April 2008

We love our azaleas
...so what do our azaleas love?

First, let’s talk about what Azaleas DON’T love: Full sun all day, deep shade, drought, intense heat, lack of adequate watering, lack of air circulation, alkaline soil, ivy strangling their stems and lower branches, bare soil underneath, mulch piled higher and deeper, root damage from tillers or lawnmowers.

So now, we can easily figure out what our Azaleas do love:

• Dappled light / filtered shade.
• Acid soil.
• Space (azaleas are sociable but also need good air circulation).
• Adequate and consistent watering (not just during a drought).
• Ivy removed from underneath shrubs (and composted).
• Proper Mulching: Pine Fines, 2” deep; shredded leaves, 3” deep or pine needles 3” deep (use shredded hardwood only as a last resort, 2” deep, not more).

Why do I advise against shredded hardwood mulch?

1. It is hardwood of undefined origin, and may well contain wood soaked in preservatives or other toxic chemicals; this is not a product you want near your garden/soil, your children, or your pets;

2. This mulch forms a crust that is difficult to dig into, even with a pointed shovel. How can rainwater or hose water penetrate this crust to reach the roots of your plants if you cannot even get a shovel into it?

You can grow azaleas (and rhododendrons) successfully if you follow these rules in planting and caring for them:

• Buy species and varieties that are adapted to your area.
• Get plants that are 12-18” tall in order to get a more mature root system.
• Plant them in well-drained, acid soil that is high in organic-matter. (Organic matter is the azalea gardener’s elixir and azaleas respond directly to the amount added to the soil; use mulched oak leaves: rake your dry oak leaves to your driveway and run over them with your lawn-mower, once or twice, and re-apply under the shrubs.)
• Set plants no deeper than they were in the nursery.
• Guard against drought; be sure that young or freshly-moved plants receive adequate water, particularly the first two years after planting / transplanting. Water thoroughly when plants show signs of wilting.
• Do not over-water in areas where drainage is poor.

One of the challenges of azalea gardens is that for 50 weeks a year,they are not in bloom. Fortunately azaleas are sociable creatures and love companion plants. With the right combination, the vistas out your windows can be year-round, four-season gardens.

Pat Howell is a Takoma Park gardener and landscape designer/garden builder. She is available for hand-holding and answering questions through Deephaven Landscapers.

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