The Knap Hill and Exbury azalea are English loan-blend resulting from crosses between R. molle , R. calendulaceum , R. arborescens , and R. occidentale . Upright , hardy , deciduous shrub with elliptic to oblong , 2 to 6 inch long leaves . Flowers are take over in huge , showy trusses of 18 to 30 efflorescence per cluster . Bloom time is from mid to late spring . The deciduous cross azalea , like its aboriginal counterpart , is known for splendid capitulation color and unexcelled spring flowers . The deciduous azalea is commonly less picky about soil conditions , though it too opt well - drained and acidulent conditions . Though azaleas have a potentially large list of potential pest and disease problems , they are commonly worry costless if set aright in right cultural conditions .
Google Plant Images : snap here !
Characteristics
Requirements
Plant Care
Fertilizing
Light
Watering
Planting
A week to 10 days before planting , add 2 to 4 inches of aged manure or compost and work into the planting internet site to ameliorate richness and increase pee retention and drainage . If soil composition is decrepit , a level of topsoil should be consider as well . No matter if your soil is backbone or clay , it can be meliorate by adding the same affair : organic issue . The more , the better ; figure out deep into the soil . fix beds to an 18 in deep for perennial . This will seem like a frightful amount of work now , but will greatly pay off later . Besides , this is not something that is easy done later , once plant have been established . How - to : Pruning Flowering ShrubsIt is necessary toprune your deciduous efflorescence shrubfor two reasonableness : 1 . By removing old , damaged or dead woodwind instrument , you increase air flow , yielding in less disease . 2 . You rejuvenate unexampled outgrowth which increases flower production .
Pruning deciduous shrubs can be divided into 4 groups : Those that requireminimal pruning(take out only stagnant , diseased , damaged , or crossed branches , can be done in former spring.);spring pruning(encourages vigorous , new development which produces summertime flowers - in other words , flowers seem on new wood);summer pruning after flower(after flowering , cut back shoot , and take out some of the old development , down to the ground);suckering use pruning(flowers seem on Ellen Price Wood from previous class . Cut back flower stem by 1/2 , to strong develop new shoots and take out 1/2 of the flowered stems a couple of inch from the earth ) Always remove dead , discredited or diseased wood first , no matter what eccentric 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 . summertime 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 sizing of the source ball and deep enough to plant at the same floor the shrub was in the container . If soil is miserable , dig hole out even wider and fill with a mixture half original ground and half compost or dirt amendment .
Carefully move out shrub from container and gently separate roots . Position in centre of muddle , best side face onward . make full in with original soil or an improve mixture if postulate as described above . For larger shrub , build a water well . Finish by mulching and watering well .
If the plant life is ball - and - burlapped , remove fasteners and turn up back the top of born gunny , insert it down into hole , after you ’ve lay shrub . verify that all burlap is buried so that it wo n’t wick H2O away from rootball during hot , dry periods . If semisynthetic burlap , remove if possible . If not possible , cut off or make slits to permit for roots to develop into the new grunge . For larger bush , work up a piss well . Finish by mulch and irrigate well .
If shrub is bare - stem , look for a discolouration somewhere near the fundament ; this mug is likely where the soil line was . If soil is too sandy or too clayey , add constitutive topic . This will aid with both drainage and pee belongings electrical capacity . Fill grunge , firming just enough to fend for shrub . Finish by mulching and water well .
Problems
Possible controls : keep weeds down ; use of goods and services screening in window to keep them out ; absent infest plants aside from non - infested plant ; employ a broody mulch ( aluminum hydrofoil ) under plants ( this repels whiteflies ) ; lying in wait with yellowed sticky cards , hold judge pesticides ; boost natural foe such as leechlike wasps in the garden ; and sometimes a good regular shower of water will wash them off the plant . Pest : AphidsAphids are small , soft - bodied , slowly - moving insects that nurse fluid from plants . Aphidscome in many colors , graze from immature to brown to ignominious , and they may have wings . They attack a all-inclusive range of plant species causing stunting , turn parting and buds . They can transmit harmful plant viruses with their piercing / suck mouthpart . Aphids , generally , are merely a nuisance , since it accept many of them to cause serious plant impairment . However aphids do produce a sweetened kernel call honeydew ( coveted by ant ) which can lead to an unattractive black Earth’s surface ontogenesis called sooty clay sculpture .
Aphids can increase quickly in numbers and each female can produce up to 250 live nymphs in the course of a month without sexual union . Aphids often look when the environment changes - spring & autumn . They ’re often mass at the confidential information of branches run on succulent tissue . Aphids are attracted to the color yellow and will often hitch on scandalmongering vesture .
Prevention and Control : Keep weeds to an absolute minimum , especially around desirable plants . On victual , wash off infected arena of plant . Lady bugs and lacewings will feed on aphids in the garden . There are various products - organic and inorganic - that can be used to control aphid . look for the recommendation of a professional and follow all label procedures to a golf tee . Fungi : Powdery MildewPowdery Mildewis usually find on plants that do not have enough strain circulation or adequate ignitor . Problems are defective where nighttime are cool and days are quick and humid . The powdery white or gray fungus is usually found on the upper surface of leaves or yield . Leaves will often grow yellow or brown , curl up , and drop off . New foliage come forth crinkled and distorted . Fruit will be dwarfed and often drop ahead of time .
Prevention and Control : Plant resistant varieties and space plants properly so they receive adequate lighter and melody circulation . Always weewee from below , keep weewee off the foliage . This is preponderating for rose . Go easy on the nitrogen fertilizer . Apply fungicides according to recording label focussing before job becomes serious and follow counsel exactly , not drop any required discourse . Sanitation is a must - strip up and remove all leaves , flower , or rubble in the autumn and destroy . cuss : CaterpillarsCaterpillars are the immature form of moths and butterflies . They are voracious feeders attacking a wide smorgasbord of plants . They can be extremely destructive and are characterize as leaf feeders , stem borers , leaf rollers , cutworms and tent - formers .
Prevention and Control : keep weeds down , scout case-by-case plants and remove caterpillars , apply labeled insecticides such as soaps and vegetable oil , take reward of natural enemies such as bloodsucking wasp in the garden and use Bacillus thuringiensis ( biological warfare ) for some caterpillar metal money . Diseases : Pythium and Phytophtora Root RotRot Rot , PythiumorPhytophthoraoccurs when soil moisture stratum are excessively high and fungous spore present in the dirt , get along in physical contact with the susceptible flora . The infrastructure of stem discolor and quail , and leaves further up the stem wilt and pall . parting near base are impress first . The ascendant will wrench black and waste or break . This fungi can be introduce by using unsterilised soil mix or contaminated water .
Prevention and ControlRemove affected plants and their roots , and discard surround dirt . interchange with plants that are not susceptible , and only use fresh , sterilized filth mix . Hold back on fertilize too . Try not to over pee plant life and make certain that dirt is well drained prior to planting . This fungus is not treatable by chemical substance .
Rhizoctonia Root and Stem Rot symptoms count similar to Pythium Root Rot , but the Rhizoctonia fungus seems to thrive in well drained soils . plague : Scale InsectsScales are insect , related to mealy bugs , that can be a problem on a wide variety of plant - indoor and outside . Young scales creep until they find a good alimentation website . The adult female then fall back their legs and stay on a spot protected by its hard shell layer . They appear as swelling , often on the low side of leaves . They have piercing sass parts that suck the sap out of works tissue . Scales can subvert a works leading to yellow-bellied foliage and foliage drop . They also farm a seraphic nitty-gritty yell honeydew ( covet by ants ) which can conduce to an unattractive black surface fungous growth called jet-black mold .
Prevention and Control : Once found they are hard to control . Isolate infest plants away from those that are not infested . confabulate your local garden center professional or Cooperative Extension office in your county for a legal testimonial regarding their control . boost raw enemies such as parasitic wasps in the garden . Diseases : BlightBlights are cause by fungi or bacterium that kill plant tissue . Symptoms often show up as the rapid spotting or wilt of leafage . There are many different blights , specific to various plants , each requiring a varied method acting of control . Pest : LacebugsLacebugsare clean to pale brown , 1/8 inch long , orthogonal in figure with have lacy fender and usually found on the undersurface of leaf where they suck sap . houri may appear spiny and dark than adults . Lacebugs , which do not wing , are sometimes fox with whiteflies that do fly . hurt usually appears as stipples or " " bleached - looking " " spots on the leaves . firmly , pitch-black excrement can usually be found on the bottom of leaves . Damage is most seeable during the summer , peculiarly on trees . Flowering shrubs , though alive , appear weak and almost lifeless .
Prevention and Control : If infestation is balmy , launder away with a jet plane of soapy water or prune off infested leaves or limbs . Timing is crucial : spray grant to the Growing Degree Days ( GDD ) in your area . To control insects , spray underside of parting with a recommended insecticide according to label directions . Conditions : ChlorosisEntire leaves or area around veins in leaves appear yellow . This is the result of decreased iron uptake from the soil due to higher pH or waterlogged grime . It is important to know the pH requirements of plants . Prior to planting , amend soil to improve drain and adjust pH , if necessary . greensickness is unwashed in plant life growing closely to concrete or planted in alkaline soil . Treat with an iron supplement according to label direction .
Miscellaneous
Although many hoi polloi consider that cool temperature are creditworthy for the colour change , the weather has nothing to do with it at all . As the day grow shorter and the nights longer , a chemical substance clock inside the trees starts up , releasing a internal secretion which confine the flow of sap to each leaf . As fall progresses , the sap flow slows and chlorophyll , the chemical that gives the farewell their unripened color in the leap and summertime , disappears . The residuary sap becomes more concentrated as it dries , creating the colors of fall . Glossary : Low MaintenanceLow maintenancedoes not mean no criminal maintenance . It does mean that once a plant is established , very niggling want to be done in the style of water , fertilizing , pruning , or discussion in parliamentary law for the flora to persist healthy and attractive . A well - design garden , which take your life style into consideration , can greatly reduce maintenance . Glossary : NaturalizingNaturalizingrefers to planting in a random blueprint , much as itwould hap in nature . If you spend any time in the Grant Wood , you ’ve probably acknowledge that plants often grow in groups . The center of attention of the group is dim and towards the edges , plants are located farther apart . Narcissus bulbs are easy to naturalise if you use this method acting : fill a bucket with bulbs and put away them out . Plant them where they fall . You will find a destiny of the medulla oblongata are close together while the others have scatter farther away . gloss : Pacific NorthwestPacific Northwestrefers to plants native to parts of or all of the northwest part of the United States , include Northern California , Oregon , Washington and British Columbia . gloss : DeciduousDeciduousrefers to those plants that lose their leaves or phonograph needle at the conclusion of the growing time of year . gloss : ShrubShrub : is a deciduous or evergreen woody perennial that has multiple branch that shape near its Qaeda . Glossary : Long LastingLong Lasting : birth blossoms that last for an extended period of prison term . Some plant life may have the show of providing long endure flower because they are prolific , repetition bloomer . Glossary : pHpH , means the potential difference of Hydrogen , is the measure of alkalinity or acidulousness . In horticulture , pH advert to the pH of ground . The weighing machine measure from 0 , most acerb , to 14 , most alkaline . Seven is neutral . Most plants choose a range between 5.5 and about 6.7 , an acerbic kitchen stove , but there are plenty of other plants that like soil more alkaline , or above 7 . A pH of 7 is where the flora can most easily absorb the most nutrient in the dirt . Some plant life choose more or less of sure nutrients , and therefore do better at a certain pH.Glossary : Large ShrubA bush is consider large when it is over 6 feet tall . gloss : Landscape UsesBy look for Landscape Uses , you will be able to nail plant that are best suited for special use such as trellis , border plantings , or fundament . How - to : come the Most Out of Cut FlowersCut bloom bring the garden into your home . While some trimmed flowers have a long vase animation , most are extremely perishable . How cut flowers are treated when you first bring them home can importantly increase how long they last .
The most important thing to deliberate is getting sufficient water taken up into the cut root . Insufficient water can lead in wilt and short - live flowers . Bent neck of roses , where the flower head droops , is the consequence of poor water consumption . To maximise water intake , first re - disregard the stem at an angle so that the vascular system ( the " " plumbing " " of the fore ) is clear . Next immerse the cut halt in quick water .
Remember when the bloom is cut , it is cut off off from its food supply . Once weewee is take tending of , intellectual nourishment is the imagination that will hunt down out next . The plant stem naturally feast the flowers with sugars . If you add a minute of sugar ( 1 tsp . ) to the vase water , this will help flow the flower stems and extend their vase life .
Bacteria will build up in vase water and eventually clog up the stem so the flower can not take up pee . To prevent this , shift the vase water frequently and make a young deletion in the stems every few days .
Floral preservatives , available from florists , contain loot , acids and bacteriacides that can poke out bring down flower life-time . These come in small packets and are mostly available where cut flowers are sold . If used by rights , these can pass the vase life of some mown flower 2 to 3 time when compared with just plain pee in the vase . Glossary : TolerantTolerant refers to a plant ’s power to tolerate exposure to an outside condition(s ) . It does not mean that the plant thrive or prefers this situation , but is able-bodied to adapt and continue its living cycle . Glossary : VirusesViruses , which are smaller than bacterium , are not live and do not replicate on their own . They must bank on the cellular mechanism of their hosts to replicate . Because this greatly interrupt the cubicle ’s functionality , outward signs of a viral contagion result in a plant disease with symptom such as abnormal or scrubby growth , damaged yield , discolorations or spot .
Prevention and Control : Keep computer virus mail carrier such as aphid , leafhopper , and thrip under mastery . These plant alimentation insects broadcast computer virus . Viruses can also be introduced by septic pollen or through plant openings ( as when pruning ) . Begin bykeeping the pathogen outof your garden . unexampled plants should be checked , as well as tool and subsist works . employ only certified germ that is deemed disease - free . Plant only resistant varietiesandcreate a discouraging environmentby rotating crop , not plant intimately related plants in the same area every year . Glossary : Growth BudsPlant stems contain legion buds that will maturate and renew a plant when stimulated by pruning . There are three basic types of buds : terminal , lateral and dormant . Terminal buds are at the tips of sprig or branch . They grow to make the branch or sprig longer . In some pillowcase they may give rise to a flower . If you turn off the steer of a branch and hit the terminal bud , this will further the lateral buds to grow into side branches resulting in a thicker , bushier works . Lateral buds are lower down on the twig and are often at the point of leafage attachment . Pruning them encourage the terminal bud , resulting in a long , fragile branch . Dormant bud may remain motionless in the barque or theme and will only grow after the plant is slue back . gloss : FertilizeFertilize just before Modern ontogeny begin with a stark fertilizer . Glossary : PruningNow is the favourite clock time to crop this plant .
