The candy-colored blooms profusely dot the landscape each spring on well-fertilized shrubs.
Learn the best times and proper techniques for fertilizing azaleas for healthy growth and vibrant blooms.
Both are blooming woody shrubs, but azaleas bloom earlier in the spring.
Azalea advice; whenever jerry dug up a bush to add to their yard’s collection, he was careful to use the spade to cut widely around the roots. “Don’t be shy about how big a root ball you want,” he says. If the bush is about 5 years old 10 to 12 inches in diameter, you’ll want to have a root ball that’s the same size, he notes.Credit:HELEN NORMAN
Leaves are thin and small on azaleas while rhododendron foliage is larger, thick, and leathery.
The ideal growing conditions for most azalea cultivars are areas with filtered light and well-draining, acidic soil.
Why Fertilize Azaleas?
Establishing or maintaining acidic soil is essential to the health of azaleas.
Before you plant azaleas or if they fail to thrive, have your soil tested to determine its pH.
If grown in nutrient-rich, acidic soil, azaleas have low nutritional requirements compared to many other shrubs.
Wrongyou’ll end up with more leafy growth than blooms.
Wait until after the flowers fade and new growth emerges.
To help the roots absorb the nutrients, apply when the soil is moist after winter and spring rains.
Do not apply fertilizer after early June because summer droughts will cause stress for the plant.
If your azaleas look fine, they do not need to be routinely fertilized during the growing season.
You don’t want to encourage new growth while there is still a chance of frost.
After receiving the results of your soil analysis, use these azalea-friendly formulas as needed.
Fertilizer should be applied evenly over the shrub’s root zone.
Always water the shrub deeply after the utility.
Acid-specific organic fertilizers
Complete, acid-forming organic fertilizers work well to improve neutral or slightly alkaline soils.
These products have low nitrogen content and won’t burn the roots.
The amount of product depends on the results of your soil test.
Fertilization usually results in new foliage growth.
Pay attention to the calendar andcomplete any pruningto control the size of the shrub by late June.
Later pruning will remove the flower buds you need for a springtime show.
Severe pruning should be done in late winter.
If possible, move the plant outside and place it in a spot with dappled light.
Use a water-soluble liquid plant food with a 4-12-4 NPK about once a month during the summer.
Stop fertilization and bring the plant inside before the first frost.
