Subject: Azaleas - they hate me!

From: [email-masked] ()
Date: 29 Mar 1995 15:25:26 GMT

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When we bought our house 5 years ago, the builder put in 5 small leafed azaleas
by the front walk.  For three years they were beautiful so I left them alone.
Then they didn't survive one winter - windchill of -12 and we were out of town
that week.  So when I added a new section of landscaping I prepared a bed for
some new azaleas.  These would get more sun than the original ones but only
for a few hours in the morning - didn't want to burn them in the Texas sun.
They looked great for 1 year.  I did everything that you're supposed to do.  I
had the soil tested and kept it acidic enough but not too, I raised the bed
and mixed the peat moss, etc just as recommended.  They died.  When pruning
another area, I had noticed this one bush in a corner behind the hedge where
it didn't get much light and was in really bad soil.  It looked like an
azalea but was spindly, only had leaves at the branch ends and no flowers.
You couldn't see it unless you climbed through the hedge so I decided to move
it.  I really didn't care if it lived so I grabbed it close to the ground and
pulled.  Then I dug a hole in our yucky clay soil and stuck it in.  I never
paid any special attention to it - no special fertilizer, etc.  It's been 2 
years now and it's still alive.  It has flowers this year - a beautiful
bright pink.  

So if I abuse my azaleas and tell them that I don't care if they live or die,
they live.  If I baby them, they die.

However, my mom sent me a plant when I had surgery last September.  It's a
large leaf azalea that is about 12" diameter in a pot in my kitchen.  It has
so many flowers it's sagging.  It needs to be repotted or moved outside but
I know if I touch it I'll kill it.  It is so potbound that I must water it 
daily.  Well, if it's nice weather this weekend (it's 50 degrees and raining
now), I'll do some azalea torture and move it outside and threaten it.

Regards, Bonnie
  Mama to Bobby 9/5/91 and Aunt Bonnie to Hayden 3/7/95
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Email: [email-masked]

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From: [email-masked] (Dick Gilman)
Date: Thu, 30 Mar 1995 16:37:42 GMT

Azaleas respond to what is called benign neglect,  dont fertilize
alot do not water alot make sure the soil is somewhat acidic and
you should do ok.  Make sure you are not planting too close to
other trees.  Becuase when you dig a hole near a tree the tree
roots will invade that hole because it is new good soil so dig the
hole alot bigger around than deep.  Make sure you do not plant too
deep either, I dig my holes 1" deep and around a foot around. 
Stick the plant in and mound it up with peat/compost.  I plant
here in wake forest nc zone 7 all my azaleas in the fall, and I
have never lost one if I plant in the spring I have to water them
constantly to get the through and the stress is alot more. 

good luck.