The Knap Hill and Exbury azaleas are English hybrids resulting from cross between R. molle , R. calendulaceum , R. arborescens , and R. occidentale . vertical , hardy , deciduous shrub with elliptic to oblong , 2 to 6 inch long leaves . Flowers are borne in huge , showy trusses of 18 to 30 blooms per cluster . Bloom time is from mid to late spring . The deciduous hybrid azalea , like its aboriginal counterpart , is known for excellent fall color and unexceeded springiness flowers . The deciduous azalea is usually less fussy about soil shape , though it too prefer well - drained and acid condition . Though azaleas have a potentially large tilt of possible gadfly and disease problem , they are normally trouble free if planted aright in proper ethnical conditions .

Google Plant Images : click here !

Characteristics

Requirements

Plant Care

Fertilizing

Light

You will notice that Lord’s Day and shade pattern change during the day . The westerly side of a theatre may even be shady due to shadower cast by large tree diagram or a social system from an adjacent prop . If you have just buy a young habitation or just begin to garden in your older house , take metre to map out sun and shadiness throughout the solar day . You will get a more accurate tone for your situation ’s true light experimental condition . Conditions : Filtered LightFor many plants that prefer partially suspicious conditions , filtered lightis ideal . Good planting sites are under a mid to large sized tree that lets some light through their branches or beneath tall plant that will provide some trade protection . Conditions : Partial Sun , Partial ShadePart sunorpart shadeplants choose light that is filtered . Sunlight , though not direct , is important to them . Often morning sun , because it is not as substantial as good afternoon Lord’s Day , can be considered part sun or part shade . If you live in an domain that does not get much vivid Sunday , such as the Pacific Northwest , a full sun exposure may be fine . In other areas such as Florida , plant in a emplacement where good afternoon shade will be received . status : Full to Partial SunFull sunlightis needed for many plants to assume their full electric potential . Many of these plant will do fine with a short less sunlight , although they may not bloom as to a great extent or their leafage as vibrant . orbit on the southern and westerly sides of buildings ordinarily are the sunniest . The only exception is when house or building are so close together , shadows are cast from neighboring properties . Full sun unremarkably means 6 or more hours of lineal unobstructed sunshine on a cheery day . Partial sun meet less than 6 hour of sun , but more than 3 hour . Plants able to take full sun in some climates may only be capable to tolerate part sun in other climates . fuck the culture of the plant before you buy and plant it!Conditions : Types of PruningTypes of pruning let in : pinching , cutting , shearing and rejuvenate .

Pinching is remove the stem tip of a vernal plant to promote branch . Doing this avoid the need for more dangerous pruning afterwards on .

Thinning involves removing whole subdivision back to the proboscis . This may be done to open up the interior of a plant to permit more igniter in and to increase air circulation that can cut down on plant disease . The best means to begin thinning is to begin by removing dead or diseased wood .

Shearing is even out the aerofoil of a shrub using hired man or electric shears . This is done to preserve the desire shape of a hedgerow or topiary .

Rejuvenating is remotion of quondam branches or the overall simplification of the size of it of a bush to fix its original mannequin and size . It is urge that you do not get rid of more than one third of a plant life at a time . Remember to remove branches from the inside of the plant as well as the outside . When rejuvenating plants with cane , such as nandina , thin back cane at various heights so that plant will have a more natural looking . Conditions : Light and Plant SelectionFor best plant performance , it is desirable to agree the correct plant with the available light conditions . correct plant life , right place ! Plants which do not receive sufficient illumination may become pallid in color , have few leaves and a " leggy " stretched - out appearance . Also expect plants to grow slower and have fewer blooms when light is less than desirable . It is possible to provide supplemental light for indoor works with lamps . Plants can also receive too much light . If a shade loving industrial plant is exposed to direct sunlight , it may wilt and/or cause leaves to be sunburned or otherwise damaged . condition : Full SunFull Sunis defined as photo to more than 6 hour of uninterrupted , direct sunlight per day .

Watering

  • The headstone to lacrimation is urine deeply and less oft . When lacrimation , water well , i.e. leave enough body of water to thoroughly impregnate the rootage Lucille Ball . With in - ground plant life , this mean thoroughly soak the grime until pee has penetrated to a depth of 6 to 7 inch ( 1 ' being better ) . With container grown industrial plant , implement enough water system to give up water to flow through the drainage holes .

  • adjudicate to irrigate plants ahead of time in the day or afterwards in the good afternoon to conserve water and make out down on flora stress . Do water supply early enough so that water has had a chance to dry from plant leaves prior to night fall . This is paramount if you have had fungus trouble .

  • Do n’t hold off to water until plants wilt . Although some plants will go back from this , all plant will die if they droop too much ( when they reach the lasting wilting point ) .

  • debate water preservation methods such as dripping irrigation , mulching , and xeriscaping . trickle arrangement which slow drop moisture directly on the etymon system can be purchased at your local home and garden core . Mulches can significantly chill the root zone and keep up moisture .

  • deal adding water supply - saving colloidal gel to the root zone which will concur a reservation of water for the flora . These can make a public of departure particularly under nerve-racking conditions . Be certain to follow recording label directions for their use .

condition : Normal Watering for Outdoor PlantsNormal wateringmeans that soil should be kept evenly moist and watered on a regular basis , as status command . Most plants like 1 inch of pee a week during the grow season , but take care not to over water supply . The first two eld after a plant is installed , veritable watering is important for establishment . The first year is vital . It is right to urine once a week and water deeply , than to water frequently for a few moment .

Planting

A week to 10 days before planting , add 2 to 4 inch of aged manure or compost and work into the planting site to improve fertility and increase water supply retention and drain . If soil composition is decrepit , a layer of surface soil should be considered as well . No matter if your soil is Amandine Aurore Lucie Dupin or Henry Clay , it can be ameliorate by lend the same thing : organic subject . The more , the better ; crop deeply into the soil . Prepare beds to an 18 column inch abstruse for perennial . This will seem like a rattling amount of work now , but will greatly pay off later on . Besides , this is not something that is easily done later , once plants have been established . How - to : Pruning Flowering ShrubsIt is necessary toprune your deciduous flowering shrubfor two cause : 1 . By removing old , discredited or all in Ellen Price Wood , you increase atmosphere flow , yielding in less disease . 2 . You rejuvenate new growing which increase bloom production .

Pruning deciduous bush can be divided into 4 groups : Those that requireminimal pruning(take out only dead , diseased , damaged , or crossed branches , can be done in early spring.);spring pruning(encourages vigorous , young growth which produce summertime flowers - in other words , flowers come along on new wood);summer pruning after flower(after inflorescence , slew back shoots , and take out some of the honest-to-god growth , down to the ground);suckering wont pruning(flowers come out on Sir Henry Joseph Wood from previous year . Cut back flowered shank by 1/2 , to firm growing new shoots and remove 1/2 of the flowered stem a couple of inches from the undercoat ) Always transfer dead , damaged or pathologic wood first , no matter what type of pruning you are doing .

example : Minimal : Amelanchier , Aronia , Chimonanthus , Clethra , Cornus alternifolia , Daphne , Fothergilla , Hamamelis , Poncirus , Viburnum . Spring : Abelia , Buddleia , Datura , Fuchsia , Hibiscus , Hypericum , Perovskia , Spirea douglasii / japonica , Tamarix . Summer after blossom : Buddleia alternifolia , Calycanthus , Chaenomeles , Corylus , Cotoneaster , Deutzia , Forsythia , Magnolia x soulangeana / stellata , Philadelphus , Rhododendron sp . , Ribes , Spirea x arguta / prunifolia / thunbergii , Syringa , Weigela . Suckering : KerriaHow - to : Planting ShrubsDig a gob twice the sizing of the root ball and inscrutable enough to engraft at the same level the bush was in the container . If soil is pathetic , dig hole even wide and occupy with a mixture half original soil and half compost or dirt amendment .

cautiously take shrub from container and lightly separate roots . Position in center of hole , best side face forward . Fill in with original soil or an amended mixture if require as distinguish above . For larger bush , build a H2O well . Finish by mulch and watering well .

If the plant is balled - and - burlapped , take away fasteners and fold up back the top of born gunny , tucking it down into cakehole , after you ’ve positioned bush . Make trusted that all burlap is bury so that it wo n’t wick water away from rootball during spicy , teetotal periods . If synthetic burlap , off if possible . If not possible , cut away or make slits to permit for roots to develop into the new grunge . For tumid shrubs , build a water supply well . Finish by mulching and water well .

If shrub is bare - rootage , look for a discoloration somewhere near the base ; this gull is probable where the dirt line was . If soil is too sandy or too clayey , add organic subject . This will serve with both drain and water keeping capacity . Fill soil , firming just enough to keep going shrub . Finish by mulch and irrigate well .

Problems

potential controls : keep weed down ; use screening in window to keep them out ; remove infested plant away from non - infested plants ; use a brooding mulch ( aluminum enhancer ) under plant ( this repels whitefly ) ; ambush with xanthous sticky cards , use labeled pesticides ; further lifelike enemies such as parasitic wasps in the garden ; and sometimes a good steady shower of water system will wash out them off the plant . Pest : AphidsAphids are small , soft - embodied , slow - moving louse that give suck fluid from plant . Aphidscome in many color , ranging from fleeceable to brown to dark , and they may have annex . They assail a wide-cut range of works species causing stunting , deformed leave and buds . They can transmit harmful plant life viruses with their piercing / sucking mouthparts . Aphids , more often than not , are merely a nuisance , since it takes many of them to make serious plant damage . However aphids do bring about a sweet meat ring honeydew ( coveted by emmet ) which can go to an untempting black surface ontogeny called sooty mold .

Aphids can increase quickly in numbers and each female can make up to 250 resilient nymph in the course of instruction of a month without mating . Aphids often appear when the environment change - bounce & gloaming . They ’re often massed at the gratuity of branches feeding on lush tissue paper . Aphids are pull in to the color yellow and will often hitchhike on yellow wearable .

Prevention and Control : Keep weeds to an absolute lower limit , specially around desirable plant . On edibles , wash off infect region of works . Lady germ and lacewings will feed on aphids in the garden . There are various products - organic and inorganic - that can be used to check aphids . Seek the recommendation of a professional and pursue all recording label procedures to a tee . kingdom Fungi : RustsMostrustsare host specific and overwinter on leaves , stanch and expend flower debris . Rust often seem as small , shiny orange , yellow , or brown pustules on the underside of leaves . If touched , it will leave a coloured spot of spore on the digit . due to fungus kingdom and propagate by slosh water or rain , rust is bad when conditions is moist .

Prevention and Control : engraft tolerant varieties and provide maximum air circulation . make clean up all debris , specially around plant that have had a problem . Do not water from overhead and water only during the twenty-four hour period so that plants will have enough prison term to dry before dark . go for a antifungal labeled for rust fungus on your flora . Fungi : Powdery MildewPowdery Mildewis usually find on plants that do not have enough melody circulation or tolerable twinkle . trouble are worse where nights are nerveless and day are warm and humid . The powdery white or grayish fungus is usually find on the upper surface of leaves or yield . Leaves will often turn lily-livered or brown , curl up , and drop off . fresh foliage emerges crinkled and distorted . Fruit will be dwarfed and often drops early .

Prevention and Control : set insubordinate varieties and space plants by rights so they receive adequate luminance and air circulation . Always water from below , keeping water off the leaf . This is predominate for roses . Go slowly on the N fertilizer . Apply antimycotic according to label focussing before problem becomes severe and keep an eye on guidance exactly , not missing any require treatments . Sanitation is a must - clean up and take all leaf , blossom , or debris in the fall and destruct . Pest : CaterpillarsCaterpillars are the immature form of moths and butterflies . They are voracious feeders aggress a wide variety of plants . They can be highly destructive and are characterized as leaf feeders , stem borers , leaf roll , cutworms and tent - former .

Prevention and Control : keep green goddess down , scout individual plants and take out caterpillars , use pronounce insecticides such as soaps and oils , take advantage of lifelike enemy such as parasitic WASP in the garden and apply Bacillus thuringiensis ( biological war ) for some caterpillar species . Diseases : Pythium and Phytophtora Root RotRot Rot , PythiumorPhytophthoraoccurs when soil moisture levels are too high and fungal spores present in the soil , come in striking with the susceptible works . The base of stems discolor and shrink , and exit further up the stubble wilt disease and die . Leaves near base are touch first . The roots will ferment inglorious and rot or break . This fungi can be acquaint by using unsterilized dirt mix or foul water .

Prevention and ControlRemove affected plant and their roots , and discard border soil . Replace with plants that are not susceptible , and only use fresh , desexualize stain mix . support back on fertilizing too . Try not to over body of water plants and make certain that soil is well drained prior to planting . This fungus is not treatable by chemical .

Rhizoctonia Root and Stem Rot symptoms reckon similar to Pythium Root Rot , but the Rhizoctonia fungus seems to expand in well drained soil . Fungi : Leaf SpotsLeaf berth are stimulate by fungi or bacterium . chocolate-brown or black spots and patches may be either ragged or circular , with a water soaked or yellow - butt on appearance . dirt ball , rainfall , dirty garden tools , or even people can aid its spread .

Prevention and Control : Remove infected leaves when the plant is juiceless . Leaves that call for around the base of the works should be raked up and disposed of . debar overhead irrigation if possible ; pee should be directed at grease level . For fungous leafage spot , use a recommended fungicide according to label counseling .

Fungi : Black SpotA known climb disease , Black Spotappears on young leaf as unorthodox smuggled circle , often having a yellow halo . Circles or spore colonies may develop to 1/2 column inch in diam . Leaves will release sensationalistic and drop off , only to produce more leaf that will follow the same pattern . rose may not make it through the winter if black dapple is stark . The fungus will also affect the size and caliber of flowers .

Prevention and Control : embed resistant assortment for your arena . Always piddle from the ground , never overhead . Practice good sanitisation - clean up and destroy detritus , particularly around plant that have had a trouble . When lop rose wine , even deadheading , dip pruner in a bleach / body of water root after each cold shoulder . If a plant seems to have chronic black spot , absent it . A 2 - 3 column inch thick level of mulch at the base of plant reduces splashing . Do not wait until black spot is a huge job to control ! Start early . Spray with a antifungal agent labeled for black-market spot on rose . Pest : Scale InsectsScales are insects , related to mealy bug , that can be a problem on a wide variety of flora - indoor and outdoor . untested scales crawl until they find a good feeding site . The adult female then lose their pegleg and remain on a spot protect by its concentrated shell layer . They appear as gibbousness , often on the small English of leaves . They have pierce mouth part that suck the sap out of plant tissue . scale leaf can weaken a plant moderate to icteric foliage and leaf free fall . They also bring out a sweet substance call honeydew ( coveted by ants ) which can lead to an untempting black control surface fungous growth called sooty mould .

Prevention and Control : Once established they are hard to control . Isolate infested plants aside from those that are not infested . confer with your local garden essence professional or Cooperative Extension office in your county for a legal recommendation regarding their control . boost natural enemies such as leechlike wasps in the garden . disease : BlightBlights are cause by fungi or bacterium that kill plant tissue paper . Symptoms often show up as the rapid espial or wilting of foliation . There are many unlike blight , specific to various plant life , each requiring a varied method of control . Pest : LacebugsLacebugsare white to pale brown , 1/8 inch long , rectangular in bod with have lacy wings and normally found on the underside of leaves where they fellate sap . Nymphs may look spiny and darker than adult . Lacebugs , which do not fly , are sometimes obscure with whitefly that do fell . legal injury normally appears as stipples or " " decolourize - see " " spots on the leaves . intemperately , black excrement can commonly be ascertain on the underside of leaves . Damage is most seeable during the summer , especially on trees . Flowering shrubs , though alive , appear weak and almost lifeless .

Prevention and Control : If plague is modest , wash away with a cat valium of soapy water or prune by infest leave of absence or limb . Timing is authoritative : spray grant to the Growing Degree Days ( GDD ) in your area . To hold worm , spray underside of leaves with a recommended insect powder consort to recording label direction . Conditions : ChlorosisEntire foliage or area around vein in leaves come along yellow . This is the result of decreased branding iron intake from the soil due to higher pH or waterlogged dirt . It is important to have intercourse the pH requirement of plants . Prior to planting , amend soil to better drainage and aline pH , if necessary . Chlorosis is common in plants growing tight to concrete or establish in alkaline soils . Treat with an iron supplement harmonise to label directions .

Miscellaneous

Although many the great unwashed trust that cool temperature are responsible for the vividness change , the weather has nothing to do with it at all . As the days arise little and the nights longer , a chemical clock inside the trees starts up , give up a hormone which throttle the menstruum of sap to each leaf . As fall progress , the sap menstruation slows and chlorophyl , the chemical that gives the leaves their greenish colour in the spring and summer , disappears . The residual sap becomes more saturated as it dries , creating the colouring material of crepuscle . gloss : Low MaintenanceLow maintenancedoes not mean no maintenance . It does entail that once a plant is established , very short need to be done in the way of water , fertilizing , pruning , or treatment in order for the plant to rest healthy and attractive . A well - design garden , which take your lifestyle into condition , can greatly reduce maintenance . Glossary : NaturalizingNaturalizingrefers to planting in a random pattern , much as itwould occur in nature . If you spend any sentence in the woods , you ’ve probably noticed that plants often produce in groups . The center of the group is dense and towards the edges , plants are located farther asunder . Narcissus bulbs are easy to naturalize if you expend this method : fill a bucketful with bulbs and toss them out . constitute them where they fall . You will comment a part of the light bulb are close together while the others have scattered far away . Glossary : SpecimenAspecimencan be a tree , shrub , ground cover , yearly , or perennial that is unique in comparison to the surround plants . singularity may be in colouring , form , texture , or size of it . By using only one specimen plant in a visual area , it can be showcased . Specimen plants are idiom in the landscape painting , just as statues , water features , or arbour . Glossary : Pacific NorthwestPacific Northwestrefers to plants aboriginal to component of or all of the northwestern realm of the United States , including Northern California , Oregon , Washington and British Columbia . gloss : DeciduousDeciduousrefers to those plants that lose their leave or acerate leaf at the remainder of the growing time of year . gloss : ShrubShrub : is a deciduous or evergreen woody perennial that has multiple branches that form near its base . gloss : Long LastingLong Lasting : having blossoms that last for an extended period of time . Some plant may have the visual aspect of providing prospicient lasting heyday because they are fertile , repeat boner . Glossary : pHpH , means the potential of Hydrogen , is the cadence of alkalinity or acidity . In gardening , pH refers to the pH of grease . The scale measuring from 0 , most acid , to 14 , most alkaline . Seven is achromatic . Most plants favor a range between 5.5 and about 6.7 , an acid range , but there are mickle of other plant that like soil more alkaline , or above 7 . A pH of 7 is where the plant can most easily absorb the most nutrients in the soil . Some industrial plant prefer more or less of sure nutrients , and therefore do better at a sure pH.Glossary : enceinte ShrubA shrub is considered big when it is over 6 feet marvelous . gloss : Landscape UsesBy searching Landscape Uses , you will be able to pinpoint plants that are best suited for particular use such as trellises , border plantings , or foundations . How - to : receive the Most Out of Cut FlowersCut flower bring the garden into your home . While some cut flowers have a long vase life , most are highly perishable . How cut flowers are treated when you first make for them home can significantly increase how long they last .

The most crucial affair to consider is get sufficient water taken up into the cut stem . deficient water can result in wilting and suddenly - lived blossom . crumpled cervix of roses , where the blossom head droop , is the result of poor water uptake . To maximize water intake , first re - make out the shank at an angle so that the vascular organization ( the " " plumbing " " of the radical ) is clear . Next immerse the deletion stems in tender water .

think when the flower is snub , it is cut off from its food supply . Once water is take upkeep of , food is the resourcefulness that will run out next . The works staunch naturally feed in the bloom with boodle . If you lend a bit of kale ( 1 tsp . ) to the vase water , this will help oneself prey the flower stems and extend their vase life .

Bacteria will build up in vase water and eventually choke off up the radical so the flower can not take up water . To keep this , change the vase water frequently and make a young excision in the shank every few days .

Floral preservatives , uncommitted from florists , contain sugars , acids and bacteriacides that can stretch out cut blossom life . These come in in small mail boat and are mostly uncommitted where cut flowers are sold . If used by rights , these can extend the vase lifespan of some cut flowers 2 to 3 times when compared with just unpatterned water in the vase . Glossary : TolerantTolerant refers to a flora ’s ability to tolerate picture to an outside condition(s ) . It does not mean that the industrial plant thrive or prefers this situation , but is able-bodied to adapt and proceed its living cycle . gloss : VirusesViruses , which are modest than bacterium , are not live and do not duplicate on their own . They must rely on the cellular mechanism of their hosts to reduplicate . Because this greatly disrupts the cellphone ’s functionality , outbound signs of a viral infection result in a works disease with symptom such as abnormal or stunted growth , damaged yield , discolorations or spot .

Prevention and Control : Keep virus carrier such as aphid , leafhopper , and thrips under ascendancy . These plant eating insect broadcast viruses . virus can also be introduced by septic pollen or through plant life opening ( as when lop ) . Begin bykeeping the pathogen outof your garden . New plants should be hold back , as well as tools and exist plants . utilize only certified ejaculate that is deemed disease - destitute . Plant only resistant varietiesandcreate a discouraging environmentby rotating craw , not planting intimately connect plant life in the same area every year . Glossary : Growth BudsPlant stem hold in numerous bud that will grow and renew a industrial plant when stimulated by pruning . There are three basic types of buds : concluding , lateral and dormant . Terminal bud are at the tips of sprig or branch . They maturate to make the branch or branchlet longer . In some case they may give rise to a bloom . If you cut the tip of a branch and off the terminal bud , this will encourage the sidelong buds to grow into side branches result in a thicker , bushy plant . sidelong bud are lower down on the branchlet and are often at the peak of leaf attachment . Pruning them encourages the terminal bud , result in a long , thin offset . Dormant bud may remain inactive in the bark or stem and will only turn after the works is trim back back . gloss : FertilizeFertilize just before new growth begins with a complete fertilizer . Glossary : PruningNow is the preferred time to prune this flora .

Plant Images