Azalea: care instructions for indoor and outdoor use

Azalea belongs to the genus Rhododendron, family Ericaceae. From the Greek, it means "rose tree." This plant is native to China, India, and the Caucasus. There are over 1,000 varieties. Some are grown in apartments and gardens.

Description of azalea

The flowers resemble overly open rosebuds, and are bisexual, solitary, or clustered. They can be simple, double, or fringed. The heavily branched bush grows to a small size. The leaves are underdeveloped and obovate.

Azalea is represented by:

• shrubs;
• pyramidal and ampelous plants;
• deciduous varieties;
• evergreen bushes.

The main types of azaleas for the home

Caring for this plant indoors isn't easy. Only two azalea species are adapted to being grown indoors:

Name	Description	Flowers	Leaves
Indian (Sinsa)	An indoor variety. Up to 50 cm in height. Stems with stiff, reddish-brown hairs.	White, scarlet, variegated. They open their buds at the same time.	Ovate, on shortened petioles. The inner surface has soft hairs.
Japanese	Typically grown in garden plots, it reaches 40-60 cm in height. Its distinguishing feature is its winter hardiness, withstanding temperatures down to -20°C.	From salmon to dark red. They bloom at the same time as the leaves, sometimes earlier.	Up to 5 cm.

Indian azalea varieties

Azaleas used in homes are hybrids of the Indian variety. Common varieties include:

Name	Description	Flowers
Snowflake	A heavily branched shrub. Resistant to fungal and bacterial diseases.	Single, lilac-pink with brick dots.
Albert-Elizabeth	Blooms buds in late winter.	Large, snow-white or light pink, with a frame and corrugated edges.
Celestine	A spreading shrub that blooms from early spring.	Single, bright crimson.
Starfish	A compact bush with dark green, shaggy leaves.	Snow-white with crimson streaks at the base.
Madame Jolie	Deciduous hybrid.	Simple, pinkish, orange-yellow at the base.
Czardas	Produces buds in April. It requires light. Without sufficient light, it loses its decorative appearance.	Creamy yellow, double, with a pleasant aroma.
Satan	Up to 1.5 m.	Fiery red with yellow highlights.
Slavka	Forms a crown in the shape of a ball.	White, with two corollas.
Golden Lights	Blooms profusely, is frost-resistant, and grows up to 1 m.	Golden yellow.
Azure	A low-growing shrub with many branches.	Rich blackberry hue with bright raspberry flecks on the inside.
Koichiro Wada	A variegated hybrid. Frost-resistant and easy to care for.	When unopened they are crimson-pink, but become lighter during flowering.

Types of azaleas for the garden

The following varieties of rosewood are commonly grown in summer cottages and garden plots:

View	Description	Flowers	Bloom
Homebush	Reaches 1 m.	Double, pinkish-crimson. Frost-resistant.	May-June.
White	Visually similar to a jasmine bush.	Terry and simple, whitish or light pink.	Since May.
Nabucco	Up to 200 cm, with a spreading crown.	Wide open, bright red.	Summer.

Acclimatizing azaleas at home after purchase

The azalea will fully adapt to the new conditions once it finishes blooming and produces new shoots. After purchase, avoid placing the plant near heating devices; it doesn't tolerate heat. The plant requires high humidity, no lower than what it had in the store. During the acclimation period, the bush doesn't need fertilizing; the transport soil contains sufficient nutrients.

Spraying with Epin will help the plant acclimate to the new conditions. It activates its protective functions and improves stress resistance and immunity. If the plant begins to wilt and drop leaves, it needs repotting. This procedure is described in the chapter "Forming and Repotting Flowers."

Caring for azaleas at home

To ensure the plant blooms and retains its decorative appeal, it is necessary to provide comfortable conditions specific to each season:

Factor	Spring/summer	Autumn/Winter
Location/lighting	Eastern or northern window sills. Diffused light, no exposure to direct UV rays.	Keep away from heating appliances. Additional lighting with phytolamps.
Temperature	No more than +20 °C (this figure is difficult to achieve without air conditioning).	In autumn +10…+12 °C. In winter +15…+18 °C.
Humidity	High, at least 85%. This can be achieved in the following ways: install a humidifier; spray with a spray bottle with a fine nozzle; Place a basin of cool water, wet expanded clay, moss, and pebbles nearby.
Watering	Use settled, chlorine-free water. Regularly mist the soil or place a few ice cubes on top, preventing the soil from drying out. If the soil does dry out, place the pot in a bucket of water for 2-3 hours. This will allow the root system to absorb the required amount of liquid.
Top dressing	Weekly.
	Nitrogen-containing fertilizers.	Phosphorus-potassium mixtures.

Formation and transplantation

Pruning is done immediately after the flowers fade. Remove all inflorescences, weak and overgrown shoots. Also, pinch out new growth above the second pair of true leaves.

Young specimens are repotted every season, while mature plants are repotted every 3-4 years. This is done by transshipment:

• Carefully remove the bush along with the root ball.
• Place in a new pot.
• Fill the voids with soil. The substrate should be acidic and allow moisture and air to pass through well.
• Do not over-water the soil.

Propagation of azaleas

The flower is propagated by cuttings:

• Cut a 5-8 cm cutting from a healthy, semi-woody branch. It is preferable to do this in the spring.
• Place in Heteroauxin for a couple of hours.
• Plant at a depth of 1.5-2 cm.
• Cover with plastic to create greenhouse conditions.
• The shelter should be removed daily for ventilation and spraying.
• Keep at a temperature of +25 °C.
• After the seedlings appear (after 3-5 weeks), transplant.

Azaleas can also be propagated by dividing the bush. This should only be done if the plant is healthy and strong. Care must be taken to avoid damaging the rhizome. After planting, provide intensive care.

Propagation by seed is a difficult and time-consuming process. Only experienced gardeners and breeders can handle it.

Rules for caring for azaleas in the garden

When planting azaleas in open ground, you need to follow these recommendations:

• During the growing season, keep the soil moist and don't allow it to dry out. Reduce watering in the fall. Water in a furrow surrounding the bush, not directly at the base.
• When greenery and buds are forming, spray daily; stop during flowering to prevent dark spots from appearing on the petals.
• Periodically renew the mulch layer around the plant to saturate the soil with oxygen and prevent the appearance of weeds.
• During the period of active growth, apply fertilizer weekly (without lime, chlorine, wood ash).
• Once a month, water with water with a few drops of citric acid added.
• After flowering, prune.

Mistakes in azalea care, diseases and pests

If not properly cared for, azaleas can become diseased and be eaten by insects. Signs and treatments:

Manifestation	Reasons	Elimination measures
The leaves are falling.	Air that is too dry or humid; Very high or low temperature.	Create the necessary conditions of detention.
	Spider mite.	Spray with soap solution or Aktara, Fitoverm.
The greenery turns yellow.	Chlorosis damage.	Monitor the air temperature; When watering, add a little citric acid; Spray with Ferovit or magnesium sulfate.
The flower is withering, brown plaques and small insects are visible on the plates.	Scale insect.	Treat with soap and water; Use chemicals Actellic, Akarin.
The leaves are drying out.	Azalea moth (visible to the naked eye, resembles a caterpillar); Poor humidity; High temperature; Exposure to direct sunlight; Nutritional deficiencies; Lack of lighting; Root rot due to overwatering.	Collect insects manually, use chemicals Confidor, Aktara; Spray more often, place on a tray with wet expanded clay; Maintain the required temperature conditions; To shade; Apply fertilizers according to schedule; Extend daylight hours to 12 hours using a phytolamp; Reduce the amount of watering, transplant into new soil.
The greenery dries out during the period of bud formation.	Lack of moisture.	Moisten the substrate more often.
The plates turn black.	Thrips; Rhododendron mite.	Treat with Karbofos; Apply Diazinon.
The bush withers, blooms poorly, or does not produce buds at all.	Bad soil.	Transplant into different soil, add fertilizer.
The tips of the leaves turn brown.	Watering with hard water.	Use soft, settled liquid.
The greenery turns yellow and wilts. The stems and roots rot.	Fusarium.	Cut off the affected areas; Treat the bush with Skor and HOM preparations; For 2-3 weeks, add potassium permanganate (to obtain a light pink solution), Trichodermin, and Fitosporin to the water for irrigation.
Reddish-brown or brown spots appear on the leaves, which eventually spread to the entire above-ground part.	Septoria.	If the damage is severe, the azalea cannot be saved; If the infection has spread slightly, the bush should be isolated from other plants; Spray with Ordan, Previkur.
Ash-gray or brown spots are visible on the inner side of the plate.	Phyllostictosis.	Stop spraying, reduce watering; Cut off the affected areas; Treat the bush and soil with any fungicide solution.
On the underside of the leaves and at the base of the stems there is a snow-white coating and lumps that resemble cotton wool.	Mealybug.	Wipe with a soap and alcohol solution; Use Rogor, Fosfamide, Nurellone-D.
White butterflies that fly away at the slightest touch.	Whitefly.	In areas with the highest concentration of insects, apply onion or garlic gruel and leave for 24 hours; Apply Inta-Vir, Mospilan, Fitoverm.