The Mollis hybrid were developed in Belgium and Holland from original azalea seed from Japan . They are derived from crossbreeding between R. japonicum ( Nipponese azalea , formerly A. mollis ) and R. pepper tree ( Chinese azaleas , formerly A. molle ) . grandiloquent , upright , deciduous shrub that is cold hardy down to -10 stage F. Leaves are obovate to oblong , medium Green River , 2 to 4 inch long . Flowers are borne in large , showy trusses in mid - spring just before the leaves come forth . The deciduous hybrid azalea , like it ’s native similitude , is known for excellent nightfall people of colour and unexcelled fountain flowers . The deciduous azalea is ordinarily less finical about stain conditions , though it too prefers well - drained and acid condition . Though azalea have a potentially large list of possible blighter and disease problems , they are unremarkably trouble free if embed correctly in proper cultural condition .
Google Plant Images : click here !
Characteristics
Requirements
Plant Care
Fertilizing
Light
You will notice that sun and shade patterns change during the day . The western side of a theatre may even be fly-by-night due to shadows cast by heavy trees or a structure from an adjacent property . If you have just bribe a new home or just beginning to garden in your older habitation , take time to map sun and shade throughout the Clarence Day . You will get a more accurate feel for your site ’s rightful light consideration . Conditions : Filtered LightFor many plants that favor partially louche experimental condition , filtered lightis nonsuch . well planting internet site are under a mid to large sized tree that let some light through their arm or beneath magniloquent works that will provide some auspices . Conditions : Partial Sun , Partial ShadePart sunorpart shadeplants choose light that is filtered . Sunlight , though not direct , is authoritative to them . Often break of day sun , because it is not as strong as afternoon sun , can be considered part Sunday or part shade . If you live on in an area that does not get much intense sun , such as the Pacific Northwest , a full sunshine exposure may be fine . In other areas such as Florida , plant in a location where afternoon shade will be meet . condition : Full to Partial SunFull sunlightis postulate for many plants to arrogate their full potential . Many of these plant will do fine with a little less sunshine , although they may not flower as hard or their foliage as vibrant . field on the southern and western sides of buildings normally are the sunniest . The only exception is when home or buildings are so close together , shadows are cast from neighboring properties . Full sun usually means 6 or more hours of lineal unobstructed sunshine on a cheery day . Partial Dominicus receives less than 6 hours of sunshine , but more than 3 hr . works able to take full sunshine in some climates may only be able to endure part sunlight in other climates . Know the culture of the plant before you grease one’s palms and set it!Conditions : Types of PruningTypes of pruning include : pinching , cutting , shearing and rejuvenate .
Pinching is removing the stem tips of a young flora to advertize ramify . Doing this avoids the need for more severe pruning later on .
Thinning involves remove whole offshoot back to the trunk . This may be done to open up the interior of a plant to let more light in and to increase air circulation that can cut down on plant life disease . The best means to begin thinning is to begin by take out drained or diseased wood .
Shearing is leveling the airfoil of a shrub using paw or electric shear . This is done to maintain the desire embodiment of a hedge or topiary .
Rejuvenating is removal of onetime branch or the overall step-down of the sizing of a shrub to restore its original form and size . It is advocate that you do not remove more than one third of a flora at a time . Remember to remove branches from the inside of the works as well as the outside . When rejuvenating plants with cane , such as nandina , cut back canes at various height so that plant will have a more natural spirit . weather condition : Full SunFull Sunis defined as exposure to more than 6 hour of continuous , verbatim Dominicus per day .
Watering
The winder to watering is water deeply and less oft . When watering , water well , i.e. provide enough water to thoroughly impregnate the root ball . With in - earth industrial plant , this mean soundly soaking the soil until weewee has penetrated to a depth of 6 to 7 inch ( 1 ' being better ) . With container grown plants , apply enough H2O to grant water to flow through the drainage holes .
render to irrigate plant too soon in the day or after in the good afternoon to conserve water and cut down on plant stress . Do water early on enough so that urine has had a chance to dry from flora leaves prior to night declination . This is predominant if you have had fungus problems .
Do n’t wait to weewee until plants droop . Although some plant will recover from this , all plant will snuff it if they droop too much ( when they accomplish the permanent wilting point ) .
believe pee conservation method such as drip irrigation , mulching , and xeriscaping . trickle system which slowly drip wet directly on the tooth root scheme can be purchase at your local home and garden centre . Mulches can significantly chill the stem zona and conserve moisture .
think adding H2O - save gels to the root zone which will hold a second-stringer of weewee for the plant . These can make a world of divergence peculiarly under stressful conditions . Be certain to adopt recording label directions for their utilisation .
Conditions : Normal Watering for Outdoor PlantsNormal wateringmeans that grease should be kept equally moist and water on a regular basis , as conditions require . Most plants like 1 column inch of water a week during the growing time of year , but take charge not to over water . The first two years after a works is installed , regular watering is important for formation . The first year is critical . It is skilful to body of water once a calendar week and water supply deeply , than to water frequently for a few minutes .
Planting
A week to 10 day before planting , add 2 to 4 inches of aged manure or compost and work into the planting website to better fertility and increase water retention and drainage . If dirt composition is weak , a bed of surface soil should be reckon as well . No matter if your soil is sand or clay , it can be improved by adding the same affair : constitutive topic . The more , the upright ; work late into the soil . Prepare beds to an 18 inch rich for perennials . This will seem like a frightful amount of work now , but will greatly make up off later . Besides , this is not something that is easily done later on , once plant life have been establish . How - to : Pruning Flowering ShrubsIt is necessary toprune your deciduous efflorescence shrubfor two reasons : 1 . By remove old , damaged or bushed wood , you increase atmosphere flowing , yielding in less disease . 2 . You rejuvenate new growing which increase flower production .
Pruning deciduous shrubs can be divide into 4 mathematical group : Those that requireminimal pruning(take out only bushed , diseased , damaged , or queer branches , can be done in early spring.);spring pruning(encourages vigorous , new outgrowth which produce summertime blossom - in other words , flowers appear on fresh wood);summer rationalize after flower(after blossoming , bring down back shoot , and take out some of the old growth , down to the ground);suckering drug abuse pruning(flowers appear on wood from old twelvemonth . Cut back flower stems by 1/2 , to solid growing new shoot and remove 1/2 of the flowered stems a mates of in from the ground ) Always remove beat , discredited or morbid wood first , no matter what type of pruning you are doing .
representative : Minimal : Amelanchier , Aronia , Chimonanthus , Clethra , Cornus alternifolia , Daphne , Fothergilla , Hamamelis , Poncirus , Viburnum . bounce : Abelia , Buddleia , Datura , Fuchsia , Hibiscus , Hypericum , Perovskia , Spirea douglasii / japonica , Tamarix . Summer after flower : 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 hole twice the size of the radical ball and mystifying enough to plant at the same level the bush was in the container . If soil is poor , dig hole even wider and satisfy with a mix half original soil and half compost or stain amendment .
Carefully remove bush from container and mildly freestanding roots . Position in plaza of hole , good side facing forward . Fill in with original soil or an amended mixture if postulate as draw above . For enceinte shrubs , build a weewee well . Finish by mulching and watering well .
If the works is ball - and - burlapped , remove fixing and turn up back the top of born burlap , tuck it down into golf hole , after you ’ve positioned shrub . check that that all burlap is buried so that it wo n’t wick H2O away from rootball during hot , juiceless period . If semisynthetic burlap , bump off if possible . If not possible , cut off or make slits to leave for roots to develop into the new soil . For larger bush , build a water well . Finish by mulch and watering well .
If shrub is bare - root , reckon for a discolouration somewhere near the infrastructure ; this fool is likely where the soil railway line was . If soil is too sandy or too clayey , add organic matter . This will avail with both drainage and water holding capacity . Fill soil , firming just enough to hold shrub . Finish by mulching and watering well .
Problems
Possible control : keep weeds down ; use screening in windows to keep them out ; remove infested plant away from non - infested plant life ; apply a brooding mulch ( aluminum foil ) under plant ( this repels whitefly ) ; trap with yellow pasty card game , apply labeled pesticides ; encourage lifelike enemy such as parasitic wasp in the garden ; and sometimes a good steady shower of water will wash them off the plant . Pest : AphidsAphids are small , soft - bodied , slow - moving dirt ball that suck fluid from plants . Aphidscome in many colors , ranging from green to brown to smutty , and they may have wings . They attack a wide range of plant metal money causing stunting , deformed leaves and buds . They can convey harmful flora virus with their piercing / sucking mouthparts . Aphids , generally , are just a nuisance , since it take many of them to cause serious works damage . However aphid do raise a sweet substance squall honeydew ( coveted by ants ) which can contribute to an unattractive shameful surface growth call sooty mould .
Aphids can increase quickly in numbers and each female person can produce up to 250 alive nymph in the course of study of a month without union . Aphids often seem when the environment change - bounce & fall . They ’re often massed at the tips of branch feeding on succulent tissue paper . aphid are attracted to the color yellow and will often hitchhike on yellow clothing .
Prevention and Control : Keep weeds to an sheer minimum , especially around suitable plants . On edibles , wash off infect surface area of plant . Lady hemipteron and lacewings will fertilize on aphid in the garden . There are various products - constitutional and inorganic - that can be used to see aphids . attempt the testimonial of a professional and stick to all recording label procedures to a tee . Fungi : RustsMostrustsare horde specific and overwinter on leaves , stem and spend flower debris . Rust often appears as small , hopeful orange , yellow , or brown pustules on the underside of leaves . If touched , it will leave a colored spot of spores on the fingerbreadth . cause by fungus kingdom and spread by slosh pee or rain , rusting is worse when weather is moist .
Prevention and Control : Plant resistant varieties and allow maximal aura circulation . houseclean up all debris , especially around plant that have had a problem . Do not water from overhead and water only during the day so that plants will have enough time to dry before dark . Apply a fungicide pronounce for rust fungus on your flora . Fungi : Powdery MildewPowdery Mildewis usually found on plant that do not have enough melodic phrase circulation or adequate Christ Within . Problems are bad where night are coolheaded and days are warm and humid . The powdery snowy or gray-haired fungus is commonly found on the upper surface of leaves or fruit . Leaves will often wrench white-livered or brown , curl up , and drop off . newfangled foliage emerges crease and misrepresented . Fruit will be overshadow and often drops ahead of time .
Prevention and Control : Plant resistant varieties and infinite plants properly so they receive enough light and air circulation . Always water from below , keep water off the leafage . This is preponderating for blush wine . Go easy on the nitrogen fertiliser . Apply fungicide according to label directions before problem becomes severe and follow directions exactly , not missing any required treatment . Sanitation is a must - pick up and take away all leave , flowers , or rubble in the downslope and destroy . Pest : CaterpillarsCaterpillars are the immature grade of moths and butterfly . They are voracious feeders attacking a wide variety of plant . They can be extremely destructive and are characterize as leaf feeders , stem bore bit , folio roller , cutworms and tent - formers .
Prevention and Control : keep mourning band down , watch individual plants and move out cat , practice label insect powder such as scoop and petroleum , take reward of natural enemies such as bloodsucking wasps in the garden and use Bacillus thuringiensis ( biological warfare ) for some caterpillar specie . Diseases : Pythium and Phytophtora Root RotRot Rot , PythiumorPhytophthoraoccurs when soil wet level are to a fault gamey and fungal spores present in the stain , get in tangency with the susceptible plant life . The base of stems discolor and shrivel , and leaves further up the stalk wilt and pall . folio near radix are affected first . The rootage will turn black and decompose or break . This kingdom Fungi can be introduce by using unsterilized soil mix or contaminated water .
Prevention and ControlRemove affected plants and their roots , and discard environ soil . supercede with plant that are not susceptible , and only use invigorated , sterilized territory mix . Hold back on fertilizing too . essay not to over water plants and ensure that territory is well drained prior to planting . This fungus is not treatable by chemicals .
Rhizoctonia Root and Stem Rot symptom look similar to Pythium Root Rot , but the Rhizoctonia fungus seems to thrive in well drain soils . kingdom Fungi : Leaf SpotsLeaf spot are induce by fungi or bacterium . dark-brown or black spot and patches may be either ragged or orbitual , with a water soaked or yellow - edge visual aspect . Insects , rain , dirty garden peter , or even people can help its paste .
Prevention and Control : murder taint leaves when the plant is dry . farewell that collect around the base of the industrial plant should be raked up and toss out of . Avoid overhead irrigation if possible ; body of water should be directed at soil level . For fungous foliage spots , use a recommended fungicide according to label directions .
Fungi : Black SpotA known rise disease , Black Spotappears on young leaves as irregular mordant rope , often having a yellow halo . Circles or spore settlement may grow to 1/2 column inch in diam . Leaves will turn yellow and drop off , only to bring out more leaves that will observe the same convention . pink wine may not make it through the wintertime if black spot is terrible . The fungus will also pretend the sizing and character of bloom .
Prevention and Control : establish immune varieties for your area . Always water from the ground , never overhead . Practice practiced sanitization - clean up and destroy detritus , particularly around plant life that have had a problem . When pruning roses , even deadheading , dip trimmer in a blanching agent / weewee solvent after each slice . If a flora seems to have continuing black spot , dispatch it . A 2 - 3 inch dense bed of mulch at the base of industrial plant reduce splashing . Do not wait until pitch-black spot is a vast problem to control ! Start early . Spray with a fungicide tag for black berth on rose . Pest : Scale InsectsScales are insects , related to mealy hemipteron , that can be a job on a panoptic assortment of plant - indoor and outside . Young scales crawling until they discover a unspoiled alimentation internet site . The adult females then recede their legs and continue on a spot protect by its hard shell bed . They appear as bumps , often on the down in the mouth sides of leaves . They have piercing oral fissure parts that suck the sap out of plant life tissue . shell can soften a industrial plant leading to yellow leaf and foliage bead . They also produce a sweet substance called honeydew ( coveted by ants ) which can lead to an untempting black surface fungous growth called sooty mold .
Prevention and Control : Once established they are operose to keep in line . Isolate infested plants away from those that are not infest . Consult your local garden center professional or Cooperative Extension office in your county for a legal testimonial regarding their control . advance natural enemies such as epenthetic wasp in the garden . disease : southerly BlightPlants with Southern blight have lesion on the stalk at , or approximate , the soil line . These lesions develop rapidly , gird the stem and resulting in a sudden and permanent wilting of the flora . High temperature ( above 85 degree F , 29 degrees C ) favor the disease . The fungus attacks a wide range of plant and survives for recollective periods in soil . To control , treat with a recommend antimycotic agent according to label guidance . cuss : LacebugsLacebugsare white to pale brown , 1/8 inch long , orthogonal in shape with have lacy wings and usually found on the underside of leaves where they suck sap . Nymphs may seem spiny and darker than adults . Lacebugs , which do not pilot , are sometimes confused with whiteflies that do vanish . wrong usually appear as stipples or " " bleached - looking " " spots on the leaves . Hard , black excreta can unremarkably be found on the undersurface of leave . equipment casualty is most visible during the summertime , especially on Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree . Flowering bush , though alive , come out weak and almost exanimate .
Prevention and Control : If infestation is mild , dampen aside with a jet of buttery water or prune aside overrun leave or limb . Timing is significant : spray harmonise to the Growing Degree Days ( GDD ) in your area . To control dirt ball , spray underside of leave with a recommended insecticide concord to label directions . Conditions : ChlorosisEntire leave or country around veins in leave-taking seem yellow . This is the solution of decreased iron intake from the grime due to higher pH or waterlogged soil . It is significant to know the pH requirements of plants . Prior to planting , amend grease to improve drainage and correct pH , if necessary . Chlorosis is mutual in works growing close to concrete or set in alkaline soils . handle with an iron supplement according to label directions .
Miscellaneous
Although many multitude believe that cooler temperatures are responsible for the coloring change , the weather has nothing to do with it at all . As the daylight grow shorter and the nights longer , a chemical substance clock inside the tree initiate up , relinquish a hormone which restricts the flow of sap to each leaf . As fall procession , the sap flow slow down and chlorophyll , the chemical substance that contribute the parting their green colouration in the outpouring and summer , vanish . The residuary sap becomes more hard as it dries , creating the vividness of fall . gloss : Low MaintenanceLow maintenancedoes not mean no maintenance . It does stand for that once a plant is established , very little needs to be done in the way of water , fertilizing , pruning , or treatment in order for the plant to rest healthy and attractive . A well - designed garden , which takes your lifestyle into circumstance , can greatly reduce maintenance . gloss : 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 grow in group . The centre of the group is dense and towards the edges , plants are situate far apart . Narcissus bulbs are easy to naturalise if you apply this method acting : fill a bucket with bulbs and flip them out . Plant them where they hang . You will notice a portion of the lightbulb are snug together while the others have scatter farther away . Glossary : SpecimenAspecimencan be a tree , shrub , ground covert , yearly , or repeated that is unique in comparing to the surrounding plants . Uniqueness may be in color , phase , texture , or size . By using only one specimen flora in a visual expanse , it can be showcased . Specimen plants are accent in the landscape , just as statues , water feature , or arbors . Glossary : DeciduousDeciduousrefers to those plant that drop off their leave or needles at the death of the grow time of year . gloss : ShrubShrub : is a deciduous or evergreen woody perennial that has multiple limb that take shape near its base . gloss : Long LastingLong Lasting : have flower that last for an extended period of time . Some plants may have the appearance of providing long last heyday because they are fertile , repeat bloomer . gloss : pHpH , means the potential drop of Hydrogen , is the measure of alkalinity or acidity . In gardening , pH touch on to the pH of land . The scale measures from 0 , most acid , to 14 , most alkaline . Seven is neutral . Most flora prefer a cooking stove between 5.5 and about 6.7 , an acrid kitchen range , but there are heap of other plants that like ground more alkaline , or above 7 . A pH of 7 is where the plant life can most easily take in the most food in the soil . Some plants prefer more or less of sure nutrient , and therefore do better at a certain pH.Glossary : expectant ShrubA bush is regard expectant when it is over 6 pes tall . gloss : Landscape UsesBy searching Landscape Uses , you will be able to pinpoint flora that are easily suited for finicky uses such as treillage , perimeter plantings , or cornerstone . How - to : Getting the Most Out of Cut FlowersCut flowers bring the garden into your home . While some cut flower have a prospicient vase life , most are highly perishable . How cut flowers are treated when you first play them home can significantly increase how long they last .
The most authoritative thing to consider is getting sufficient water take up into the undercut stem . Insufficient weewee can result in wilting and short - lived flowers . Bent cervix of roses , where the flower headland sag , is the effect of poor urine uptake . To maximize water uptake , first re - cut off the stems at an angle so that the vascular organisation ( the " " plumbing " " of the stem ) is clear . Next immerse the cut stanch in affectionate water .
recollect when the bloom is cut , it is sheer off from its food supply . Once H2O is taken care of , nutrient is the resource that will run out next . The plant stems naturally feed the flowers with sugar . If you bring a bit of sugar ( 1 tsp . ) to the vase body of water , this will help feed the flower stems and extend their vase spirit .
bacterium will build up in vase water and eventually clog up the shank so the blossom can not take up water . To keep this , change the vase piss frequently and make a raw gash in the stems every few days .
flowered preservative , available from florists , contain sugars , acids and bacteriacides that can extend switch off heyday life-time . These come in small packets and are in the main available where cut flower are sell . If used properly , these can put out the vase life of some cut flowers 2 to 3 time when compare with just plain water in the vase . gloss : TolerantTolerant refers to a plant ’s power to tolerate picture to an extraneous condition(s ) . It does not intend that the industrial plant thrives or prefers this post , but is able to adapt and stay its living cycle . Glossary : VirusesViruses , which are smaller than bacterium , are not living and do not replicate on their own . They must rely on the cellular mechanisms of their innkeeper to replicate . Because this greatly disrupt the cell ’s functionality , outbound signs of a viral transmission result in a works disease with symptoms such as abnormal or scrawny increase , damage yield , discolouration or speckle .
Prevention and Control : Keep virus carriers such as aphids , leafhoppers , and thrips under control . These plant alimentation insects unfold virus . virus can also be introduced by infected pollen or through industrial plant possible action ( as when trim ) . get down bykeeping the pathogen outof your garden . New plants should be discipline , as well as tools and existing plants . utilize only certified seed that is deem disease - free . plant life only resistant varietiesandcreate a discouraging environmentby circumvolve crops , not planting nearly associate plant in the same area every year . gloss : Growth BudsPlant stems carry legion bud that will grow and reincarnate a plant when arouse by pruning . There are three basic type of buds : final , lateral and dormant . Terminal bud are at the tips of twig or branches . They grow to make the branch or branchlet longer . In some cases they may give rise to a flower . If you cut the tip of a ramification and remove the terminal bud , this will further the sidelong buds to grow into side branches lead in a thicker , bushier plant . Lateral buds are lower down on the branchlet and are often at the dot of leaf attachment . Pruning them encourages the terminal bud , resulting in a long , lean branch . Dormant buds may remain inactive in the bark or stem and will only grow after the works is tailor back . gloss : FertilizeFertilize just before Modern growth begins with a complete plant food . Glossary : PruningNow is the preferred time to prune this plant .
