Lost all my azaleas... starting over

kekoa

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Sadly I've lost all my nursery stock satsuki azaleas that I had planted in beds to thicken trunks...

I live in the eastern San Fernando Valley (Zone 10). The two pictured below are representative of the entire bunch. I planted them in some of the most shaded garden beds that I have and they are getting drip irrigation on an automatic schedule. Nevertheless, it wasn't enough. One problem is that Los Angeles is under significantly reduced watering mandate and we're about 10 days into a triple digit heat wave (hopefully breaking tonight).

While i'm really bummed about losing all of the satsuki azaleas i had already planted, I want to try again and build up a better, more weather resilient home for new plants moving forward to continue developing nursery specimens into bonsai.

I was thinking about getting a shade cloth to add additional protection from the sun, does anyone have any experience with shade cloths that might be able to recommend a good amount of radiation filtration in my zone? I found some shade cloths on Gemplers - would that be a good quality? I will also be putting in several inches of mulch on these garden beds moving forward to help retain the moisture from the drip lines.

IMG_1283.jpg
 

nuttiest

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Ugh, that is awful. Do you have any shade trees or can do morning sun on one side of house?
 

Deep Sea Diver

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So sorry to hear this. You are pushing the limits of temperature for satsuki azaleas. It seems you may have to keep your satsuki’s in pots and provide them with a semi sheltered environment, with a good deal of care.

Another idea is to call Jim or Tom at Nuccios and ask for their recommendations, and tips on care. If anyone knows SoCal azalea care, it’s the Nuccios!

Sadly
DSD sends

PS: There are other azaleas that are known to live in zone ten. Here are a couple listed by Wilson
 

Tele

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My Azaleas were put in a shady place after loosing 90% of the leaves except 1. The one in the sun recovered much faster then the rest and all were put in the sun. It’s on a balcony with direct sun until 1400h. They all went straight to the heat 40C+ for nearly 2 months. 2 cultivars x 3 plants. 1 cultivar did perfect and 1 struggled a bit but looking to survive.
 

kekoa

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So sorry to hear this. You are pushing the limits of temperature for satsuki azaleas. It seems you may have to keep your satsuki’s in pots and provide them with a semi sheltered environment, with a good deal of care.

Another idea is to call Jim or Tom at Nuccios and ask for their recommendations, and tips on care. If anyone knows SoCal azalea care, it’s the Nuccios!

Sadly
DSD sends

PS: There are other azaleas that are known to live in zone ten. Here are a couple listed by Wilson
Thank you for the advice! I hadn’t considered asking Nuccio but it’s a great idea! And thank you for the list of zone 10 azaleas!
 

kekoa

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My Azaleas were put in a shady place after loosing 90% of the leaves except 1. The one in the sun recovered much faster then the rest and all were put in the sun. It’s on a balcony with direct sun until 1400h. They all went straight to the heat 40C+ for nearly 2 months. 2 cultivars x 3 plants. 1 cultivar did perfect and 1 struggled a bit but looking to survive.
Wow! Seems a lot like the temperatures I was having over here the past couple of weeks.
 

penumbra

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Looks like they needed more water. Not necessarily less sun. Of course, shade cloth makes the soil stay moist longer after watering.
I agree with the above. I don't have experience with growing in zone 10 but I do have experiences with growing (and killing in the past) azaleas in the ground. Planting hole should be very wide and have organics mixed in. Even in my climate newly planted azaleas need water nearly every day if its not raining. Your ground is like a dry sponge and the trees behind your failed azaleas probably took all the water you gave them. It doesn't look like they were mulched and if they were, it was a paltry mulch application. I am sure there are other consideration in keeping azaleas in your climate, and it may not really be feasible, but essentially your plants just dried up.
 

Maiden69

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That sucks, we spent almost a month in triple digits, but we were on stage 2 which allows me to water with drip every day from 7-11 am or pm, plus hand watering is also allowed every day at any time. I thought most restrictions didn't apply to drip irrigation? Here in San Antonio, even on stage 4, where nothing is really permitted that wastes water, drip irrigation can be used mon-wed-fri from 7-11 am or pm. Hand watering is permitted.
 

Clicio

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Looks like they needed more water. Not necessarily less sun. Of course, shade cloth makes the soil stay moist longer after watering.
I am in zone 11.
I water my azaleas twice a day throughout the growing season, three times a day during the summer. They are all in the sun, no shade cloth, some late afternoon natural shade on my garden.
So I think the main problem of yours was the lack of water, not the heat. Here they take the heat alright IF they are always moist.
 

Glaucus

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I posted here some symptoms I observed in my field-grown seedlings this summer:

Because of this, I conclude this is not the sunlight and they likely would have done better with more moist soil.
Indeed, a higher organic content in the soil keeps it moist. Which is why azaleas are ideally grown in a mix of fast-draining substrate and some organic material that retains water.
What you do want to avoid is compacted soil where standing water develops after it has rained. That causes root rot.

Contrasting the acute drought symptoms I see in other plants and also these in the OP.

Anyone has seen similar symptoms?
 
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Leo in N E Illinois

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I might be harsh, but the OP is in east of Los Angeles area. (eastern San Fernando Valley). Climate change is real, and Climate Changes says we are experiencing the "new normal". This means EVERY YEAR FORWARD, the San Fernando Valley will be seeing multiple 10 day runs of temperatures exceeding 100 F in summer (exceeding 38 C ), this also means going forward there will be regular water shortages, at least as short as this year. There will be no "magical source" of water to relieve the future water shortages. If you love Satsuki azalea, move away from the San Fernando Valley.

Or, a more reasonable approach would be to learn to love more desert adapted trees, like Pomegranate, Bursera, Texas Ebony, Carob or other heat and drought tolerant trees.
 

penumbra

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Or, a more reasonable approach would be to learn to love more desert adapted trees, like Pomegranate, Bursera, Texas Ebony, Carob or other heat and drought tolerant trees.
If you can't be with the tree you love,
love the tree you're with. ;)
 

kekoa

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Thanks everyone for the feedback, tips, and advice! This past month was pretty brutal here in terms of heat and my being gone for two weeks was really the final nail in the coffin for the most thirsty plants... I'll take all your advice to heart as I plan my next steps!
 
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