Around Christmas, our market is flooded with potted azaleas, which beautify our properties for a number of months with lovely flowers and considerable blooms. But after the plant blooms, particularly with insufficient care, it in a short time turns into ugly and many individuals throw it away.
But it is value making an attempt to put it aside for subsequent 12 months. The process will not be tough, and with somewhat effort and good will, success will most likely not be absent.
So, after the plant stops blooming, transfer it to a cool place and proceed watering. Do not overdo it. Avoid retaining extra water within the pad.
In the spring, after the hazard of frost has handed, transfer the pot with the plant to a shady spot within the backyard.
If it has outgrown the pot through which it was planted, now could be the time for transplanting. Choose a pot that’s solely a centimeter or two bigger in diameter than earlier than, in order that the plant doesn’t spend an excessive amount of vitality on root formation. As azaleas choose acidic soils, an acceptable substrate ought to be obtained when transplanting.
Continue watering and fertilizing, and the plant will reply nicely to common leaf misting. So till autumn, when the plant is introduced into the home, first to a barely cooler place, and when it begins flowering, it’s moved to a everlasting place.
It is at all times watered with smooth water, i.e. water that has been left in a single day in an open container or, ideally, rain water. Tap water ought to be averted.
