Azaleas

East Texas is blessed with the climate and soil to grow azaleas, one of our prettiest and well beloved plants. As a subspecies of the rhododendron family, it has adapted to our mild winters and warm summers. The acidic, sandy soils are ideal for this prolific bloomer.

Nurserymen have developed many varieties, each with its own growth habit and color. As a result you can match or contrast plants to your existing landscape with almost unlimited creativity. Azaleas look best when they retain their natural shrubby shape and are not cut into geometric forms. Allowing the plant to retain its normal shape and grow to full size will help the plant ward off disease by allowing sunlight to reach all parts of the plant and giving it adequate air circulation through its center. With this in mind it is important to match the variety of the plant to the landscape need and spot you have for it. Large types grow as high as 8 to 10 feet and can be nearly as wide. Medium plants can reach 5 by 5 feet. The smallest varieties are 2 to 3 feet with the same spread as height. Azaleas do mature rapidly, so an ill placed specimen will outgrow its space in just a few years.

Azaleas not only have many different colors and sizes but they also have different bloom times depending on variety. If you plan to maximize the springtime show then choose varieties that bloom at the same time. If you want to spread your color from spring into early summer you can place azaleas with different bloom times through out the landscape and be continually cheered by new spots of color bursting into bloom for up to three months. There are several types of twice blooming azaleas on the market now, which do produce blooms in the spring and fall, and can occasionally bloom lightly off and on through out the growing season. They do not bloom as profusely as the once blooming types but they make up for that with the repeat show.

Azaleas have few needs in the landscape once established. To get them off to the best start keep these things in mind. They do need at least 6 hours of sunlight a day and do best in eastern light/morning sun with light shade in the heat of the day. Contrary to popular belief azaleas do not do well in heavy shade. If your azaleas are going to have to be in a place where they receive a lot of late day sun choose varieties that have thicker leaves as these types often tolerate the hot sun much better. Plants in a hot sunny exposure will need more water and will require a deep mulch layer to protect the shallow roots of the shrub. Good drainage and loose soil are ideal for azaleas. If starting a new bed work it deeply and amend with organic matter to give your plants a perfect home.

Prune your azaleas after the blooms fall off. Trim them up to keep them tidy but allow the plant its natural shape. Cut out any dead branches and while you are at it look for any that cross and rub. Remove one of the two rubbing branches to prevent the plant from damaging itself; rubbing wounds are prime places for pests or disease to enter. Fertilize after pruning with an azalea fertilizer. After that, except for regular watering, you are done till next year.