All about Azaleas!!!

[Victrinia Ensor]

Everything Martin said is spot on except for one thing...

I wouldn't bother chancing around with regular miracle grow... ericaceous plants do not thrive on nitrogens that come in a nitrate form... but specially formulated "acid loving" ferts provide the nitrogen in a ammonium or urea form that will help to acidify the soil.

In fact... there was a study done on salal by a University that high dose nitrogen (of the nitrate form) could be used for plant control in otherwise highly conducive enviornments.... So take a forest where it's growing waist deep... and spray it with a high dose of nitrogen of the wrong type... come back later... and it's dead.

That's how much ericaceous plants don't love nitrogen in the wrong form.

That Martin has not fed his an overdose... is great... but I don't think there's much benefit to giving it something in a form which it doesn't like.

Otherwise there's a lot of good basic information in there.

Kindest regards,

Victrinia

 

[irene_b]

Mir-acid?
And when do you take them out of the dirt? (More like mud)
I want to thank everyone who has chimed in as well as by pm...
Irene

 

[Victrinia Ensor]

Yes... Mir-acid is great....

Traditionally repotting can happen after bloom... so now... but you can also do it in early spring - for me that's March. What I have found is that early spring gives it a lot of vigourous growth... but you also pretty much need to remove any flower buds.

The tree shouldn't be allowed to blow much energy on flowers while it's in development in any case... and of course as Martin intimated, any pruning past July removes the next year's flower buds which are usually evident by fall.

You live in such a warm area, I would imagine that spring is a good bet for you, because of the fact that the roots would have to work so hard to keep up with transpiration of water in the heat.

BBG

 

[irene_b]

Do I need to worry about the flower buds? Each of the trees I bought is leggy and I have no real clue what is under the mud... Spring works well for me! Gives me the winter to study up on them.

Now someone tell me about the flowers and why there are different colors on all of yours
Mom

 

[Victrinia Ensor]

Ummmm.... because there are a few thousand hybrids at this point I believe... It's well over a thousand...

BBG

 

[Martin Sweeney]

Victrinia,

I do not doubt that using Mir-Acid is probably the correct thing to do. Maybe I was tired, maybe I'm just not that smart, maybe they changed the formula or the wording on the packaging, but everytime I read the Mir-Acid label, it matched the Miracle Grow ingredients list exactly. It was 15 years ago.

So I figured, whatever...

Regards,
Martin

 

[Victrinia Ensor]

I hope I have not offended in any way... I did not wish to critique your methodology so much as I just wanted to point out the risk and benefits.

Miracid is formulated with appropriate nitrogen as well as iron which they also love... it has, as you pointed out, not adversely affected your trees so it's no biggie for you... but if other people read this, the comment I made is good for the less experianced.


Kindest regards,

Victrinia

 

[ml_work]

Victrinia, a Power Point study would be really nice to see. Can you post it here for download?
Thanks,
Michael

 

[Victrinia Ensor]

I don't think so... but I would be able to send it via a large file transfer... I'll be sure to offer it out if it comes together in that fashion... it's more a time thing than anything... but I have high hopes.

V

 

[ml_work]

Thanks, Please keep us posted.
Michael

 

[Attila Soos]

I forgot to mention, that I plant my azaleas in coarse peat moss, and a very small dose of pumice (may be 5%). Nothing else. This medium is like a sponge. I learned this from the Nuccio azalear nursery next door. They use this medium successfully for 50 years, here is Southern California. It can't get more simple than this. But it is essential that the peat moss is very coarse, there is no powdery stuff in it. The stuff sold in big-box stores would be deadly.
This medium would never break down, for decades, if left undisturbed in the pot. In fact, that's how it stays in nature (the peat-bogs of Canada and Scotland), where it is preserved for hundreds of thousands of years.

Kanuma is great, as long as you make sure that there is absolutely no mud accumulated on the bottom of the pot, from the weathering process. This is how I killed one of my $1000 Kozan from Japan (every time I think about it, I get instantly depressed - well, stupidity is expensive). That was before I discovered the magic of peat moss, and I would never go back again. It is much cheaper, lighter, and never have to worry about breaking down.

Oh, I forgot another small benefit: it is acidic!! I think azaleas appreciate that.

 

[greerhw]

I forgot to mention, that I plant my azaleas in coarse peat moss, and a very small dose of pumice (may be 5%). Nothing else. This medium is like a sponge. I learned this from the Nuccio azalear nursery next door. They use this medium successfully for 50 years, here is Southern California. It can't get more simple than this. But it is essential that the peat moss is very coarse, there is no powdery stuff in it. The stuff sold in big-box stores would be deadly.
This medium would never break down, for decades, if left undisturbed in the pot. In fact, that's how it stays in nature (the peat-bogs of Canada and Scotland), where it is preserved for hundreds of thousands of years.

Kanuma is great, as long as you make sure that there is absolutely no mud accumulated on the bottom of the pot, from the weathering process. This is how I killed one of my $1000 Kozan from Japan (every time I think about it, I get instantly depressed - well, stupidity is expensive). That was before I discovered the magic of peat moss, and I would never go back again. It is much cheaper, lighter, and never have to worry about breaking down.

Oh, I forgot another small benefit: it is acidic!! I think azaleas appreciate that.

Here is a map showing the climate differences in Oklahoma.

keep it green,
Harry

 

[Attila Soos]

Here is a map showing the climate differences in Oklahoma.

keep it green,
Harry

Very interesting. The West looks much hotter.

You ended up on the wrong side of the tracks.

 

[Bill S]

"You ended up on the wrong side of the tracks"

I see a dual in the near future. I knew someone would eventually say that.

Yes Kanuma if you have it available, peat and large grain sand if kanuma isnt redily available, this was Suthins reccomendation last time I visited.

Attila, how long do you typically go between waterings with the peat for soil??

 

[Attila Soos]

Attila, how long do you typically go between waterings with the peat for soil??

It depends, of course, on the size of the pot and tree, and then the weather.

But for the Kaho that I posted earlier, which is almost two feet tall, and if the temperature is in the 80s, I water every other day. Right now, as the temp is in the 70s, I do it every 3rd day.

After July, when the 90s kick in, I may be watering every day.

The peat I use is made up of lumps of different sizes, like cotton balls. From quarter of an inch, to over an inch in diameter, irregular shapes. They are full of air, so they can't get soggy. A very fluffy texture, and instant draining. I only know a few places in my area, who sell it, so it may not be easy to find it everywhere. But I am sure that it can be bought on-line.

 

[irene_b]

Attila I use a very loose mix on my trees and most times just straight lava, do you see this as a issue with azaleas?

 

[Victrinia Ensor]

I don't know about Attila... but I see a problem with it... Satsuki does not like to dry out completely... they are thirsty trees... when they are in flower, it's even worse... which is one of the reasons their roots are so fine... it increases the surface area significantly to allow for the absorption of mositure vapor more readily. I would not recommend using 100% lava myself... Plus you'll need to keep feeding it acid and iron to make it happy... they are tempermental that way.

BBG

 

[irene_b]

I don't know about Attila... but I see a problem with it... Satsuki does not like to dry out completely... they are thirsty trees... when they are in flower, it's even worse... which is one of the reasons their roots are so fine... it increases the surface area significantly to allow for the absorption of mositure vapor more readily. I would not recommend using 100% lava myself... Plus you'll need to keep feeding it acid and iron to make it happy... they are tempermental that way.

BBG

So how often are they fed? What about poo balls?

 

[Victrinia Ensor]

On a mature tree... In the growing season, I do once every two weeks up to flowering, then stop. After you thin the tree out after flowering... I would feed only a few more times, more spread apart or you'll get a lot of extension in your second flush of growth and that's not generally desireable... and as has been said... no more cutting after July... or your flower blossoms go for the next year.

On a tree where you are not letting it flower because it's in development... I would feed regularly, but then again... you have to keep up with it, as it's grow habit tends to be fairly linear on it's extensions unless it has some reason to act differently.

I don't use poo balls... so I couldn't advise on them in any direction...

BBG

 

[greerhw]

So how often are they fed? What about poo balls?

Irene, what's a poo and why would you want to neuter him..........

keep it green,
Harry