Azalea is a beautiful plant that will become a real decoration for your garden.
How to Grow Azalea
Azaleas are used to create garden and park compositions and are great for forming hedges.
For planting azaleas, it is best to choose a place in soft partial shade with diffused light.
Direct sunlight can touch the foliage only in the early morning hours.
The ideal place would be the eastern side of the house, where the azalea will be protected from northern winds in winter and from summer heat.
Direct sunlight and strong shading on the leaves lead to a loss of decorativeness, poor flowering and rapid wilting of flowers.
The ideal place for azalea is the bank of a garden pond.
The soil in which the bush grows should be moderately moist.
Garden azalea needs regular watering.
In hot weather, the plant needs additional spraying.
Mulching helps maintain an optimal level of humidity.
To create a comfortable microclimate for azalea, you can plant moss nearby.
Timely pruning and pinching of azalea stems is also extremely important, as this significantly increases the intensity of flowering.
Pruning should begin after flowering has ended, removing weak shoots and pinching overgrown ones, leaving about five leaves.
Both mineral and organic fertilizers are used to feed the plant during this period.
Mineral fertilizers include superphosphate, potassium sulfate and magnesium sulfate.
Organic fertilizers can be represented by pine needles, peat and rotted manure.
Since the root system of azalea is located close to the soil surface, it is better to apply fertilizers in liquid form.
How to properly water azalea
Azalea should be watered often and abundantly.
It is important that the soil never dries out, as the root system needs regular moisture.
Watering can be done either in the tray or under the root.
Water for watering should be cool, but not cold, and preferably filtered.
