Azaleas that grow like this may not be getting enough sun or may be getting uneven soil moisture. Four hours of morning sun would be the least I would try to give them. I would try not to have periods of dry and wet soil on the top 4" of soil. Azaleas can be pruned anywhere in the stems and they will grow new stems so feel free to prune now if buds are not an issue. Pruning after they bloom but before July is best for most. Encores can be pruned at any time although they should rarely need pruning if grown in an area where they can grow to their size at maturity. Another suggestion: maintain about 3-4" of acidic mulch, such as pine needles mulch. It helps keep the soil evenly moist and reduces he frequency of waterings. Check that your soil drains well (it should if they all grow in raised beds) and that its soil pH is acidic. Note: clay soil should not be used in the raised beds.

To close for my thinking. I see far too many nice trees out grow their area just when they are starting to mature a little. Give them some room, they won't disappoint! Ron

Rina - these plants and some other tropical succulents are very temperature sensitive. Although my apartment probably won't get colder than 65 degrees F, I'm worried that the draft from the windows will make it colder, especially in like January or February when it get bitterly cold here. Minty - the indoor temps would be at least 65+, but for a lot of Somalian and Soqotran succulents, that is literally the lowest advisable temperature I have seen on the internet. I would probably want to put all my Dorstenias (gigas, lavrani, foetida, barnimiana, cuspidata, and zanzibarica), all my Pseudolithos (2xcubiformis, dodsoniana, miguirtinus), some of my other Asclepiads (Whitesloanea crassa, Stapelianthus madagascariensis and decaryi, Echidnopsis specksii) and a few Malagasy Euphorbs (tulearensis, bongolavensis, cylindrifolia var. tubifera, maybe a few more small species) on the heat mats. cactus - yeah, these species are kind of tricky that way! their winter is more of a dry mild warm season that a cold one. I think you're right, I wouldn't want to give like 80 degree bottom heat during winter, but I've been reading online and some people say that keeping their root zones around at least 70 degrees can help these plants survive the winter more easily dog - thanks for the info!! your gigas is beautiful :-) i see you have some D. lavranis heating up as well! if you don't mind me asking, does running the heat mat during winter raise your electric bill a lot? you can PM me about it if you like, or you don't have to answer if that's too personal!

I think there is some bacteria that will help get rid of the chemical they will absorb it and others will eat them. The ameoba and parameciams and protozoa that we learned about in 9th grade. Eventually the microbes will ameliorate. I like that word ameliorate the soil. It's your garden. Put what you want there. Maybe if you take some good soil from a place that you know grows good plants and sprinkle it on top it will rain down the good microbes. Maybe some good Organic fertilizers at the plant nursery will be good to sprinkle and make the soil good again. Don't they have something called starter fertilizers? To get the good things going again? I think rain eventually takes it away and it dissapates in the air and water and water vapor and the microbes.