How to Plant Azaleas

Azaleas provide perennial spring color in many climates and their foliage can make them a major component of garden landscaping. Azaleas are easy to cultivate, requiring little pruning or special care and repaying your efforts with drifts of red, pink, white, lavender and yellow blossoms. Read on to learn how to plant azaleas.

Things You'll Need

• Azalea plant/s
• Spade
• Peat moss
• Accessible source of water

Instructions

1. Azaleas can grow from three to 10 times their nursery-size. Make sure to plan enough space in sunny or part-shaded beds for best results. Locate azaleas at the backs of flower-beds to leave room for spring bulbs and colorful summer annual plantings.

2. Purchase azaleas for planting in very early spring or in the fall, so that plants do not suffer transplant shock, which will delay or prevent successful growth.

3. Dig a hole twice as wide and deep as the rootball of your azalea. Mix some peat moss into soil being replaced, to assist the spread of small and new roots. Fill hole part of the way with peat-moss-soil mixture. Water thoroughly.

4. Unwrap root-ball covering, if any, gently or roll pot gently on the ground to loosen soil and plant (using even large stems to pull or lift the plant can result in breakage). Ease plant into hole so that top of root-ball is even with top of hole.

5. Fill hole with remaining soil, tamp down firmly with your foot, and water. Continue watering regularly for several weeks to support settling-in and new growth.

Tips & Warnings

• Azaleas tolerate moderate shade; they will bloom somewhat later than those with better sun exposure.

• Azaleas prefer slightly to moderately acid soil. Fertilize when planting and again lightly after blooming with a fertilizer designed for acid-loving plants.

• Mulch new plantings to prevent snow and ice damage. If branches appear damaged and do not leaf-out in the spring, wait through the summer before pruning severely. You may be surprised by new growth late in the season.