Topic: Azaleas

[Dianna]

We have azaleas ("Roberta Red", looks pink to me!) planted all around the gazebo in our back yard. If I had known that they didn't bloom long, I would have probably planted something else. I will be filling in with something later...

Anyway, they are looking sort of puny out there, but they are blooming. Was I supposed to trim the things back a little bit during the winter? Do they bloom on new wood or old wood?

[plants n pots]

Sorry I can't answer your questions Dianna, but I pulled out the 3 very scraggly azaelas that were left by the previous owners here.  I gave them 2 years to perform, and they never did, so out they went!

[Patty S]

Just like their cousins (Rhododendrons), they should be deadheaded & trimmed shortly after the flowers die off. (Pruning later in the season can disturb the development of the following year's blossoms.)  They also respond well to "Rhododendron, Evergreen & Azalea Food", which is formulated to boost the acidic soil that they like, & also encourages blossoms. 

**Because the plant food companies like to make as much money as they can, the amount recommended on their packaging is usually exaggerated... it's best to use half the listed amount, but follow their instructions for frequency.

[Tonya]

I always trim mine back in early July(I have always heard before the 21st) Mine are just now getting buds.

[Dianna]

My cousin's husband just trimmed Aunt Bonnie's last week. She has a beautiful hedge shaped azalea. She says he probably cut off all her blooms. I am hoping she will be posting a picture of it, anyway, because it is very pretty...

Patty, I have some fertilizer for the azaleas. Thanks for telling me to use half the amount. I don't want to pay for more fertilizer than I have to. I have, also, been putting coffee grounds around them....

[Bonnie]

There's not much to post Dianna, hardly any flowers. I've got to buy batteries before I can take any pics.

Bonnie

[Dianna]

Well, my azaleas are opening up:



Sure are pretty! I need to prune them when they finish. Right?

[Jim]

While down at Aunt Bonnie's today I took a shot of her azalea hedge that got trimmed a few weeks ago. It was still pretty but didn't have the number of blooms that it has in past years.

[Dianna]

And here's my pic of Aunt Bonnie's azaleas...



Henri needs his hiney kicked for trimming them right before they bloomed. I remember that they were covered in flowers last year...

[Patty S]

Bonnie, if I could have an awesome hedge like that, maybe I would like Azaleas! (I still wouldn't like cleaning up after them though!) It's nice that someone would shape it for you, but he really should have shown up with the clippers 10 months ago!
                                  Henri -> <- Azalea lovers

Mine are in bloom now too, such as they are....




I don't like Rhododendrons or Azaleas, but maybe I'll feed them this year, since Keith won't let me yank them out ...with a chain hooked to Dave's truck bumper, like I did to 1 of "his" big Rhodies a couple years ago!

On Wednesday this week, the Garden Club went on a little field trip to a local Rhododendron & Azaleas farm. (The only reason I went along was because the car pool cars were full & my buddy, Betty, needed a ride.) 

When the tour guide pointed to a small bush that had little flowers on it & told us the name (of the Rhodie), of course, I piped up with a challenge ...& learned something!

 
 *All Azaleas are Rhododendrons, but not all Rhododendrons are Azaleas.

 *True Rhodies have 2 stamens per petal, & azaleas have an indeterminate number of stamens, (as few as 5, but never just 2 per petal).

 *Azaleas have tubular, funnel shaped flowers & Rhodie flowers tend to be more bell shaped.

 *Most Rhodie shrubs are larger than Azaleas, but their leaves are paddle-shaped, while Azalea leaves are elliptical.

 *Those that flower on individual stems are Azaleas, & those that flower in groups are Rhododendrons.

 *Most Azaleas are deciduous, while true Rhodies lose only a few leaves in the winter, with the exception of just a couple varieties.

Suddenly, everyone could tell which was which ...& we were glad that I "asked"!

(Dianna, your "Roberta Red" looks pink to me too!)

[Patty S]

Hey Tonya!

Mine are just now getting buds.

Where are your Azalea pics? (Surely, they've flowered up by now!)

Since I dont like Azaleas in my yard in the first place, I didn't even realize that I had THREE of them!  Last fall when I was moving things around in flower beds, I actually thought this was a Boxwood! 



Sure thought it was weird when flowers popped out on them this week!
 

[notherdigger]

     You really have your facts down on the two of them Patty, I knew bout the first part bout azaleas being rhodies but not all.... but I never paid that much attention to them.  Since I work around alot of them guess I better start looking closer.  The roberta is georgous,* someone here has one of them which looks phosporecent* and another in town is a phos.. gold color and both are just beautiful but don't turn your head or you'll miss em, too bad.
     And for me Jim if I had any those blooms would be a success.

[duh]

I have two azalea's bushes in my foundation bed at the new place.  I've never seen an azalea as large as Bonnies.  That makes me think I should be moving them away from the house.  Foundation problems I don't need.  I'm thinking about getting a rhodie for road side maybe an orange one.  then if I add the azaleas up there with the golden chain trees that should look really good with a backdrop of the boxwoods.    Hum sounds like I'm going to be doing some moving of things. 

I'm planning on the foundation bed being where I put all of my bulbs.  Its a Southwest exposure so they should be happy there. 

Thankyou for the information.  I like rhodies and azaleas because I grew up in Washington State and they are all over the place up there.

[Tonya]

Since I never got around to posting them last year- here are some pics of my azaleas this year....they were awesome!!



Just for you Patty- I put Mackenna in as a size indicator-




I didn't even realize there were white azaleas...this guy was AWESOME!!


And the red- I think this one is a rhodie(I'll re-read the descriptions in a bit...)


All of mine need a serious trim and are quite leggy and pitiful looking, but they sure put on a good show for me this year!!

[Bonnie]

Those are absolutely gorgeous, Tonya. I love the white one.

[duh]

I'm not sure why but I can't seem to pass up the little azalea's at Wallyworld.  I now have two pink and one light purple one.  The last one isn't planted yet but maybe today if I get off of the computer and get out there before it is one hundred degrees or something like that.