When to collect azalea

[Lazylightningny]

I tried searching past posts but couldn't find a good answer. I'm in lower NY. Most of the snow except for a few patches are gone now. Daytime temps are above freezing- some days downright warm, but some night time temps still get below freezing.

I have a row of evergreen azaleas on the north side of the house. Buds have not started moving yet. I want to collect one but am unsure about the hardiness of the newly collected plant in the evenings, when it goes below freezing.

Can I collect, and protect in the evening in the garage, or should I wait until I see some movement?

 

[fourteener]

As a general rule, I never want to let a newly collected tree freeze in the spring after I have collected it. I do keep them in my garage until the threat of frost has past. It's also a great place to keep the humidity up, be in the shade and out of the wind.

With a spring blooming plant, I wouldn't let it flower this year(nip them off as they come out) Flowering is a lot of work for a root system.

 

[woodguy]

I would wait until it warms up a bit more. The ground is still probably pretty hard and may even still be frozen. It is here in southern CT. Your window for collection on azaleas is much bigger than a lot of other species. I have successfully collected azaleas well into May, often after they have flowered. Some of them were quite old. Good luck with it. Oh and nice screen name by the way.

 

[Lazylightningny]

Thanks everyone.

Also, can azaleas be chopped to a stump, or do you need to leave some green on it?

 

[woodguy]

Thanks everyone.

Also, can azaleas be chopped to a stump, or do you need to leave some green on it?

Well there are plenty of videos and magazine articles that show very well developed azalea trunks being completely stripped of branches in order to grow entirely new ones. I have yet get up the nerve to do that though I've gone pretty close. Hard pruning has always yielded good back budding for me.

 

[Dav4]

Can I collect, and protect in the evening in the garage, or should I wait until I see some movement?

Ideally, wait until the buds begin to swell to collect. As fourteener said, you don't want the roots to freeze post collection, but that may not be a big issue for you as the azalea may be another month from showing any growth. One option (my preference) post collection would be to collect when the buds start moving (early April?), then mulch the pot with wood chips. Even night time temps in the teens aren't going to be able to freeze more then the outer layer of mulch overnight. As far as chopping, you can be pretty ruthless with azaleas, but I would wait until the tree has recovered which means next year at the earliest depending on the rootball you collect.