sad looking azalea - Ask Extension
My azalea bush did not do well last year or this year. The early buds simply turned brown. This year it did flower some but not like it had been in ...
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sad looking azalea #871730
Asked June 05, 2024, 1:56 PM EDT
My azalea bush did not do well last year or this year. The early buds simply turned brown. This year it did flower some but not like it had been in years past. Any thoughts?
Windsor County Vermont
Expert Response
Hello Saralee:
Without knowing the following information, it is hard to pinpoint why your azalea is not thriving.
1-How old is the plant?
2-What location is it planted in (i.e., north, south, east, west)?
3-Azalea's prefer acidic soil. Have you done any fertilizing or ever had the soil tested?
4-How have you been caring for the plant (i.e. pruning, mulching, etc.)
Old azaleas can become scraggly and leggy and benefit from rejuvenation. Renewal pruning will remove old branches entirely which allows more light into the shrub's interior and will encourage new growth. This is a gradual process which takes three or so years to avoid removing too much of the plant's growth at once. Pruning is best done in spring, just after flowering, as this is when new stem and leaf growth naturally begins to emerge. It could be done just prior to flowering instead if you do not mind missing-out on some of the bloom for that year.
Climate can also play a role. Late-season cold snaps could have played a role, (frost-killed overnight just as they were reaching full bloom), but we did not appear to have any late season cold snaps this spring.
Using a mild dose of fertilizer (ideally a slow-release one for acid-loving plants) should help the plant rebound after each spring's trim.
Branch dieback could the be the result of decline from loss
of vigor over time or the result of root loss due to moisture issues. Azaleas prefer even soil moisture - not wet and poorly-drained nor drought-prone - so the unusual weather patterns of excessively-wet springs and late-season drought could result in some root death which the plants are still recovering from. If their root system is competing with that of trees and in a raised bed (which tend to stay drier overall), periodic supplemental watering should help in dry summer and autumn weather.
Both infections and wood-boring insects that cause branch dieback tend to show symptoms of leaf wilting or browning prior to complete branch death, which does not sound like the case here.
I am going to provide the following resources that may help you to determine what course of action to take to help the plant.
https://extension.missouri.edu/publications/g6825
https://njaes.rutgers.edu/FS1146/
https://extension.psu.edu/azalea-and-rhododendron-diseases
https://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/azalea-care/
I hope this is helpful.
Without knowing the following information, it is hard to pinpoint why your azalea is not thriving.
1-How old is the plant?
2-What location is it planted in (i.e., north, south, east, west)?
3-Azalea's prefer acidic soil. Have you done any fertilizing or ever had the soil tested?
4-How have you been caring for the plant (i.e. pruning, mulching, etc.)
Old azaleas can become scraggly and leggy and benefit from rejuvenation. Renewal pruning will remove old branches entirely which allows more light into the shrub's interior and will encourage new growth. This is a gradual process which takes three or so years to avoid removing too much of the plant's growth at once. Pruning is best done in spring, just after flowering, as this is when new stem and leaf growth naturally begins to emerge. It could be done just prior to flowering instead if you do not mind missing-out on some of the bloom for that year.
Climate can also play a role. Late-season cold snaps could have played a role, (frost-killed overnight just as they were reaching full bloom), but we did not appear to have any late season cold snaps this spring.
Using a mild dose of fertilizer (ideally a slow-release one for acid-loving plants) should help the plant rebound after each spring's trim.
Branch dieback could the be the result of decline from loss
of vigor over time or the result of root loss due to moisture issues. Azaleas prefer even soil moisture - not wet and poorly-drained nor drought-prone - so the unusual weather patterns of excessively-wet springs and late-season drought could result in some root death which the plants are still recovering from. If their root system is competing with that of trees and in a raised bed (which tend to stay drier overall), periodic supplemental watering should help in dry summer and autumn weather.
Both infections and wood-boring insects that cause branch dieback tend to show symptoms of leaf wilting or browning prior to complete branch death, which does not sound like the case here.
I am going to provide the following resources that may help you to determine what course of action to take to help the plant.
https://extension.missouri.edu/publications/g6825
https://njaes.rutgers.edu/FS1146/
https://extension.psu.edu/azalea-and-rhododendron-diseases
https://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/azalea-care/
I hope this is helpful.
