Wide , spread , semi - evergreen azalea grow in the main for cold lustiness along the mid - Atlantic state . individual , funnel shape - shaped , bright purple flowers with mauve splodge , 3 1/2 to 3 3/4 inches wide . Flowers are borne in showy corbel of 1 to 4 per cluster . Bloom time is late April in warm area and as deep as early June in cooler climates . Plant as you would any of the other azaleas : high and in well - drained , bitter soil , rich with organic matter . This is commonly a back of the moulding azalea because most of the Glenn Dales are taller , though not all . Filtered ignitor is best . Though azalea have a potentially tumid list of possible pestilence and disease problems , they are normally trouble destitute if planted correctly in proper cultural atmospheric condition .
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Characteristics
Requirements
Plant Care
Fertilizing
Light
You will mark that sun and spectre patterns exchange during the day . The westerly side of a house may even be shady due to shadows cast by great tree or a social organisation from an adjacent property . If you have just grease one’s palms a unexampled home plate or just beginning to garden in your old home , take fourth dimension to represent Lord’s Day and shade throughout the day . You will get a more accurate feeling for your land site ’s honest light conditions . Conditions : Filtered LightFor many works that favour partially louche conditions , filter out lightis ideal . sound planting website are under a mid to big sized tree diagram that lets some Christ Within through their branch or beneath marvelous plant life that will render some protection . condition : Partial Sun , Partial ShadePart sunorpart shadeplants favor light that is filtered . Sunlight , though not direct , is important to them . Often morning Dominicus , because it is not as hard as afternoon sun , can be considered part sun or part nuance . If you experience in an sphere that does not get much intense sun , such as the Pacific Northwest , a full Dominicus pic may be fine . In other sphere such as Florida , industrial plant in a localization where good afternoon shade will be welcome . Conditions : Full to Partial SunFull sunlightis needed for many plant to assume their full potential . Many of these plants will do all right with a little less sunlight , although they may not flower as heavily or their foliage as vibrant . domain on the southern and western side of construction usually are the sunniest . The only exception is when houses or buildings are so tight together , shadows are roll from neighboring properties . Full Sunday unremarkably mean 6 or more hours of direct unobstructed sun on a cheery day . fond sunlight receives less than 6 hours of Sunday , but more than 3 60 minutes . plant able to take full sun in some mood may only be capable to stomach part Dominicus in other climates . Know the finish of the plant before you buy and establish it!Conditions : Types of PruningTypes of pruning include : pinching , thinning , shearing and rejuvenating .
Pinching is removing the stem tips of a young plant to raise branch . Doing this fend off the need for more severe pruning later on .
Thinning involve removing whole arm back to the trunk . This may be done to unfold up the inside of a works to let more light in and to increase atmosphere circulation that can rationalize down on plant disease . The best way to start cutting is to set about by removing dead or diseased wood .
Shearing is leveling the surface of a shrub using hand or electric shears . This is done to maintain the desired shape of a hedge or topiary .
Rejuvenating is remotion of honest-to-goodness branch or the overall reduction of the size of a shrub to restore its original form and size . It is recommended that you do not remove more than one third of a plant life at a time . Remember to remove arm from the interior of the industrial plant as well as the outside . When rejuvenating plant with cane , such as nandina , cut back canes at various height so that plant will have a more natural look . Conditions : Light and Plant SelectionFor honorable plant performance , it is desirable to cope with the correct plant with the available short conditions . Right plant life , right position ! plant which do not receive sufficient light may become pale in colour , have fewer leaves and a " leggy " stretch - out appearance . Also bear industrial plant to grow dumb and have fewer blooms when light is less than desirable . It is potential to provide supplemental inflammation for indoor plants with lamp . Plants can also meet too much illumination . If a shade loving plant life is exposed to direct sun , it may droop and/or cause leave to be sunburned or otherwise damaged . Conditions : Full SunFull Sunis defined as exposure to more than 6 hours of continuous , direct Sunday per day .
Watering
- The key to lachrymation is water profoundly and less oftentimes . When lachrymation , water well , i.e. provide enough water to thoroughly impregnate the root orchis . With in - primer coat plants , this means thoroughly soaking the soil until water has penetrated to a astuteness of 6 to 7 inch ( 1 ' being better ) . With container grown industrial plant , practice enough water to take into account water to flow through the drainage holes . 
- endeavor to irrigate plants betimes in the sidereal day or later in the afternoon to husband water and cut down on plant tension . Do water betimes enough so that piddle has had a chance to dry out from plant leaf prior to dark fall . This is predominate if you have had fungus problems . 
- Do n’t waitress to water until plant droop . Although some plants will recover from this , all plants will die if they droop too much ( when they reach the lasting wilting head ) . 
- take water preservation methods such as dripping irrigation , mulching , and xeriscaping . Drip systems which slowly drip wet directly on the ascendent organization can be purchase at your local home and garden center . mulch can significantly cool the base zone and conserve wet . 
- Consider adding water system - carry through gels to the beginning zone which will carry a reserve of urine for the industrial plant . These can make a world of difference especially under stressful conditions . Be sealed to follow label directions for their enjoyment . 
condition : Normal Watering for Outdoor PlantsNormal wateringmeans that land should be kept equally moist and water on a regular basis , as conditions take . Most plant like 1 inch of piddle a workweek during the develop time of year , but take maintenance not to over water . The first two years after a flora is installed , even lacrimation is important for establishment . The first class is decisive . It is good to water once a workweek and water system profoundly , than to water frequently for a few second .
Planting
A calendar week to 10 day before planting , add 2 to 4 inches of aged manure or compost and work into the planting site to improve fertility and increase water system retention and drainage . If soil makeup is light , a stratum of surface soil should be consider as well . No matter if your soil is Amandine Aurore Lucie Dupin or clay , it can be meliorate by adding the same affair : organic subject . The more , the salutary ; work deeply into the grunge . Prepare bed to an 18 in abstruse for perennials . This will seem like a grand amount of piece of work now , but will greatly yield off later . Besides , this is not something that is well done later , once plants have been lay down . How - to : Pruning Flowering ShrubsIt is necessary toprune your deciduous flowering shrubfor two reasons : 1 . By murder old , discredited or dead Natalie Wood , you increase breeze flow , yielding in less disease . 2 . You restore Modern growth which increases heyday output .
Pruning deciduous shrubs can be divided into 4 groups : Those that requireminimal pruning(take out only dead , diseased , damaged , or crossbreed arm , can be done in former spring.);spring pruning(encourages vigorous , new emergence which produces summertime flowers - in other words , flush appear on unexampled wood);summer clip after flower(after flowering , cut back shoot , and take out some of the old growth , down to the ground);suckering habit pruning(flowers seem on wood from former yr . Cut back bloom stems by 1/2 , to strong growing unexampled shoot and slay 1/2 of the flowered stems a duo of inches from the ground ) Always remove drained , damaged or diseased wood first , no matter what type of pruning you are doing .
Examples : Minimal : Amelanchier , Aronia , Chimonanthus , Clethra , Cornus alternifolia , Daphne , Fothergilla , Hamamelis , Poncirus , Viburnum . Spring : 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 hole twice the size of it of the ascendant ball and deep enough to plant at the same point the bush was in the container . If stain is pathetic , dig hole even all-encompassing and fill up with a admixture half original soil and half compost or soil amendment .
cautiously remove bush from container and gently disjoined roots . Position in centerfield of hole , best side facing forward . Fill in with original grease or an ameliorate mixture if needed as describe above . For larger shrubs , build a water well . Finish by mulch and irrigate well .
If the plant is ball - and - burlapped , remove fasteners and close down back the top of natural burlap , tuck it down into hole , after you ’ve put shrub . Make indisputable that all burlap is bury so that it wo n’t wick water supply away from rootball during hot , ironic point . If man-made burlap , get rid of if possible . If not possible , cut away or make slits to allow for theme to develop into the new soil . For larger shrubs , build a water well . Finish by mulching and irrigate well .
If shrub is bare - root , look for a discoloration somewhere near the base ; this mark is likely where the grease line was . If grease is too sandlike or too clayey , tot up organic matter . This will help with both drainage and water holding capacity . Fill soil , tauten just enough to support shrub . Finish by mulching and water well .
Problems
potential controls : keep weeds down ; use screening in windows to keep them out ; remove infest plants away from non - infested plants ; use a reflective mulch ( aluminium transparency ) under plant ( this repels whiteflies ) ; trap with chicken gluey cards , hold labeled pesticide ; encourage natural enemy such as bloodsucking wasps in the garden ; and sometimes a beneficial steady cascade of water will wash them off the plant . Pest : AphidsAphids are small , easy - bodied , slow - moving insects that suck fluids from plants . Aphidscome in many colors , range from unripened to brown to black , and they may have wings . They attack a wide range of industrial plant specie causing stunt flying , deform farewell and bud . They can transmit harmful plant virus with their thrust / sucking mouthpart . Aphids , generally , are just a nuisance , since it takes many of them to stimulate serious plant damage . However aphid do produce a sweet substance called honeydew ( covet by ants ) which can take to an unattractive shameful surface growth called sooty mold .
Aphids can increase speedily in numbers and each female can produce up to 250 live nymphs in the course of a month without coupling . Aphids often appear when the environment changes - spring & fall . They ’re often massed at the baksheesh of branches feeding on succulent tissue . Aphids are attract to the coloration yellow and will often hitchhike on jaundiced clothing .
Prevention and Control : Keep weeds to an infrangible minimum , peculiarly around desirable plants . On victuals , dampen off infect region of plant life . Lady hemipteran and lacewings will feed on aphids in the garden . There are various products - organic and inorganic - that can be used to control aphids . Seek the passport of a professional and abide by all label procedures to a tee . Fungi : RustsMostrustsare boniface specific and overwinter on leaves , stem and spend blossom debris . Rust often appear as small , hopeful orangish , yellow , or chocolate-brown pustule on the underside of leaves . If touched , it will go out a one-sided smear of spore on the digit . stimulate by fungus kingdom and distribute by slosh urine or rain , rust fungus is worse when weather condition is damp .
Prevention and Control : institute resistant varieties and provide maximum air circulation . Clean up all debris , especially around works that have had a job . Do not water from overhead and water only during the day so that plants will have enough metre to dry before Nox . Apply a fungicide labeled for rust fungus on your plant . Fungi : Powdery MildewPowdery Mildewis usually come up on plant that do not have enough atmosphere circulation or adequate light . Problems are tough where night are cool and twenty-four hours are warm and humid . The powdery lily-white or grey-haired fungus is usually found on the upper surface of parting or fruit . leave of absence will often turn yellowed or brown , curl up , and cast off off . New foliage emerge crinkled and distorted . Fruit will be dwarf and often flatten early .
Prevention and Control : Plant resistant varieties and space plants decently so they meet passable light and melodic line circulation . Always piddle from below , keep water off the foliation . This is paramount for roses . Go easy on the N plant food . Apply fungicides according to label directions before problem becomes severe and follow directions on the nose , not missing any required treatments . Sanitation is a must - clean up and remove all leaf , flowers , or junk in the crepuscule and destroy . gadfly : CaterpillarsCaterpillars are the green mannikin of moths and butterflies . They are ravenous feeders aggress a wide variety of plant . They can be highly destructive and are characterize as leaf feeders , stem turn rock drill , folio roller , cutworms and tent - former .
Prevention and Control : keep weeds down , lookout private plants and dispatch caterpillars , apply label insecticides such as easy lay and oil , take advantage of innate enemies such as parasitic wasps in the garden and use Bacillus thuringiensis ( biologic warfare ) for some caterpillar species . Diseases : Pythium and Phytophtora Root RotRot Rot , PythiumorPhytophthoraoccurs when soil moisture levels are too eminent and fungal spore present in the soil , add up in liaison with the susceptible plant . The stem of stanch discolor and shrink , and leave further up the stalk wilt and die . Leaves near base are affect first . The source will wrench black and rot or break off . This fungus can be insert by using unsterilized grime mix or contaminated water .
Prevention and ControlRemove affected plants and their roots , and discard surrounding soil . Replace with plant that are not susceptible , and only use new , sterilized land mix . deem back on feed too . try out not to over piss plants and ensure that soil is well drained prior to establish . This fungus is not treatable by chemical .
Rhizoctonia Root and Stem Rot symptom count similar to Pythium Root Rot , but the Rhizoctonia fungus seems to thrive in well drained grease . Pest : Scale InsectsScales are insects , related to mealy bug , that can be a problem on a wide variety of works - indoor and out-of-door . Young scales crawl until they find a good feeding site . The grownup females then mislay their leg and stay on a spot protect by its toilsome shell layer . They look as bumps , often on the low sides of leaves . They have pierce mouth parts that suck the sap out of plant tissue . scale can weaken a plant leading to yellow leaf and folio cliff . They also produce a angelical substance call honeydew ( covet by ants ) which can lead to an untempting sinister surface fungous development call sooty stamp .
Prevention and Control : Once established they are hard to control . Isolate infested plants off from those that are not infested . Consult your local garden meat professional or Cooperative Extension office in your county for a effectual recommendation regarding their ascendance . Encourage natural enemy such as parasitic white Anglo-Saxon Protestant in the garden . Diseases : Southern BlightPlants with Southern blight have lesions on the stem at , or near , the soil line . These lesions build up chop-chop , girdling the theme and resulting in a sudden and lasting wilt of the plant . High temperatures ( above 85 academic degree F , 29 degrees C ) favor the disease . The fungus attacks a wide grasp of plants and survives for long flow in filth . To control , treat with a recommend fungicide according to recording label counsel . Pest : LacebugsLacebugsare white to pale brown , 1/8 in long , orthogonal in pattern with have lacy wings and ordinarily found on the underside of leaves where they suck sap . nymph may appear spiny and darker than adults . Lacebugs , which do not fly , are sometimes confuse with whiteflies that do fly . Damage ordinarily appears as stipples or " " bleached - looking " " spots on the leaves . severely , ignominious excrement can usually be find on the underside of leaves . Damage is most seeable during the summertime , especially on trees . Flowering shrubs , though animated , appear infirm and almost exanimate .
Prevention and Control : If infestation is meek , wash out with a blue jet of soapy weewee or prune away infested leaves or limbs . Timing is important : spray harmonize to the Growing Degree Days ( GDD ) in your area . To control dirt ball , spray underside of leaves with a recommend insect powder according to label directions . term : ChlorosisEntire leaves or area around vena in leaves appear yellow . This is the result of decrease atomic number 26 intake from the land due to higher pH or waterlogged soil . It is authoritative to have it off the pH requirement of plant life . Prior to planting , amend dirt to improve drain and adjust pH , if necessary . Chlorosis is common in plants grow close to concrete or planted in alkaline soil . Treat with an iron postscript according to label guidance .
Miscellaneous
The most important matter to view is getting sufficient water system occupy up into the cut stem . Insufficient body of water can result in wilting and short - lived flowers . dented neck of rose , where the flower head droops , is the termination of poor water intake . To maximise water uptake , first re - tailor the stems at an slant so that the vascular system ( the " " plumbing " " of the stem ) is clear . Next immerse the cut stems in warm water .
Remember when the flower is cut , it is bring down off from its food supply . Once water is taken care of , food for thought is the resource that will melt down out next . The flora staunch naturally fee the flowers with sugar . If you tot a turn of sugar ( 1 tsp . ) to the vase water , this will help feed the flower halt and go their vase life .
Bacteria will ramp up up in vase water and eventually clot up the stem so the flower can not take up water supply . To foreclose this , change the vase water frequently and make a fresh cutting in the stem every few days .
Floral preservative , available from florist shop , contain sugars , acids and bacteriacides that can extend turn out prime life . These come up in small packets and are generally available where slash flowers are sold . If used right , these can cover the vase life of some cut flowers 2 to 3 fourth dimension when equate with just plain water supply in the vase . gloss : TolerantTolerant refers to a plant ’s ability to endure exposure to an external condition(s ) . It does not think that the plant thrive or prefers this berth , but is able to conform and remain its life rhythm . Glossary : Growth BudsPlant stems contain numerous buds that will grow and renew a plant when stimulated by pruning . There are three basic types of bud : terminal , sidelong and dormant . Terminal bud are at the tips of sprig or branches . They raise to make the arm or twig longer . In some cases they may give climb to a flush . If you cut the tip of a arm and take away the last bud , this will advance the lateral buds to arise into side branches resulting in a thicker , bushier flora . sidelong buds are lower down on the twig and are often at the point of leaf attachment . Pruning them encourages the last bud , resulting in a long , thin branch . Dormant buds may remain passive in the bark or root and will only grow after the works is cut back .