Planted Azaleas two years ago, they look awful

7 years ago

Two years ago I planted a bunch of azaleas along with lots of other plants in central florida. Everything else is thriving but the azaleas look awful. They've lost most of their leaves, the remaining leaves are only at the end of the branches so they're extremely leggy, they show drought symptoms well before everything else, and maybe 10% of them have already died. It is possible the plants were root bound to a degree although we cut them before planting

What is going wrong?

How long should it take before azaleas establish themselves?

Is there something I can do to revive these plants to look like healthy full shrubs?

Is there a similar shrub that is perhaps less temperamental?

Featured Answer

gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)

7 years ago

In the original photos, it looked as though the azaleas were planted very close to a much larger, tree-like plant, which could account for some of their poor performance - competition for water and nutrients. I'm not sure now with additional photos how much of a role that plays :-)

Would I bother to rejuvenate these plants?? Probably not. Evergreen azaleas here are extremely inexpensive, often sold 3 for $10 in a IG by grocery stores and other non-nursery plant sellers here in spring and a bit more for selected cultivars at better nurseries. But still, very inexpensive as landscape plants go. I'd be inclined to rip out and replace.

If replacing, I'd be sure to thoroughly loosen the root system of any containerized plants before planting. And also to make sure that rootball was completely hydrated before planting, even to the point of soaking in a tub of water for an hour or two beforehand. When the peat-based soil these are typically grown in dries out, it becomes hydrophobic and then is extremely difficult to re-wet once in the ground.

It is difficult to be precise about any watering instructions as these will differ greatly as to soil types, climate, natural precipitation, etc. For the first full growing season, you do not want to the plants to dry out so the soil should remain consistently moist but not wet. You may very well have to check by hand as often as necessary to determine when to water. Once the plants are fully established, you can back off some but a dry azalea is not going to be a happy azalea regardless of its age.

btw, I find the pH testing kits - like the Rapitest - remarkably accurate for the price. Of any home soil testing kit, the pH ones offer the best accuracy. But you do need to use distilled water when testing - tap water will skew the readings. Also less than ideal soil pH will not usually kill a plant but can certainly compromise its health and growth.

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Comments (7)

gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
7 years ago
Hmm.........I certainly wouldn't consider azaleas to be particularly temperamental :-) But you do need to provide them with the conditions they prefer for them to thrive. They like a well draining, organically enriched soil with a pH in the 4.5 to 6.0 range. They dislike being planted too deeply, they are not very drought tolerant and they would also prefer some relief (shade) from hot afternoon sun.

They grow like weeds in my climate and I would typically question their tolerance for high heat and summer humidity but they seem to be stalwarts of most southern gardens as well so that must not be an issue. They can develop some insect and disease issues - like most plants can - but these are usually quite manageable as well with proper identification and treatment.

Can you supply any photos? And can you confirm what sort of growing conditions you are providing?
edlafave thanked gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
edlafave
Original Author
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
The azaleas are planted in 3 spots...shady, mixed, and mostly sun. The shady area is in the worst shape and the mixed light area is in the best shape...but they're all rather awful.

They were planted so the top of the root ball was slightly above the soil.

I just took a sample at one location and used a rapitest capsule to get a ph reading somewhere around 6.5-7. Is there an electronic way to do this that is perhaps easier and more precise?

It doesn't look like the roots ever extended much beyond the root ball. I've read you're supposed to almost have a mat of roots along the surface.

I use drip irrigation to water when any of my plants start to show drought symptoms. I put down enough water to saturate the top 12 inches. I'm not sure how often this is, maybe 1/2 as frequent as my st Augustine grass is watered.

We typically put most of our compost on the azaleas.

Here are 4 of the many struggling azaleas:
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bossyvossy
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
Hmmmm....that's beyond struggling I don't think they will recover. Acid soil and moisture are a must, IME
edlafave thanked bossyvossy
akamainegrower
7 years ago
Even though it may seem as if you've been applying enough water, the photos show pretty typical problems of dryness at the roots. Evergreen azaleas when drought stressed drop the lower, oldest leaves first leaving only the newest green growth at the branch tips. Plants grown in containers with a peat based planting medium, which is just about all container stock today, can dry out easily. Once this happens, it is extremely difficult to rewet because the peat actually repels water.

These plants are not dead and can be salvaged. At the time when azaleas in your area are about to start regrowing, dig them up, soak the root balls in water for an hour or until thoroughly saturated and replant. Prune back to a reasonable height and new green growth should emerge pretty quickly. Continue watering with a trickle at the plant base over the entire growing season. St. Augustine grass is highly drought tolerant. Azaleas are just the opposite. Don't rely on other plants to indicate when water is required. Dig down and check for moisture with your fingers.

There are no home pH testers that are reliably accurate. Your county extension service or state agriculture department can perform a soil test, but soil acidity or lack thereof is really not at all likely to be your problem. Evergreen azaleas are far more tolerant of a higher pH soils than broadleaf rhododendrons or deciduous azaleas.
edlafave thanked akamainegrower
edlafave
Original Author
7 years ago
We don't rely on other plants to indicate when to water the azaleas...in the sense that I won't allow the azaleas to suffer without water just because my grass is fine. The first time I see leaves fold in or droop on any of the plants in the drip zone, then I turn on the drip. Are these symptoms not sufficient for determining when to water? What should I look for on the azaleas to determine when to water?

Is the only way to get the plants to stop repelling water to dig them up and soak them? If so, wouldn't it be more effective to just replace them with good azaleas?

Roughly how often do you have to water azaleas when you first plant them? When can you reduce this frequency and to what level can it be reduced?
edlafave
Original Author
7 years ago
With the sun up, I figured I'd add a few more pictures of the problem azaleas: