Oh Beautiful Azaleas

Where to start?

You have to chose where you want to plant your azaleas.

Things to consider:

Shade. Azaleas do not like a lot of shade, but they do not stand high heat. They prefer filtered sunlight meaning they grow the best with the morning sun and afternoon shade. You can use trees, shrubs, fences and screens to shade them in the afternoon.

Soils. The roots of azaleas are very delicate. They cannot penitrate rocky or heavy soils. So, sandier soils are best for their roots.

Soil Acidity. Azaleas love acidic soils. They thrive in pH levels between 5.0 and 5.5. The best way to find out what your soil acidity is, is to take a soil sample and send it in for testing. A way of lowering the pH level is to add lime, mortar, peat, sulfur, or ferrous sulfate to your soil.

Drainage. The drainage of the soil is very important to all plants. It provides air to the roots so they don't rot from sitting in too much water. Azaleas need well drained soil to stay alive. But, when a dry period comes the roots can dry up, so they require watering. A good way of testing drainage is to dig a hole six inches deep where you will be planting your azaleas and fill it with water. If the water has not drained in four hours you need to install drain tile to carry the excess water away.

Types of pests. In our zones 3, and 4 there are not a lot of pests to azaleas. One thing to watch for though is powedery mildew during hot, humid summers.

http://www.stunningazaleas.com/

http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/horticulture/DG2386.html

http://muextension.missouri.edu/xplor/agguides/hort/g06825.html