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Azaleas, Long Lasting Loads of Colour!

By Jos Van Hage

There are many different Azalea cultivars including a few of them that make excellent indoor flowering plants. The indoor types are available throughout the year in the garden center but are mostly seen around holidays such as Christmas, Mothers Day, and Valentines Day. Flowers are white, pink, red, coral and bi-colored and if they are cared for properly the long lasting flowers can add weeks of color to the home making them a good buy when it comes to purchasing flowering houseplants.

When purchasing a plant choose a plant that has lots of unopened buds with only a few starting to open as this indicates a plant that is in the beginning stages of bloom. The plant should look healthy with nice green foliage that has not yellowed or is dropping. To keep the plant healthy, place it in a well-lit area of the home such as a south window in the winter or a west/east window during the summer. It is also important to keep the plant away from any drafts, vents or other areas where there are sudden temperature changes such as an outside door that is used often.

Azaleas need to be kept moist at all times in order for them to do well. They tend to dry out more quickly then other flowering plants because they are grown in a soil that consists of more peat which makes the soil more acidic which is what azaleas enjoy. When in bloom it is a good idea to allow the plant to soak in warm water for 10-15 minutes every other day. Do not let the plant sit in water for longer than 15 minutes so drain any excess water out of the saucer or pot. Misting the plant is also helpful. A sign that the plant may not have received enough water is buds falling off before they open up, or leaves falling off.

After the buds have opened and flowered, remove the finished flowers as this will not only make the plant look neater but it will also promote new growth on the plant. Also, while in bloom fertilize monthly with a fertilizer low in nitrogen such as 12-36-12. After the plant has finished blooming it can be tossed in the compost or kept on in the home as a green plant that can be made to bloom again. To get it to re-bloom it needs to have a rest after it has finished blooming so place it in a cooler area of the home and continue to water it. In late spring after risk of frost has passed plant it outside in a shady spot where it will continue to receive water and fertilizer. Then, in September dig it up and replant it in a clay pot one size bigger than the one it was in before using an azalea/rhododendron soil which is higher in peat moss (more acidic). Place the plant in a cooler area of the home 5-10 Celsius and continue to give it water. Once you see the buds forming move the plant to a warmer (15-18 Celsius) well lit area of the home and treat it as you did the year previous when in bloom.

-Jos 

Jos Van Hage owns three Art Knapp's Garden Centres in the Prince George region
-Highway 97 North
-Highway97 South  at the Old Cariboo Highway
-Highway 16 West

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