AZALEAS may be the known flowering ornamental in the South.
They come in all shades of white, pink, red, orange, lavender
and purple and the flowers range from very small to large.
The
southern indicas are some of the oldest and most
popular varieties that you see throughout Houston and the
entire South. They are some of the larger growing Azaleas
up to 6’+H x 6’+W with large blooms. Some of the
more popular
indicas are
‘Formosa’,
‘Red Formosa’,
‘George Tabor’,
‘Mrs. G.G. Gerbing’ and
‘Judge
Solomon’. The next in size would be the glenndale
hybrids such as ‘Fashion’ and rutherford hybrids
such as
‘Pink Ruffle’ that grow 4’H
x 4”W. These have medium size blooms. The kurume hybrids
such as
‘Coral Bell’,
‘Christmas
Cheer’ and
‘Snow’ are next
in size at 3’H x 3’W. These have small blooms.
The satsuki hybrids such as
‘Amaghasa’
and
‘Gumpo Pink’ and
‘Gumpo
White’ grow to be 2’H x 2’W and also
have small blooms. All of these varieties typically bloom
mid-March to early April except for the
‘Gumpos’
that don’t bloom until about May. Plant these varieties
in part sun to shade.
‘Encore’ Azaleas are a wonderful and
unique hybrid of traditional Spring blooming Azaleas and
Summer blooming Taiwanese Rhododendrons. These patented
Azaleas come in 23 colors ranging in size from 3’-4’H
x 3’-4’W. ‘Encores’ bloom
in the early Spring and then again in late summer through
fall. Plant ‘Encores’ in full sun to
part shade. Encore ‘Autumn Embers’ can
be seen growing outside MC Plazas I&II.
GENERAL AZALEA CARE
• Prune after bloom period is over. ‘Encores’
only prune lightly after Spring bloom.
• Any heavy pruning should be done as soon as blooming
is through. Never prune past August as you can be cutting
off new Spring buds forming.
• Fertilize after bloom is over. I like to fertilize
lightly once each in April, May & June. Never fertilize
past August. Fertilizing too late in the season can cause
premature bud development that can freeze and cause bud
loss. My favorite Azalea food is Nutri Star 9-13-11 Azalea
Food by Nelson Plant Food. Correct chlorosis or yellowing
by adding Iron Sulphate repeatedly as needed.
• Lacebug is the biggest insect pest to Azaleas. They
suck on the underside of the leaves causing white/yellow
mottling of the foliage. They typically are active as soon
as it gets hot until winter. The best treatment for Lacebug
is a foliar spray/drench of Merit or Imachloroprid.
• Black Spot is a leaf fungal problem that will occur
in the Fall or Spring with wet/humid conditions. Treat this
disease with Terrachlor or Daconil or other recommended
fungicide. You will generally need at least two treatments
or as needed. It is important that you rake up and dispose
of fallen diseased leaves to keep the fungal spores from
overwintering.
HELPFUL WEBSITES
• www.monrovia.com
• www.flowerwood.com
• www.encoreazalea.com
• www.magnoliagardensnursery.com
• www.nelsonplantfood.com
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