How to Root Azalea Plants

There are two types of azaleas, deciduous and evergreen. Deciduous azaleas have one set of leaves that they loose in the fall. Evergreen azaleas have two sets of leaves, one that grows in the spring and they loose in the fall, and one that they grow in the summer that remains throughout the winter. Deciduous azaleas are difficult to root by cuttings; they are usually propagated by seed, grafting or layering. Evergreen azaleas are frequently rooted by cuttings.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Cold frame
• Perlite
• Peat
• Pen
• Dull knife
• Rooting hormone
• Plastic

1. Take 3-to-5 inch cuttings from a mature evergreen azalea bush in June or July. Cut them from new wood that snaps when broken from the parent plant.

2. Pinch off all the bottom leaves, leaving the top four to six leaves. If you want the azalea to bush out, remove the top buds.

3. Place a mixture with equal parts perlite and peat in the cold frame and water it thoroughly. Leave it alone for a few days. Make holes with a pen or pencil where you will place your cuttings. Scrape the bottom inch of the cutting with a dull knife and put it in rooting hormone, shaking off any excess. Place it in a hole and gently push the perlite around it.

4. Water the cuttings to help the perlite mixture settle. Try not to get water on the leaves. Cover the top of the cold frame with plastic and place it in bright, indirect sunlight.

5. Open the top of the cold frame periodically to check if it needs water--even in the winter. Leave the azaleas in the cold frame until May or June when they'll be rooted and ready to plant.

Tips & Warnings

• Wait a few weeks if the cuttings aren't hard enough. Use individual pots for a few cuttings.
• Don't tug at the new plants, as it could break their roots. Direct sunlight will burn the cuttings. Check for insects and fungus, and treat the plants, as necessary.

References

• Evergreen Azaleas
• Propagation of Evergreen Azaleas
• Azalea Propogation