When buying an azalea, make sure it is he althy and the soil in the pot is dry.Choose those with densely leafy shoots and numerous flower buds that guarantee a long, even 4-week flowering.
In the apartment, we must provide the azaleas with a bright and cool place and moist air. The substrate should be constantly slightly moist, and for watering use soft (calcium-free), chlorine-free water at room temperature. Pour the excess water from the stand.Remember that the overheated, dry, flooded and exposed to drafts plant sheds its leaves and stops flowering.
Dead flowers are removed regularly.Azaleas are transplanted after flowering (older plants every 2-3 years) into a slightly larger pot filled with a special azalea substrate or universal soil with a large addition of acid peat.Flat, wide pots are best.After flowering, shorten the azaleas excessively elongated shoots to keep their nice shape.
During the period of intensive growth, it is advisable to cut off the tops of the shoots from time to time so that the plants can sprout better and then bloom more abundantlyFrom the end of April, or 4 weeks after transplanting, until the beginning of August feed every three weeks with a weak (0.1%) solution of mineral fertilizers (without calcium).
It is best to use a special fertilizer for azaleas and rhododendrons.At the end of May, we take them out to the garden and put the pots in the ground in a damp, semi-shaded place, sheltered from the wind.Before the onset of frosts, we bring them to a cool and well-lit room.
