AZALEAS: WHERE TO PLANT

Carefully consider your planting sites. Pick a place with light to moderate shade. Azaleas that receive some shade during the winter usually suffer much less cold damage. And, during hot weather, the flowers last much longer on plants in filtered shade than on those in full sun. The varieties that bloom late need to be in partial shade to prevent sunscald to the flowers.

Pine trees with moderate filtered shade give ideal protection for azaleas. However, very heavy shade throughout the day may reduce flower production and result in weak growth. Evergreen trees or tall shrubs with low branches make good windbreaks and attractive backgrounds for an azalea planting. Shallow-rooted trees, such as oaks, elms, and maples, may compete with azaleas for moisture and nutrients.

Soil conditions should be considered in selecting a planting site. Azaleas require an acid soil pH to grow properly. Check the soil pH of your site before you buy azaleas. If the pH is above 6.5 you can expect to spend additional money and effort to maintain a pH in the proper range for plant growth. It may be to your advantage to consider other kinds of landscape plants for that site. However, artificial raised beds can be created by adding pine bark or peat moss to improve drainage and lower pH. These beds should be 10 to 12 inches deep. This depth provides an artificial environment similar to a large container. Additional watering is required. Building raised beds over existing tree roots can be stressful and potentially damaging to the trees.

A pH of 5.5 is good for most varieties of azaleas. The reason azaleas do better in slightly acid soil is because iron is more available. Iron in the soil may become unavailable to the plants if the pH gets too high.

Iron chlorosis is caused by not enough iron getting to the plant. The symptom of iron chlorosis is that the area between the veins is yellow or light green while the veins are darker green. In some cases there simply may not be enough iron in the soil. However, in most Alabama situations the trouble usually is the fact that the iron in the soil cannot be taken up by the plant. This situation is often caused by a too-high pH level. Other causes of chlorosis may be poorly aerated soil, a heavy application of fertilizer, or roots that are heavily infested with nematodes or infected with root-rot disease organisms.

Chelated iron is an effective way to temporarily correct iron deficiency symptoms. Use it at the rate recommended on the container.

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WHEN TO PLANT

Azaleas can be planted any time of the year if proper attention is given to providing adequate water.

Most people buy azaleas in the spring when the plants are blooming so they can choose the right color combinations. Autumn is probably a better time to plant, however, because the plants can then become better established before hot weather.

Native azaleas gathered from the woods are more difficult to transplant than the introduced varieties. Dig them only in the winter when they are dormant and then cut the top of the plants back to about 6 inches above the ground. Cutting them back will give the plants a much better chance to survive. The root system can become well established and then they will produce more vigorous growth. Of course, plant collecting from the wild should only be done from approved areas and not from our state or national parks.

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