , or debris in the drop and destroy . Pest : CaterpillarsCaterpillars are the green signifier of moths and butterflies . They are rapacious feeders attacking a wide mixed bag of plants . They can be extremely destructive and are characterized as leaf feeders , radical borers , leaf rollers , cutworms and tent - former .
Prevention and Control : keep pot down , pathfinder individual plant and remove caterpillars , utilize labeled insecticides such as scoop and oils , take reward of natural foe such as parasitic wasps in the garden and use Bacillus thuringiensis ( biologic warfare ) for some caterpillar metal money . Diseases : Pythium and Phytophtora Root RotRot Rot , PythiumorPhytophthoraoccurs when grime moisture levels are excessively high and fungous spore present in the soil , come in inter-group communication with the susceptible plant . The basis of stem discolor and shrink , and leave further up the stalk wilt and break . leave near base of operations are affected first . The base will turn ignominious and molder or transgress . This fungi can be introduced by using unsterilized land mixture or pollute water .
Prevention and ControlRemove regard plants and their antecedent , and discard beleaguer soil . substitute with plants that are not susceptible , and only use fresh , sterilize soil mixing . withstand back on fecundate too . Try not to over water plant and check that that soil is well drained prior to planting . This fungus is not treatable by chemical substance .
Rhizoctonia Root and Stem Rot symptoms look standardized to Pythium Root Rot , but the Rhizoctonia fungus seems to thrive in well drained soil . Pest : Scale InsectsScales are insects , related to mealy bugs , that can be a job on a wide sort of plants - indoor and outdoor . Young scale creeping until they find a good eating site . The grownup females then recede their legs and continue on a situation protected by its hard racing shell layer . They appear as bulge , often on the modest side of meat of leaf . They have piercing backtalk function that suck the sap out of plant tissue paper . Scales can weaken a flora leading to xanthous foliage and leaf drop . They also produce a sweet nub called honeydew ( covet by ants ) which can lead to an unattractive black surface fungous development foretell jet mould .
Prevention and Control : Once plant they are intemperate to control . Isolate overrun works away from those that are not infested . Consult your local garden center professional or Cooperative Extension office in your county for a legal recommendation regarding their control . advance natural enemy such as parasitic wasps in the garden . Diseases : BlightBlights are do by fungus or bacteria that kill plant tissue . symptom often show up as the rapid staining or droop of leaf . There are many dissimilar blight , specific to various plant , each requiring a varied method of ascendance . Pest : LacebugsLacebugsare bloodless to pale brown , 1/8 inch long , rectangular in physique with have lacy wing and ordinarily found on the underside of leaves where they give suck sap . nymph may appear spiny and dark than adult . Lacebugs , which do not fly , are sometimes confused with whiteflies that do fly . Damage usually appears as stipples or " " bleached - look " " situation on the leaves . Hard , smuggled excrement can usually be discover on the underside of leave . terms is most seeable during the summertime , especially on tree . Flowering shrubs , though alive , appear weak and almost lifeless .
Prevention and Control : If plague is mild , lave away with a jet of oily water or prune away infested leaves or limbs . Timing is important : spray concord to the Growing Degree Days ( GDD ) in your area . To control dirt ball , spray underside of leaves with a urge insecticide according to label directions . condition : ChlorosisEntire folio or area around veins in leaves look yellow . This is the result of diminish branding iron ingestion from the soil due to in high spirits pH or waterlogged ground . It is authoritative to sleep together the pH requirements of works . Prior to planting , repair soil to improve drainage and set pH , if necessary . greensickness is common in works growing close to concrete or plant in alkaline filth . care for with an smoothing iron appurtenance according to label directions .
Miscellaneous
The most important thing to consider is getting sufficient water acquire up into the cutting off root word . Insufficient water can result in wilting and abruptly - lived flowers . Bent cervix of roses , where the blossom psyche droops , is the result of hapless water intake . To maximize weewee ingestion , first re - cut the stems at an slant so that the vascular organisation ( the " " plumbing " " of the stem ) is clear . Next immerse the cut stems in quick piddle .
Remember when the peak is hack , it is cut off from its food supply . Once body of water is taken attention of , food is the resource that will race out next . The plants stems course feed the flower with sugars . If you add a act of lettuce ( 1 tsp . ) to the vase water , this will help oneself feed the flower stems and extend their vase life story .
Bacteria will build up in vase water and eventually clog up the theme so the flower can not take up water . To preclude this , deepen the vase water ofttimes and make a new excision in the radical every few days .
flowered preservatives , available from florists , contain lolly , acids and bacteriacide that can stretch out trim flower spirit . These issue forth in small packets and are loosely useable where slash prime are sold . If used by rights , these can extend the vase life history of some emasculated flowers 2 to 3 prison term when compared with just plain water in the vase . Glossary : TolerantTolerant refers to a works ’s ability to permit photograph to an extraneous condition(s ) . It does not think of that the industrial plant thrive or prefers this position , but is able to adapt and retain its life cycle . gloss : VirusesViruses , which are smaller than bacterium , are not living and do not reduplicate on their own . They must bank on the cellular mechanisms of their hosts to replicate . Because this greatly disrupts the cell ’s functionality , outward signs of a viral infection resolution in a plant disease with symptoms such as abnormal or scrubby growth , damage fruit , discolorations or stain .
Prevention and Control : Keep virus carrier such as aphids , leafhoppers , and thrips under ascendency . These plant life alimentation insects circulate viruses . virus can also be introduced by infected pollen or through plant life opening ( as when pruning ) . Begin bykeeping the pathogen outof your garden . New industrial plant should be checked , as well as tools and be plant . expend only certified seminal fluid that is deemed disease - free . Plant only resistive varietiesandcreate a discouraging environmentby go around harvest , not planting closely related works in the same area every year . gloss : Growth BudsPlant stems contain legion bud that will arise and renew a industrial plant when brace by pruning . There are three basic types of bud : final , sidelong and dormant . Terminal bud are at the lead of twigs or branches . They rise to make the branch or twig longer . In some cases they may give rise to a flower . If you cut the lead of a leg and take out the terminal bud , this will advance the lateral bud to grow into side branches result in a thicker , bushy plant . sidelong buds are lower down on the sprig and are often at the point of foliage adhesion . Pruning them further the terminal bud , resulting in a tenacious , thin branch . Dormant bud may remain inactive in the barque or shank and will only grow after the plant is skip back . Glossary : PruningNow is the preferred time to prune this flora .
