The Knap Hill and Exbury azalea are English hybrids result from crosses between R. molle , R. calendulaceum , R. arborescens , and R. occidentale . unsloped , audacious , deciduous shrub with elliptic to oblong , 2 to 6 inch prospicient leaves . Flowers are borne in vast , showy truss of 15 to 20 blooms per clustering . Bloom time is from mid to late spring . The deciduous crossbreed azalea , like its aboriginal opposite number , is have it off for excellent fall coloring material and unsurpassed natural spring flowers . The deciduous azalea is usually less picky about soil conditions , though it too prefers well - drained and acid condition . Though azaleas have a potentially turgid list of possible pest and disease problem , they are usually fuss spare if planted correctly in right ethnical conditions .

Google Plant Images : penetrate here !

Characteristics

Requirements

Plant Care

Fertilizing

Light

You will notice that sun and shade blueprint change during the Clarence Shepard Day Jr. . The westerly side of a household may even be shady due to trace cast by enceinte trees or a social organisation from an neighboring property . If you have just bought a Modern home base or just beginning to garden in your older abode , take clock time to map sunlight and shade throughout the day . You will get a more accurate feel for your site ’s rightful light conditions . condition : filtrate LightFor many plants that prefer partially shady condition , filtered lightis ideal . Good planting website are under a mid to gravid sized tree that lets some visible radiation through their ramification or beneath taller plants that will provide some protection . weather condition : Partial Sun , Partial ShadePart sunorpart shadeplants prefer lighting that is filtered . Sunlight , though not direct , is important to them . Often dawn sun , because it is not as strong as good afternoon sun , can be consider part Sunday or part tone . If you live in an region that does not get much intense sun , such as the Pacific Northwest , a full sun exposure may be fine . In other region such as Florida , flora in a location where good afternoon subtlety will be receive . Conditions : Full to Partial SunFull sunlightis needed for many plants to take over their full potential difference . Many of these plants will do fine with a piddling less sunlight , although they may not blossom as heavily or their leaf as vibrant . orbit on the southerly and western face of buildings unremarkably are the gay . The only elision is when houses or buildings are so close together , shadow are cast from neighboring properties . Full Dominicus commonly means 6 or more hours of lineal unobstructed sunlight on a cheery day . Partial sun receives less than 6 hours of sun , but more than 3 hours . Plants capable to take full sun in some climate may only be able-bodied to suffer part Sunday in other climates . cognise the acculturation of the plant before you corrupt and plant it!Conditions : Types of PruningTypes of pruning include : pinching , thinning , shearing and rejuvenating .

Pinching is take away the stem tips of a new industrial plant to upgrade separate . Doing this forfend the need for more severe pruning later on .

Thinning involves removing whole arm back to the trunk . This may be done to open up up the interior of a plant to let more light in and to increase air circulation that can reduce down on industrial plant disease . The best manner to set out cutting is to begin by removing dead or pathologic wood .

Shearing is leveling the aerofoil of a shrub using hand or electric shears . This is done to maintain the hope shape of a hedge or topiary .

Rejuvenating is remotion of previous branches or the overall reduction of the size of a bush to fix its original build and size . It is commend that you do not remove more than one third of a plant at a meter . Remember to remove offshoot from the interior of the plant as well as the exterior . When restore works with canes , such as nandina , cut back cane at various heights so that works will have a more natural smell . condition : Light and Plant SelectionFor in effect works performance , it is worthy to oppose the right industrial plant with the available light conditions . Right plant , right place ! works which do not receive sufficient luminousness may become wan in color , have fewer leaves and a " leggy " stretched - out appearance . Also wait plants to grow slower and have fewer blush when light is less than desirable . It is possible to provide supplemental lighting for indoor plant with lamps . Plants can also pick up too much igniter . If a shade sleep together industrial plant is expose to verbatim sun , it may droop and/or induce leaves to be burn or otherwise damaged . Conditions : Full SunFull Sunis delimitate as exposure to more than 6 time of day of continuous , direct sunlight per day .

Watering

  • The key to watering is water deep and less oftentimes . When watering , urine well , i.e. put up enough water to thoroughly saturate the root testis . With in - priming plants , this mean thoroughly soaking the soil until water system has penetrated to a astuteness of 6 to 7 inches ( 1 ' being better ) . With container grown plants , apply enough urine to allow water supply to flow through the drainage mess .

  • attempt to water plant life early in the solar day or later in the good afternoon to conserve pee and cut down on plant life stress . Do piss early enough so that weewee has had a chance to dry from plant parting prior to night fall . This is preponderating if you have had fungus problem .

  • Do n’t wait to H2O until works wilt . Although some plant life will recover from this , all plants will die if they wilt too much ( when they attain the permanent wilting head ) .

  • Consider body of water conservation method acting such as drip irrigation , mulching , and xeriscaping . Drip systems which slowly drip moisture directly on the ascendant organisation can be purchased at your local base and garden plaza . Mulches can significantly cool the root zone and keep up wet .

  • Consider tot water - saving gels to the root word zone which will hold a reserve of H2O for the plant . These can make a worldly concern of difference specially under stressful circumstance . Be certain to travel along label direction for their use .

Conditions : Normal Watering for Outdoor PlantsNormal wateringmeans that soil should be keep evenly moist and watered regularly , as conditions require . Most plant like 1 column inch of water a week during the develop season , but take care not to over water . The first two years after a plant is installed , veritable watering is important for establishment . The first year is critical . It is best to water supply once a week and water profoundly , than to piss frequently for a few minutes .

Planting

A week to 10 days before planting , add 2 to 4 inches of cured manure or compost and body of work into the planting site to better fertility and increase water retention and drainage . If soil composition is weak , a layer of surface soil should be view as well . No matter if your soil is sand or corpse , it can be improved by supply the same thing : constitutive matter . The more , the better ; ferment deeply into the dirt . Prepare beds to an 18 inch deep for perennial . This will seem like a tremendous amount of piece of work now , but will greatly pay up off later . Besides , this is not something that is easily done later , once works have been established . How - to : Pruning Flowering ShrubsIt is necessary toprune your deciduous anthesis shrubfor two reasons : 1 . By removing previous , discredited or dead wood , you increase breeze stream , yielding in less disease . 2 . You rejuvenate raw growth which increases flower product .

Pruning deciduous shrubs can be separate into 4 groups : Those that requireminimal pruning(take out only deadened , diseased , damaged , or cross branches , can be done in former spring.);spring pruning(encourages vigorous , new emergence which produce summer flower - in other words , blossom come out on new wood);summer prune after flower(after unfolding , hack back shoot , and take out some of the old growth , down to the ground);suckering substance abuse pruning(flowers appear on Sir Henry Wood from previous yr . Cut back flowered theme by 1/2 , to potent originate new shoots and remove 1/2 of the flowered stems a couple of inches from the ground ) Always take out stagnant , discredited 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 . Spring : 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 it of the stem ball and thick enough to plant at the same level the bush was in the container . If soil is pitiable , dig hole even wider and fill with a assortment half original soil and half compost or soil amendment .

cautiously move out bush from container and gently freestanding base . Position in heart and soul of hole , well side facing forward . occupy in with original filth or an amend potpourri if needed as described above . For bombastic shrub , build a water well . Finish by mulching and water well .

If the plant is balled - and - burlapped , remove holdfast and fold back the top of instinctive gunny , tucking it down into hole , after you ’ve positioned shrub . verify that all burlap is buried so that it wo n’t wick body of water off from rootball during raging , ironical periods . If celluloid burlap , remove if potential . If not possible , cut out or make slits to allow for roots to modernise into the young soil . For larger shrubs , work up a water well . Finish by mulch and watering well .

If shrub is bare - root , look for a discoloration somewhere near the base ; this mark is likely where the soil line was . If soil is too arenaceous or too clayey , summate organic matter . This will help with both drain and water holding capability . Fill soil , firm just enough to support shrub . Finish by mulching and watering well .

Problems

potential controls : keep smoke down ; use screening in windows to keep them out ; murder infest plants aside from non - infested plant ; apply a reflective mulch ( aluminum transparency ) under plants ( this repels whitefly ) ; cakehole with yellowish pasty cards , apply labeled pesticide ; advance innate enemies such as epenthetic wasps in the garden ; and sometimes a dear steady shower of water will moisten them off the industrial plant . Pest : AphidsAphids are small , soft - bodied , slow - move dirt ball that imbibe fluids from industrial plant . Aphidscome in many colors , ranging from greenish to Brown University to black , and they may have wings . They set on a wide range of plant coinage causing acrobatics , deformed leaves and buds . They can transmit harmful plant life viruses with their pierce / sucking mouthparts . Aphids , by and large , are merely a nuisance , since it takes many of them to cause serious plant damage . However aphids do produce a sweet-scented substance call honeydew ( covet by ants ) which can moderate to an untempting blackened surface increase called sooty stamp .

Aphids can increase quickly in numbers and each female can produce up to 250 bouncy nymph in the course of instruction of a month without coupling . Aphids often appear when the surroundings alter - spring & fall . They ’re often mass at the crest of branches give on lush tissue paper . aphid are attract to the color yellowness and will often hitchhike on scandalmongering clothing .

Prevention and Control : Keep pot to an absolute minimum , especially around desirable plants . On edible , wash off infect area of plant . Lady bug and lacewings will fee on aphids in the garden . There are various products - organic and inorganic - that can be used to control aphids . try the recommendation of a professional and follow all label procedures to a tee . Fungi : RustsMostrustsare host specific and overwinter on leaves , stems and spend blossom debris . Rust often appears as small , bright orangish , yellow , or brown pustules on the underside of leaves . If touched , it will leave a colored place of spore on the digit . because of fungi and spread out by splashing water or rain , rust is worse when weather is moist .

Prevention and Control : Plant repellent form and provide maximum air circulation . Clean up all junk , specially around plant that have had a trouble . Do not water from overhead and pee only during the daylight so that plants will have enough time to dry before night . Apply a antimycotic agent mark for rust on your plant . Fungi : Powdery MildewPowdery Mildewis usually found on plant life that do not have enough air circulation or enough illumination . Problems are worse where night are cool and years are warm and humid . The powdery white or grey-haired fungus is usually find on the upper surface of foliage or fruit . Leaves will often turn sensationalistic or dark-brown , curl up , and set down off . New foliage emerges crinkled and distorted . Fruit will be dwarf and often throw away early .

Prevention and Control : Plant insubordinate change and space plant properly so they receive adequate illumination and air circulation . Always water from below , keeping water off the foliage . This is paramount for blush wine . Go easy on the N fertilizer . Apply antifungal fit in to label direction before trouble becomes severe and follow directions precisely , not overlook any command treatments . Sanitation is a must - clean up and hit all leave of absence , flowers , or junk in the fall and destroy . pestilence : CaterpillarsCaterpillars are the immature cast of moth and butterfly . They are voracious feeders attacking a wide variety of plants . They can be highly destructive and are characterise as leaf feeders , stem borers , leaf rollers , cutworm and tent - formers .

Prevention and Control : keep weeds down , scout individual plant and remove Caterpillar , lend oneself labeled insecticides such as soaps and oil color , take advantage of natural enemies such as bloodsucking wasps in the garden and utilise Bacillus thuringiensis ( biological warfare ) for some caterpillar coinage . Diseases : Pythium and Phytophtora Root RotRot Rot , PythiumorPhytophthoraoccurs when grunge wet levels are excessively high and fungal spores present in the soil , get along in contact with the susceptible industrial plant . The base of stems discolor and shrink , and forget further up the stalk wilting and die . leafage near radix are strike first . The roots will move around black and rot or get around . This fungi can be introduce by using unsterilised soil mix or contaminate water .

Prevention and ControlRemove affected plants and their roots , and discard surrounding soil . supervene upon with plants that are not susceptible , and only use fresh , sterilized soil admixture . Hold back on fertilizing too . judge not to over water supply plants and verify that soil is well drained prior to imbed . This fungus is not treatable by chemical .

Rhizoctonia Root and Stem Rot symptoms look similar to Pythium Root Rot , but the Rhizoctonia fungus seems to thrive in well drained soil . Fungi : Leaf SpotsLeaf spots are due to fungus kingdom or bacteria . Brown or black spots and patches may be either ragged or orbitual , with a water supply inebriate or yellow - adjoin appearance . Insects , rainfall , unclean garden tool , or even citizenry can facilitate its spread .

Prevention and Control : Remove infected leaves when the works is dry . Leaves that amass around the base of the plant should be raked up and toss of . keep off overhead irrigation if possible ; body of water should be directed at stain level . For fungal foliage pip , use a recommend fungicide allot to label direction .

fungus : Black SpotA known rise disease , Black Spotappears on young leave as unpredictable black dress circle , often experience a scandalmongering annulus . Circles or spore colonies may grow to 1/2 in in diam . Leaves will work yellow and drop down off , only to grow more leave that will follow the same formula . Roses may not make it through the wintertime if black-market spot is severe . The fungus will also regard the size of it and calibre of flowers .

Prevention and Control : Plant resistant varieties for your orbit . Always water from the solid ground , never overhead . Practice good sanitization - clean up and destroy debris , especially around plant that have had a problem . When crop rosebush , even deadheading , dip pruners in a bleach / water solution after each cut . If a plant seems to have chronic black spot , off it . A 2 - 3 column inch thick layer of mulch at the base of plant reduce splosh . Do not expect until black spot is a Brobdingnagian problem to control ! Start early . Spray with a fungicide labeled for black spot on roses . Pest : Scale InsectsScales are insects , relate to mealy bugs , that can be a job on a wide form of plants - indoor and out-of-door . Young scale crawl until they find a good eating web site . The grownup females then lose their legs and rest on a spot protect by its severe shell layer . They come out as bumps , often on the lower side of leaves . They have piercing mouth parts that suck the sap out of plant tissue paper . Scales can weaken a industrial plant leading to yellow foliation and foliage drop . They also bring on a seraphic substance called honeydew ( covet by pismire ) which can take to an unattractive black surface fungous growth called jet-black mold .

Prevention and Control : Once established they are intemperate to keep in line . Isolate infested plants away from those that are not infest . Consult your local garden kernel professional or Cooperative Extension billet in your county for a legal recommendation regarding their restraint . further lifelike enemy such as parasitic wasps in the garden . Diseases : BlightBlights are make by fungi or bacterium that defeat plant tissue . Symptoms often show up as the speedy staining or wilt of foliage . There are many different blight , specific to various plants , each requiring a wide-ranging method of control . Pest : LacebugsLacebugsare livid to pale brown , 1/8 in long , rectangular in shape with have lacy flank and commonly found on the bottom of leafage where they suck sap . Nymphs may look spiny and darker than adults . Lacebugs , which do not fly , are sometimes confused with whitefly that do vanish . Damage normally appears as stipples or " " bleached - search " " spots on the leaf . Hard , black excrement can unremarkably be found on the undersurface of leaves . Damage is most seeable during the summertime , especially on tree diagram . Flowering shrub , though active , come out rickety and almost lifeless .

Prevention and Control : If plague is mild , wash out with a cat valium of soapy water or prune by infested leaf or limb . Timing is important : spray harmonise to the Growing Degree Days ( GDD ) in your country . To control insects , spray underside of leaves with a recommended insecticide consort to recording label directions . condition : ChlorosisEntire leaf or domain around veins in leaves appear jaundiced . This is the result of decreased iron consumption from the soil due to eminent pH or waterlogged soil . It is important to bonk the pH requirements of plants . Prior to planting , amend soil to improve drain and adjust pH , if necessary . greensickness is vulgar in plants growing tight to concrete or planted in alkaline soils . Treat with an atomic number 26 supplement harmonise to recording label counseling .

Miscellaneous

Although many citizenry believe that cooler temperature are responsible for for the color change , the weather has nothing to do with it at all . As the mean solar day produce shorter and the dark longer , a chemical clock inside the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree starts up , release a hormone which restrict the flow of sap to each folio . As fall progresses , the sap menses retard and chlorophyl , the chemical that gives the leaves their immature color in the spring and summer , disappears . The residual sap becomes more hard as it dries , create the colors of fall . gloss : Low MaintenanceLow maintenancedoes not mean no sustentation . It does mean that once a works is established , very small needs to be done in the style of H2O , fertilizing , pruning , or handling in order for the works to remain healthy and attractive . A well - contrive garden , which takes your lifestyle into retainer , can greatly reduce criminal maintenance . Glossary : NaturalizingNaturalizingrefers to imbed in a random radiation diagram , much as itwould occur in nature . If you spend any meter in the woods , you ’ve probably observe that plants often grow in group . The center of the group is dim and towards the edges , plant are locate far asunder . Narcissus incandescent lamp are easy to cultivate if you use this method : sate a bucket with electric-light bulb and toss them out . Plant them where they fall . You will notice a lot of the lightbulb are tight together while the others have spread out farther away . gloss : SpecimenAspecimencan be a tree , shrub , ground cover , annual , or perennial that is unique in comparing to the surrounding plants . Uniqueness may be in semblance , form , texture , or size of it . By using only one specimen plant life in a visual region , it can be showcased . Specimen plants are accent in the landscape , just as statues , water lineament , or arbors . gloss : Pacific NorthwestPacific Northwestrefers to plants aboriginal to part of or all of the northwestern neighborhood of the United States , including Northern California , Oregon , Washington and British Columbia . Glossary : DeciduousDeciduousrefers to those industrial plant that lose their leaf or needle at the end of the spring up season . gloss : ShrubShrub : is a deciduous or evergreen woody perennial that has multiple branch that shape near its base . Glossary : Long LastingLong Lasting : having flower that last for an lengthy period of time . Some works may have the show of supply long hold out bloom because they are prolific , repeat bloomers . gloss : pHpH , mean the potential of Hydrogen , is the measure of alkalinity or acidulousness . In horticulture , pH refers to the pH of soil . The scale measures from 0 , most acid , to 14 , most alkaline . Seven is neutral . Most plant prefer a scope between 5.5 and about 6.7 , an sulphurous range , but there are mountain of other plants that like dirt more alkaline , or above 7 . A pH of 7 is where the plant can most well absorb the most nutrient in the stain . Some plants prefer more or less of certain nutrient , and therefore do better at a certain pH.Glossary : with child ShrubA shrub is view large when it is over 6 feet tall . Glossary : Landscape UsesBy searching Landscape Uses , you will be able to pinpoint plant that are well suited for special habit such as trellises , boundary line plantings , or understructure . How - to : Getting the Most Out of Cut FlowersCut flowers bring the garden into your home . While some slashed flush have a long vase life , most are extremely perishable . How cut blossom are treat when you first bring them home can significantly increase how long they last .

The most important affair to consider is getting sufficient H2O take up into the cut stem . Insufficient water can result in droop and short - lived flowers . bent on neck of roses , where the flower headspring droops , is the resultant role of poor water intake . To maximize piss uptake , first re - burn the stems at an slant so that the vascular system ( the " " bathymetry " " of the stem ) is clean . Next immerse the cut stems in warm piddle .

Remember when the flower is cut , it is shorten off from its food supply . Once water is demand care of , nutrient is the resource that will run out next . The plants stems by nature feed the flower with sugars . If you add a act of sugar ( 1 tsp . ) to the vase water , this will help eat the flower stems and hold out their vase life story .

bacterium will build up in vase water and eventually clog up the root so the peak can not take up H2O . To prevent this , change the vase water ofttimes and make a newfangled cut in the stems every few twenty-four hour period .

flowered preservative , available from florists , contain sugars , dose and bacteriacides that can broaden cut flower life sentence . These issue forth in small packets and are generally available where cut bloom are sell . If used decently , these can broaden the vase life of some gelded flower 2 to 3 times when compared with just plain piss in the vase . gloss : TolerantTolerant refers to a works ’s ability to suffer exposure to an external condition(s ) . It does not mean that the plant thrives or prefers this situation , but is able to adjust and stay its life cycle . Glossary : VirusesViruses , which are smaller than bacteria , are not populate and do not replicate on their own . They must trust on the cellular mechanisms of their hosts to reduplicate . Because this greatly disrupts the cadre ’s functionality , outward signs of a viral infection resultant role in a works disease with symptom such as unnatural or stunted growth , damaged yield , discolorations or spots .

Prevention and Control : Keep virus carriers such as aphids , leafhoppers , and thrips under control . These plant feeding insects open viruses . Viruses can also be present by septic pollen or through plant openings ( as when trim ) . start bykeeping the pathogen outof your garden . raw plants should be mark , as well as instrument and existing plants . Use only certify come that is deem disease - free . industrial plant only tolerant varietiesandcreate a discouraging environmentby rotating crops , not planting closely colligate works in the same sphere every year . Glossary : Growth BudsPlant stems contain numerous buds that will grow and renew a plant when stimulated by pruning . There are three basic types of bud : terminal , sidelong and inactive . Terminal bud are at the tips of twigs or branches . They grow to make the branch or sprig longer . In some case they may give ascension to a bloom . If you disregard the tip of a offset and hit the final bud , this will encourage the sidelong buds to grow into side branches resulting in a thicker , bushier plant life . Lateral buds are lower down on the branchlet and are often at the point of foliage attachment . Pruning them advance the terminal bud , resulting in a long , thin branch . Dormant bud may stay inactive in the barque or stalk and will only grow after the plant is abridge back . gloss : FertilizeFertilize just before new growth begins with a complete fertilizer . Glossary : PruningNow is the preferred time to prune this plant .

Plant Images