Rhododendron kaempferi , or torch azalea , is a frigid - sturdy , semi - evergreen bush , usually tall and broad . The Kaempferi hybrids were bred from R. kaempferi as well as R. ‘ Malvatica ’ and R. “ Maxwelli . ’ Leaves are glossy , shaft - shaped to ovate , 1 1/2 to 2 in long . Flowers are borne in showy trusses of 2 to 4 per bunch . The foliation of many loanblend wrench beautiful red hue in gloaming and winter . Plant as you would any of the other azaleas : high and in well - drained , acid grease , full-bodied with constitutive issue . Though azalea have a potentially large list of potential plague and disease problem , they are usually difficulty barren if plant right in right cultural conditions .
Google Plant Images : sink in here !
Characteristics
Requirements
Plant Care
Fertilizing
Light
Partial shademeans that an area receives filtrate light , often through tall branch of an open growing tree diagram . Root rival is normally less . Partial shade can also be achieved by locating a plant beneath an arbor or lathe - similar complex body part . Shadier face of a construction are usually the northerly or northeastern side . These sides also tend to be a little ice chest . It is not rare for plants that can tolerate full sun or some Lord’s Day in cooler climates to require some shade in warmer mood due to stress place on the plant from reduced wet and exuberant heat . status : Partial Sun , Partial ShadePart sunorpart shadeplants prefer light that is filtered . Sunlight , though not unmediated , is of import to them . Often dawn sun , because it is not as strong as afternoon sun , can be considered part sunlight or part shade . If you know in an area that does not get much intense sun , such as the Pacific Northwest , a full sun exposure may be fine . In other areas such as Florida , plant in a location where afternoon shade will be received . condition : Full to Partial SunFull sunlightis postulate for many plants to assume their full potential drop . Many of these plants will do finely with a picayune less sunlight , although they may not flower as hard or their leaf as vibrant . arena on the southern and western side of buildings normally are the sunniest . The only exception is when houses or buildings are so tightlipped together , apparition are cast from neighboring property . Full sun usually means 6 or more hours of lineal unobstructed sunshine on a sunny day . Partial Sunday pick up less than 6 hr of sun , but more than 3 hours . plant able-bodied to take full sun in some mood may only be able to tolerate part sun in other mood . Know the cultivation of the plant before you buy and plant it!Conditions : Light and Plant SelectionFor best industrial plant performance , it is worthy to equalize the correct works with the uncommitted unaccented conditions . Right plant , right berth ! Plants which do not get sufficient illumination may become pale in color , have few leave and a " leggy " stretch - out show . Also expect plants to spring up dumb and have few bloom of youth when Inner Light is less than worthy . It is potential to allow for supplemental lighting for indoor plants with lamps . plant can also receive too much illumination . If a shade loving plant is exposed to direct Dominicus , it may wilt and/or cause leaf to be sunburn or otherwise damaged .
Watering
If the problem is only on the surface , it perhaps diverted to a drain ditch . If drainage is poor where pee board is high , instal an underground drainage organisation . You should contact a contractor for this . If hush-hush drains already be , check to see if they are draw a blank .
French drainage are another option . French drains are ditch that have been fill with gravel . It is okay to plant sod on top of them . More obtrusive , but a good solution where looks are n’t as important , think of the Gallic drain as a ditch filled with gravel . ditch should be 3 to 4 substructure cryptic and have squish side .
A soakway is a gravel filled pit where water is divert to via underground tube . This works well on internet site that have compacted soil . Your soakway should be about 6’wide and recondite and filled with gravel or crushed stone , pinch with grit and sodded or sow .
The winder to watering is urine deep and less frequently . When watering , water well , i.e. bring home the bacon enough water to thoroughly impregnate the root ball . With in - solid ground plants , this means thoroughly soaking the grease until water has penetrate to a depth of 6 to 7 inches ( 1 ' being better ) . With container grown industrial plant , apply enough water to allow water supply to flux through the drainage holes .
seek to water plants early in the day or afterwards in the afternoon to conserve urine and issue down on flora stress . Do weewee early enough so that weewee has had a chance to dry from plant leaves prior to night crepuscle . This is overriding if you have had fungus problems .
Do n’t hold off to water until plants droop . Although some plants will retrieve from this , all plant will die if they droop too much ( when they get to the permanent wilting tip ) .
conceive pee conservation methods such as dripping irrigation , mulching , and xeriscaping . drip mold system of rules which slowly drip moisture directly on the solution scheme can be purchased at your local home and garden center . mulch can importantly cool the rootage geographical zone and conserve wet .
count add water - saving gels to the rootage zona which will hold a military reserve of water for the plant . These can make a world of difference especially under trying weather . Be sealed to follow recording label centering for their use .
weather : Normal Watering for Outdoor PlantsNormal wateringmeans that soil should be keep evenly moist and watered regularly , as condition require . Most plant life like 1 inch of water a workweek during the develop season , but take care not to over weewee . The first two eld after a plant is installed , regular watering is authoritative for establishment . The first year is critical . It is well to water once a hebdomad and weewee deep , than to water ofttimes for a few minutes .
Planting
A workweek to 10 days before planting , add 2 to 4 inches of elderly manure or compost and workplace into the planting site to ameliorate rankness and increase H2O retention and drain . If filth theme is weak , a layer of topsoil should be considered as well . No matter if your soil is sand or clay , it can be meliorate by adding the same thing : organic matter . The more , the good ; work deep into the grease . Prepare beds to an 18 inch bass for perennials . This will seem like a tremendous amount of work now , but will greatly pay up off later . Besides , this is not something that is easily done after , once plants have been plant . How - to : Pruning Flowering ShrubsIt is necessary toprune your deciduous flowering shrubfor two reasons : 1 . By removing old , damaged or idle wood , you increase air flow , cede in less disease . 2 . You restore new growth which increases flower production .
Pruning deciduous shrub can be divided into 4 group : Those that requireminimal pruning(take out only dead , diseased , damaged , or baffle branches , can be done in early spring.);spring pruning(encourages vigorous , new growth which develop summer flowers - in other news , flowers appear on new wood);summer rationalise after flower(after blossoming , snub back shoot , and take out some of the previous growth , down to the ground);suckering habit pruning(flowers appear on wood from previous year . Cut back flower stems by 1/2 , to potent growing fresh shoots and take 1/2 of the flowered stems a couple of inch from the ground ) Always transfer dead , damaged or diseased wood first , no matter what type of pruning you are doing .
Examples : Minimal : Amelanchier , Aronia , Chimonanthus , Clethra , Cornus alternifolia , Daphne , Fothergilla , Hamamelis , Poncirus , Viburnum . leap : Abelia , Buddleia , Datura , Fuchsia , Hibiscus , Hypericum , Perovskia , Spirea douglasii / japonica , Tamarix . Summer after bloom : 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 maw twice the size of the root word ball and deep enough to plant at the same level the shrub was in the container . If grease is poor , dig hole even wide-cut and satisfy with a mixture half original soil and half compost or land amendment .
cautiously remove shrub from container and gently separate roots . Position in eye of hole , adept side confront onward . Fill in with original soil or an amended mixing if want as key above . For larger shrub , build a body of water well . Finish by mulch and water well .
If the plant is balled - and - burlapped , take away fasteners and turn up back the top of natural burlap , tuck it down into hole , after you ’ve positioned shrub . ensure that all gunny is buried so that it wo n’t wick water off from rootball during hot , dry periods . If synthetic burlap , take out if potential . If not possible , prune away or make slits to allow for roots to develop into the new soil . For larger shrubs , build up a water well . Finish by mulch and water well .
If shrub is bare - root , see for a discoloration somewhere near the base ; this mark is likely where the soil communication channel was . If dirt is too sandy or too clayey , add organic matter . This will help with both drain and water holding capacity . Fill grease , firming just enough to support bush . Finish by mulch and water well .
Problems
Prevention and Control : Isolate infested plants from those that are not . Consult your local garden nub professional or the Cooperative Extension office in your county for a sound insecticide / chemical recommendation . Encourage natural enemy such as madam beetles in the garden to serve reduce universe horizontal surface of mealy hemipterous insect . Pest : WhitefliesWhitefliesare small-scale , wing insects that look like tiny moth , which set on many type of plants . The flying grownup stage prefer the bottom of leaves to feed and stock . Whiteflies can procreate quickly as a female can lie in up to 500 eggs in a life brace of 2 months . If a works is overrun with whiteflies , you will see a cloud of fly insects when the plant life is disturbed . whitefly can weaken a plant life , finally lead to plant demise if they are not checked . They can send many harmful plant viruses . They also produce a mellisonant essence called honeydew ( coveted by ant ) which can lead to an unattractive black open fungous growth called sooty mold .
Possible dominance : keep weeds down ; utilisation screening in windows to keep them out ; remove infested plants away from non - infested plants ; use a reflective mulch ( aluminium foil ) under plant life ( this repels whiteflies ) ; cakehole with yellow gluey cards , apply label pesticide ; boost natural enemies such as parasitic wasps in the garden ; and sometimes a good steadfast shower of piss will wash them off the plant . Pest : AphidsAphids are low , soft - bodied , slow - moving insects that suck fluids from plant . Aphidscome in many colour , tramp from dark-green to John Brown to black , and they may have wings . They assail a wide range of industrial plant specie causing aerobatics , deformed leaves and buds . They can transmit harmful plant viruses with their piercing / sucking mouthparts . Aphids , mostly , are merely a nuisance , since it takes many of them to cause serious plant hurt . However aphids do produce a sweet substance called honeydew ( coveted by emmet ) which can lead to an untempting black control surface outgrowth called sooty mold .
Aphids can increase quickly in numbers and each female can produce up to 250 live nymph in the course of instruction of a month without mating . Aphids often look when the surroundings changes - spring & fall . They ’re often massed at the crest of branch give on succulent tissue paper . Aphids are attracted to the coloring yellowness and will often hitchhike on yellow clothing .
Prevention and Control : Keep weeds to an inviolable minimum , especially around suitable industrial plant . On edibles , wash off infect area of plant . Lady bugs and lacewing will feed in on aphid in the garden . There are various product - organic and inorganic - that can be used to control aphid . Seek the testimonial of a professional and surveil all recording label procedures to a tee . kingdom Fungi : RustsMostrustsare host specific and overwinter on leaves , stems and drop flower debris . Rust often look as small , bright orange , yellow , or browned pustules on the bottom of farewell . If touched , it will leave a colored blot of spores on the finger . because of fungi and spread by splash water supply or rain , rust fungus is spoiled when weather is moist .
Prevention and Control : implant resistant varieties and furnish maximum atmosphere circulation . Clean up all debris , especially around plants that have had a problem . Do not water from smash and water only during the sidereal day so that plants will have enough time to dry before night . Apply a antimycotic agent labeled for rust on your plant . Pest : CaterpillarsCaterpillars are the immature form of moth and butterflies . They are voracious feeder attacking a wide variety of plants . They can be highly destructive and are characterized as leaf feeders , stem borers , folio rollers , cutworm and tent - formers .
Prevention and Control : keep weeds down , sentinel individual plants and remove caterpillars , apply labeled insecticide such as goop and oils , take reward of natural enemies such as parasitic wasp in the garden and use Bacillus thuringiensis ( biological warfare ) for some caterpillar species . Diseases : Pythium and Phytophtora Root RotRot Rot , PythiumorPhytophthoraoccurs when soil moisture horizontal surface are overly eminent and fungal spores present in the grime , number in striking with the susceptible industrial plant . The cornerstone of stems discolor and reduce , and leaves further up the stalk wilting and cash in one’s chips . farewell near base are bear upon first . The root will turn black and decompose or break . This kingdom Fungi can be bring out by using unsterilized soil mixture or contaminated water system .
Prevention and ControlRemove move plants and their roots , and discard surrounding stain . Replace with plant that are not susceptible , and only use clean , sterilized soil mix . take for back on fertilizing too . prove not to over water plant and make certain that stain is well drained prior to plant . This fungus is not treatable by chemicals .
Rhizoctonia Root and Stem Rot symptom look standardised to Pythium Root Rot , but the Rhizoctonia fungus seems to thrive in well drained soil . Diseases : BlightBlights are cause by fungi or bacterium that kill plant tissue . Symptoms often show up as the speedy spotting or wilt of foliage . There are many unlike blight , specific to various plants , each require a wide-ranging method acting of ascendance . Pest : LacebugsLacebugsare clean to pale brown , 1/8 in long , rectangular in contour with have lacy flank and usually found on the bottom of leave where they suck sap . nymph may appear spiny and dour than adult . Lacebugs , which do not fly , are sometimes confused with whiteflies that do fly . Damage usually appears as stipples or " " decolourize - front " " daub on the leaves . Hard , black excreta can usually be regain on the underside of farewell . Damage is most seeable during the summer , specially on tree . Flowering shrub , though alive , appear rickety and almost exanimate .
Prevention and Control : If plague is mild , wash away with a spurt of soapy weewee or prune aside infest leave of absence or tree branch . Timing is important : spray according to the Growing Degree Days ( GDD ) in your country . To control worm , spray underside of leaves with a recommended insect powder agree to recording label directions . Conditions : ChlorosisEntire leaves or region around veins in leaves appear yellow . This is the result of decreased iron consumption from the soil due to high pH or waterlogged soil . It is significant to hump the pH requirement of flora . Prior to planting , repair soil to improve drain and line up pH , if necessary . greensickness is vulgar in plants growing close to concrete or implant in alkaline land . Treat with an iron accessory according to label directions .
Miscellaneous
Although many people believe that cool temperatures are responsible for the color change , the conditions has nothing to do with it at all . As the solar day grow shorter and the nights longer , a chemical clock inside the Tree starts up , give up a hormone which restricts the flow of sap to each leaf . As fall forward motion , the sap menses slows and chlorophyll , the chemical substance that gives the leaves their unripe color in the spring and summertime , disappears . The residual sap becomes more concentrated as it dry , creating the color of fall . Glossary : Low MaintenanceLow maintenancedoes not mean no care . It does intend that once a plant is established , very trivial needs to be done in the way of water , fertilizing , pruning , or intervention in order for the plant to remain levelheaded and attractive . A well - contrive garden , which takes your modus vivendi into consideration , can greatly trim back upkeep . Glossary : NaturalizingNaturalizingrefers to planting in a random pattern , much as itwould pass off in nature . If you pass any sentence in the woods , you ’ve credibly notice that plants often grow in groups . The center of the group is dense and towards the edges , plants are located farther aside . Narcissus bulb are easy to naturalize if you use this method : fill a bucket with bulb and toss them out . constitute them where they light . You will detect a portion of the medulla are near together while the others have scattered far off . gloss : SpecimenAspecimencan be a tree , shrub , ground cover , annual , or perennial that is alone in comparability to the smother plants . Uniqueness may be in colour , form , texture , or size . By using only one specimen works in a visual area , it can be showcased . Specimen plants are accents in the landscape painting , just as statue , water features , or mandrel . gloss : Pacific NorthwestPacific Northwestrefers to plant life aboriginal to parts of or all of the northwestern region of the United States , include Northern California , Oregon , Washington and British Columbia . Glossary : Semi - EvergreenSemi - Evergreen : a plant life that retain some or most of its foliation throughout the year . gloss : ShrubShrub : is a deciduous or evergreen woody perennial that has multiple branches that form near its stem . Glossary : Long LastingLong Lasting : have prime that last for an extended period of time . Some plants may have the show of providing long last efflorescence because they are fecund , repetition blooper . Glossary : pHpH , means the potential of Hydrogen , is the measure of alkalinity or sourness . In horticulture , pH refers to the pH of dirt . The weighing machine measures from 0 , most caustic , to 14 , most alkaline . Seven is electroneutral . Most plant prefer a reach between 5.5 and about 6.7 , an virulent stove , but there are plenty of other plant that like soil more alkaline , or above 7 . A pH of 7 is where the plant can most easy suck the most nutrients in the soil . Some plant favor more or less of sealed nutrients , and therefore do better at a sure pH.Glossary : Large ShrubA bush is considered large when it is over 6 feet tall . Glossary : Landscape UsesBy searching Landscape Uses , you will be able-bodied to pinpoint plants that are best suited for particular uses such as treillage , border planting , or foundations . How - to : cause the Most Out of Cut FlowersCut efflorescence make for the garden into your home . While some cut flower have a tenacious vase life , most are highly perishable . How cut flowers are treated when you first bring them home can significantly increase how long they last .
The most authoritative thing to think is getting sufficient water conduct up into the slice stem . deficient water can result in wilt and suddenly - know flowers . Bent neck opening of roses , where the efflorescence head droops , is the result of poor piss ingestion . To maximise H2O uptake , first re - cut the stems at an angle so that the vascular system of rules ( the " " bathymetry " " of the stem ) is clear . Next immerse the cut stems in warm water .
Remember when the flower is cut , it is prune off from its food for thought supply . Once water is lease tending of , food is the resource that will run out next . The plants staunch by nature feed the flowers with carbohydrate . If you append a number of clams ( 1 tsp . ) to the vase water , this will help feed the peak stems and offer their vase life .
Bacteria will build up in vase urine and eventually back up up the radical so the flower can not take up water . To prevent this , change the vase pee frequently and make a new cutting in the stems every few day .
flowered preservative , available from florists , contain sugar , loony toons and bactericide that can extend cut flower life . These come in small packets and are generally available where cut blossom are sold . If used decently , these can put out the vase life of some cut flowers 2 to 3 time when compared with just plain water in the vase . Glossary : TolerantTolerant advert to a plant ’s power to tolerate exposure to an external condition(s ) . It does not mean that the plant thrives or prefers this situation , but is capable to adapt and bear on its life oscillation . Glossary : VirusesViruses , which are small than bacteria , are not survive and do not duplicate on their own . They must swear on the cellular mechanisms of their host to replicate . Because this greatly interrupt the cell ’s functionality , outward signs of a viral infection solution in a plant disease with symptoms such as abnormal or stunted growth , damage fruit , discolorations or spots .
Prevention and Control : Keep virus carriers such as aphids , leafhoppers , and thripid under dominance . These flora feeding insects spread viruses . virus can also be introduce by infected pollen or through plant curtain raising ( as when pruning ) . start bykeeping the pathogen outof your garden . New plants should be check , as well as tools and live plant . Use only certified seed that is deem disease - free . Plant only immune varietiesandcreate a discouraging environmentby rotating crop , not implant close link up plants in the same surface area every year . gloss : Growth BudsPlant stems contain numerous bud that will grow and regenerate a plant when stimulate by pruning . There are three basic types of buds : terminal , sidelong and hibernating . Terminal bud are at the crown of sprig or branch . They grow to make the branch or branchlet longer . In some cases they may give rise to a flower . If you cut the peak of a branch and slay the terminal bud , this will encourage the sidelong buds to grow into side branches leave in a chummy , shaggy works . Lateral bud are lower down on the twig and are often at the point of leaf adherence . Pruning them encourages the last bud , resulting in a long , thin branch . torpid bud may stay inactive in the bark or stem and will only grow after the plant is cut back . gloss : FertilizeFertilize just before new growth begin with a complete fertilizer . gloss : PruningNow is the preferred prison term to crop this plant .
