Azalea - facts and advice on care
Scientific name (Latin): Rhododendron x
Family: Heather plants (Ericaceae)
Location
The azalea thrives best in an airy and bright room, without direct sunlight. We use it as an indoor potted plant in winter and spring. In summer it can be placed outdoors - then it stores energy and shoots buds to bloom again in winter.
Watering
The azalea likes water. It thrives best when it is watered every three days, preferably by letting it soak up water from a dish or bowl for 10-15 minutes.
Fertilizer
The azalea does not need to be fertilized during flowering, but primarily in the summer, when it shoots new shoots.
Soil
When transplanting azaleas, you should use hydrangea or rhododendron soil.Inside and outside
Azalea is a flower many associate with Christmas, but it is still a great plant for all year round. The azalea is used as a potted plant inside in winter and spring. It can be placed outdoors in summer, then it stores energy and sets a bud to bloom again in winter. The azalea is nice to decorate with some sisal in a matching colour.
- Azalea is considered an easy-to-care-for plant. It needs a soil mix that retains moisture, and a plastic pot to prevent drought during indoor time - but much more than that, this beautiful beauty does not require. In the spring, it is okay to plant your azalea, preferably next to your rhododendron if you have one. With a little water and nutrients, you have a beautiful plant that lasts a long time and adds that little extra to your garden.
- Plant azaleas in the spring. Spring is a good time to plant your azalea, preferably next to a rhododendron if you have one. With a little water and nutrients, you will have a beautiful plant that will last a long time and give your garden that extra touch.Choose a spot in your garden where you can give the azalea either direct sunlight or partial shade. It is also beneficial to plant in a location that provides good drainage for your azalea.Prepare an area that is about 60 cm deep and 100 cm wide, slightly raised above ground level. If you have multiple plants, remember that they will need plenty of space; anywhere from 40 to 250 cm apart, depending on the type of azalea.Azaleas have sensitive root systems, so be careful and try to keep the roots as intact as possible when planting them in the ground. Before doing this, you can soak the root ball in water for about 10 minutes to absorb moisture.Plant the azalea so that the root ball is about 4-5 cm below the surface. Fill halfway with soil and water a little. Then tamp down the soil before filling up the rest and watering once more. You can use rhododendron soil specifically designed for acid-loving plants like azaleas. With its low pH, it will provide your azalea with fresh and green foliage.At the same time as planting, you can also fertilize by mixing in about half a bag of cow manure compost per m2. By doing this, there will be no need to fertilize the azalea for a while.
Tips for caring for azalea plants outdoors
This flowering beauty originates from Japan and the Himalayan slopes, where they receive water regularly thanks to the large rain clouds that daily wash over the whole plant. Therefore, caring for azaleas is about trying to mimic the type of climate it had where it originally grew.- Watering, Azaleaen requires regular watering, but it should not be left standing in water - therefore, good drainage is needed.,Azaleaen is sensitive to drought, so it is important to be careful with watering, especially during dry periods and for newly planted outdoor plants. Water these generously at least once a week and make sure the plant is watered all the way to the root. Calculate around 20-30 liters per outdoor plant.
- If you mix fertilizer into the soil during planting, it will sustain your azalea for a longer period of time. Every other year, you can add some fresh rhododendron soil, and in the autumn you can use leaves, bark mulch, pine needles, and a little compost made from cow manure to cover the ground around your azalea.
- Pruning, In spring you can prune the azalea, which can be done quite hard, as long as you let the plant keep its natural shape. For more drastic rejuvenation, it is best to prune before flowering, and for the rest you can do it afterwards. After flowering, you can also gently remove the old, dry flower heads to help promote new bud formation.
Place the azalea in a pot indoors
Water and fertilizer,For those of you who have your azalea in a pot indoors, it is most beneficial to water in the outer pot, which can be done daily, in smaller amounts. However, during the flowering period, you should avoid adding nutrients to your azalea.,,Placement,Azaleas prefer to be in a bright location, but not in direct sunlight. They will thrive best if placed in a window or on a table in the middle of the room. If it has many buds - it needs more light than usual, so you can advantageously place it under a lamp.This is how azalea differs from rhododendron
Today there are a couple of things that make it easy to distinguish an azalea from a rhododendron. One is that some azalea varieties shed their leaves in winter, which also makes them better able to withstand the winter than the rhododendron bush. In addition, the azalea prefers significantly more sun than its relative. Besides these small differences, there is not much that separates the two from each other and they can be advantageously planted together, as they create colorful works of art when combined.- When talking about azaleas today, these constitute two out of a total of eight subspecies of rhododendron, which are the deciduous azaleas (pentanthera) and the evergreen azaleas (tsutsusi). We use azaleas as ornamental plants in most cases, and here we find species and hybrids such as window azaleas, rose azaleas, and dwarf azaleas. Regardless of which species you choose, azaleas provide an aesthetic lift to the home with their lovely contrasts between pure flowers and dark, coarse leaves.
- At Plantasjen you can choose from many different azaleas and find the variety that best suits your taste - both outdoors and indoors.
Nice to know
Azaleas exist as both trees and bushes, in hundreds of different species.They came to Europe from East Asia in the 19th century.Considered an easy-to-care-for plant.There are both tiny and huge azaleas.They bloom in the fall and winter.Certain species emit a fantastic scent when they bloom.- More tips and advice:, Hyacinth - facts and advice on careAmaryllis - facts and advice on carePoinsettia - facts and advice on careChristmas roses - facts and advice on care