How to Care for a Gift Azalea

Potted azaleas make great gifts.

In spring and summer, potted azaleas are popular gifts. Though these plants are generally meant for outdoors, they can happily live indoors in pots for many years. Some people even train azaleas as bonsai plants. Azaleas in pots also make an excellent portable accent for an outdoor garden or patio. If they are properly cared for they can bloom indoors for almost a month.

Things You'll Need

• Azalea plant
• Pot for replanting

Instructions

1. If the plant came with a decorative foil or plastic wrapper around the pot, remove it. These wrappers do not allow the plant to drain properly and can promote disease.

2. Make sure the container is the proper size. With caution, take the plant out of the pot and examine the root ball. If there are lots of roots on the outside, especially if they look like they are winding around and around in a pot shape, it is time to replant.

3. If re-potting, select a pot for the azalea to move into. It should be about one size larger than the present pot. Azaleas usually do best in clay pots.

4. When re-potting, trim the sides off of an especially compact root ball. Add rocks or other drainage material to the pot and add soil. Put the azalea plant in the pot, on top of the soil, and gently add more soil. Press it down firmly.

5. Keep the potted azalea in an area where it will get lots of bright sunlight.

6. Fertilize the potted azalea about every two weeks. These plants love acid so use a fertilizer like Miracid.

Resources

• Azalea Care
• Steps for fool-proof repotting