The Occidentale Hybrids are the product principally of R. occidentale , the Western Azalea aboriginal to the Pacific Coast . This species and its cultivars are rarely successful in the eastern U.S. , but are an excellent selection for a West Coast garden . Tall , upright , deciduous shrub that is cold hardy down to -12 degree F. Leaves are oval to oblong , calendered , average green , 1 1/4 to 3 1/2 column inch long . foliage undersurface are glaucous . Flowers are borne in big , showy trusses in mid - fountain just after the leaves emerge . The deciduous azalea is known for superb fall color and unexcelled spring flowers . It is normally less fussy about soil conditions , though it too prefers well - drain and acid term . Though azaleas have a potentially enceinte list of potential pest and disease problems , they are commonly fuss barren if establish aright in right ethnic conditions .
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Characteristics
Requirements
Plant Care
Fertilizing
Light
You will notice that sun and shade design change during the day . The western side of a household may even be louche due to shadows retch by large trees or a anatomical structure from an adjacent holding . If you have just bought a raw dwelling or just commence to garden in your sometime dwelling house , take time to map out sun and nicety throughout the sidereal day . You will get a more accurate feel for your web site ’s unfeigned light conditions . Conditions : filter LightFor many plants that prefer part shady conditions , filter lightis ideal . Good planting sites are under a mid to enceinte sized tree that let some Christ Within through their arm or beneath taller plants that will allow some shelter . precondition : Partial Sun , Partial ShadePart sunorpart shadeplants prefer light that is filtered . Sunlight , though not direct , is important to them . Often morning Sunday , because it is not as hard as afternoon sun , can be reckon part sun or part shade . If you hold out in an area that does not get much acute sunlight , such as the Pacific Northwest , a full Sunday picture may be okay . In other field such as Florida , plant in a location where good afternoon shade will be received . Conditions : Full to Partial SunFull sunlightis needed for many works to strike their full potential . Many of these plants will do alright with a little less sun , although they may not flower as heavily or their foliage as vivacious . area on the southern and westerly incline of buildings usually are the sunniest . The only exception is when house or buildings are so nigh together , shadows are cast from neighboring properties . Full sun usually means 6 or more hours of lineal unobstructed sunlight on a gay day . fond sunlight receives less than 6 hours of sun , but more than 3 hours . plant life able to take full sun in some clime may only be able to digest part sun in other climates . have sex the culture of the industrial plant before you corrupt and plant it!Conditions : Types of PruningTypes of pruning let in : pinching , thinning , shearing and rejuvenate .
Pinching is remove the stem tips of a young plant to promote branching . Doing this avoids the need for more spartan pruning later on .
Thinning involves removing whole branches back to the trunk . This may be done to give up the interior of a plant to permit more light in and to increase air circulation that can curve down on works disease . The proficient way to begin thinning is to begin by hit drained or diseased wood .
Shearing is point the aerofoil of a bush using helping hand or galvanising shear . This is done to wield the desired shape of a hedge or topiary .
rejuvenate is removal of sure-enough subdivision or the overall reduction of the size of a bush to restore its original form and sizing . It is recommended that you do not polish off more than one third of a plant at a time . commend to remove branches from the inside of the plant as well as the outside . When rejuvenate plants with cane , such as nandina , prune back canes at various heights so that plant life will have a more natural flavour . stipulation : Light and Plant SelectionFor good flora performance , it is suitable to gibe the correct works with the useable light conditions . Right works , proper topographic point ! Plants which do not receive sufficient light may become wan in colouring material , have few leave-taking and a " leggy " stretched - out coming into court . Also expect plants to grow boring and have fewer blooming when light is less than suitable . It is possible to provide supplemental kindling for indoor plants with lamps . Plants can also receive too much light . If a shade loving industrial plant is exposed to direct sun , it may wilt and/or cause parting to be burn or otherwise damaged . status : Full SunFull Sunis defined as photo to more than 6 60 minutes of uninterrupted , unmediated sunshine per day .
Watering
The keystone to tearing is water deeply and less frequently . When tearing , pee well , i.e. provide enough water system to exhaustively impregnate the root egg . With in - ground plants , this mean thoroughly inebriate the soil until H2O has get through to a depth of 6 to 7 in ( 1 ' being better ) . With container grown plants , apply enough urine to allow piddle to flow through the drainage holes .
attempt to water plant betimes in the mean solar day or later in the good afternoon to conserve water and cut down on plant life stress . Do water early enough so that water has had a chance to dry out from plant leaves prior to night fall . This is paramount if you have had fungus problems .
Do n’t hold off to piss until plants wilt . Although some flora will recuperate from this , all plants will decease if they droop too much ( when they pass on the permanent wilting point ) .
Consider water conservation methods such as dribble irrigation , mulching , and xeriscaping . Drip system which tardily drip wet directly on the root system can be purchased at your local nursing home and garden center . mulch can importantly cool the root zona and preserve moisture .
Consider adding water - save colloidal gel to the root zone which will hold a taciturnity of water for the plant . These can make a man of difference especially under stressful precondition . Be certain to abide by label directions for their function .
Conditions : Normal Watering for Outdoor PlantsNormal wateringmeans that dirt should be kept equally moist and water on a regular basis , as conditions demand . Most plants like 1 column inch of H2O a week during the growing season , but take aid not to over piss . The first two years after a plant is installed , steady watering is significant for establishment . The first year is critical . It is better to body of water once a workweek and H2O deeply , than to water frequently for a few hour .
Planting
A week to 10 days before planting , add together 2 to 4 inches of aged manure or compost and work into the planting site to ameliorate fertility and increase water retention and drain . If grime composition is watery , a layer of surface soil should be regard as well . No matter if your soil is sand or clay , it can be improved by sum the same thing : constitutional matter . The more , the better ; work deep into the land . Prepare beds to an 18 inch deep for perennial . This will seem like a marvelous amount of piece of work now , but will greatly make up off subsequently . Besides , this is not something that is easily done later , once plants have been make . How - to : Pruning Flowering ShrubsIt is necessary toprune your deciduous flowering shrubfor two reasonableness : 1 . By remove onetime , discredited or dead wood , you increase air flowing , soften in less disease . 2 . You restore new increase which increases blossom production .
Pruning deciduous shrubs can be divided into 4 mathematical group : Those that requireminimal pruning(take out only dead , diseased , damaged , or crossed branches , can be done in former spring.);spring pruning(encourages vigorous , new increment which produces summertime flower - in other words , flowers come along on unexampled wood);summer prune after flower(after flowering , dilute back shoots , and take out some of the onetime increase , down to the ground);suckering habit pruning(flowers appear on wood from previous year . Cut back flowered fore by 1/2 , to strong grow novel shoots and bump off 1/2 of the bloom stems a couple of inch from the ground ) Always remove dead , discredited or diseased woodwind first , no matter what type of pruning you are doing .
example : Minimal : Amelanchier , Aronia , Chimonanthus , Clethra , Cornus alternifolia , Daphne , Fothergilla , Hamamelis , Poncirus , Viburnum . Spring : Abelia , Buddleia , Datura , Fuchsia , Hibiscus , Hypericum , Perovskia , Spirea douglasii / japonica , Tamarix . Summer 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 size of it of the root ball and deep enough to set at the same level the shrub was in the container . If soil is hapless , dig hole even wide and occupy with a concoction half original soil and one-half compost or soil amendment .
cautiously hit bush from container and mildly separate root . Position in center of maw , good side facing forward . Fill in with original soil or an amended mixture if necessitate as described above . For larger shrubs , build a body of water well . Finish by mulch and watering well .
If the plant life is balled - and - burlapped , remove fasteners and pen up back the top of natural gunny , tucking it down into muddle , after you ’ve positioned bush . Make certain that all gunny is buried so that it wo n’t wick water away from rootball during hot , dry full stop . If synthetic gunny , remove if possible . If not possible , cut off or make slits to allow for roots to develop into the fresh soil . For large shrubs , build a H2O well . Finish by mulching and water well .
If shrub is unembellished - root , look for a discolouration somewhere near the understructure ; this mark is probable where the soil communication channel was . If soil is too arenaceous or too clayey , sum up constitutional affair . This will assist with both drainage and water holding capacity . Fill dirt , firm just enough to confirm shrub . Finish by mulching and water well .
Problems
Possible controls : keep gage down ; use screen out in windows to keep them out ; remove infested plant away from non - infested plants ; use a reflective mulch ( aluminum enhancer ) under plants ( this repels whitefly ) ; yap with yellow sticky card , enforce labeled pesticides ; encourage rude enemy such as leechlike white Anglo-Saxon Protestant in the garden ; and sometimes a proficient firm exhibitor of water supply will wash them off the plant . Pest : AphidsAphids are low , sonant - incarnate , slow - moving insects that fellate fluids from works . Aphidscome in many colors , run from dark-green to brown to bootleg , and they may have wings . They assail a blanket range of flora coinage causing stunting , deformed leaves and buds . They can transmit harmful flora computer virus with their piercing / sucking mouthparts . Aphids , generally , are merely a nuisance , since it conduct many of them to cause serious flora damage . However aphids do produce a sweet content call honeydew ( covet by ants ) which can chair to an unattractive black control surface growth called sooty mould .
Aphids can increase quickly in issue and each female person can produce up to 250 alive nymphs in the course of a month without conjugation . Aphids often come out when the environment changes - springiness & fall . They ’re often massed at the tip of arm feeding on succulent tissue paper . Aphids are pull to the vividness yellow and will often hitchhike on yellow clothing .
Prevention and Control : Keep locoweed to an absolute lower limit , especially around desirable plants . On edibles , wash out off infected area of works . Lady bugs and lacewings will feed on aphid in the garden . There are various products - constituent and inorganic - that can be used to control aphid . Seek the recommendation of a professional and keep an eye on all label procedures to a golf tee . fungus : RustsMostrustsare host specific and overwinter on leaves , stems and spent flower rubble . Rust often appears as small , lustrous orange , yellow , or brown pustules on the undersurface of leaves . If touched , it will bequeath a colored spot of spores on the finger’s breadth . get by fungus and circularise by splosh pee or rain , rust is worse when weather condition is moist .
Prevention and Control : constitute immune varieties and render maximum melodic line circulation . houseclean up all debris , especially around plants that have had a problem . Do not irrigate from overhead and water only during the day so that plants will have enough metre to dry before night . employ a fungicide labeled for rust on your plant . Fungi : Powdery MildewPowdery Mildewis usually found on plants that do not have enough air circulation or enough light . Problems are worse where nights are coolheaded and days are warm and humid . The powdery white or gray fungus is ordinarily line up on the upper Earth’s surface of leave or fruit . leave will often plow yellow or brown , coil up , and drop down off . raw foliage emerges crinkled and distorted . Fruit will be shadow and often drops early on .
Prevention and Control : Plant resistant potpourri and blank plant in good order so they have enough light and atmosphere circulation . Always water from below , hold open water off the foliage . This is paramount for roses . Go tardily on the nitrogen fertiliser . Apply fungicide consort to label direction before trouble becomes severe and come commission exactly , not miss any required treatment . Sanitation is a must - scavenge up and dispatch all leave , bloom , or dust in the free fall and destroy . Pest : CaterpillarsCaterpillars are the immature variant of moth and butterflies . They are ravening feeders attacking a wide kind of plant . They can be highly destructive and are characterise as foliage feeders , stem borers , folio rollers , cutworms and tent - formers .
Prevention and Control : keep weeds down , scout individual plants and remove Caterpillar , apply labeled insecticides such as grievous bodily harm and crude oil , take advantage of natural enemies such as parasitic white Anglo-Saxon Protestant in the garden and expend Bacillus thuringiensis ( biological war ) for some caterpillar specie . Diseases : Pythium and Phytophtora Root RotRot Rot , PythiumorPhytophthoraoccurs when land moisture levels are excessively high and fungal spore present in the soil , come in middleman with the susceptible plant . The home of halt discolor and shrink , and go forth further up the stalk wilt and die . Leaves near base are affected first . The ascendant will turn black and moulder or break . This fungus kingdom can be precede by using unsterilised soil mix or contaminated water .
Prevention and ControlRemove affected plants and their roots , and discard surround grunge . Replace with plants that are not susceptible , and only use tonic , sterilized grease mix . Hold back on fertilise too . Try not to over pee plants and verify that dirt is well drain prior to plant . This fungus is not treatable by chemical substance .
Rhizoctonia Root and Stem Rot symptoms look standardised to Pythium Root Rot , but the Rhizoctonia fungus seems to boom in well drain soils . fungus : Leaf SpotsLeaf smear are because of fungi or bacteria . Brown or disastrous position and patches may be either ragged or circular , with a piss hook or yellow - edge appearance . Insects , rainfall , dirty garden tools , or even people can avail its gap .
Prevention and Control : Remove infected leaves when the plant is ironic . leaf that collect around the base of the plant should be rake up and disposed of . head off overhead irrigation if potential ; water should be aim at soil level . For fungal leafage spots , use a recommended fungicide according to label directions .
Fungi : Black SpotA known rose disease , Black Spotappears on youthful parting as irregular black circles , often having a yellow halo . Circles or spore colonies may grow to 1/2 inch in diam . Leaves will turn yellowish and send packing off , only to produce more leaves that will follow the same approach pattern . Roses may not make it through the winter if black spot is severe . The fungus will also affect the sizing and quality of flowers .
Prevention and Control : engraft resistant variety for your area . Always water from the ground , never overhead . exercise good sanitation - clear up and destroy debris , especially around plants that have had a problem . When pruning roses , even deadheading , cutpurse pruners in a bleach / water solution after each cut of meat . If a plant seems to have continuing opprobrious spot , take it . A 2 - 3 in chummy layer of mulch at the radical of plant reduces splashing . Do not wait until black spot is a vast job to control ! set about early . Spray with a antifungal labeled for disastrous smirch on roses . Pest : Scale InsectsScales are insects , related to mealy hemipteron , that can be a job on a spacious variety of plant - indoor and outdoor . Young scales crawling until they detect a good feeding site . The grownup females then fall back their wooden leg and persist on a spot protect by its hard shell bed . They appear as bumps , often on the low side of leave . They have pierce mouth parts that suck the sap out of plant tissue paper . scale of measurement can weaken a works leading to yellow foliage and leaf bead . They also acquire a angelic substance call honeydew ( coveted by ants ) which can go to an untempting black surface fungal development called sooty stamp .
Prevention and Control : Once establish they are hard to check . Isolate infested plants off from those that are not infested . confer your local garden center professional or Cooperative Extension place in your county for a legal testimonial regarding their control . further natural opposition such as parasitical wasps in the garden . disease : Southern BlightPlants with southerly blight have lesions on the fore at , or approximate , the soil air . These lesion develop rapidly , girdling the stem and result in a sudden and lasting wilt of the flora . gamy temperatures ( above 85 degrees F , 29 degrees C ) favor the disease . The fungus attack a all-embracing range of plant and come through for long periods in grease . To control , care for with a recommended fungicide according to label directions . Pest : LacebugsLacebugsare blanched to pale brown , 1/8 inch long , orthogonal in shape with have lacy wings and usually set up on the undersurface of foliage where they suck sap . houri may appear thorny and darker than adult . Lacebugs , which do not fly , are sometimes confused with whitefly that do take flight . Damage unremarkably appears as stipples or " " bleached - looking " " spot on the leafage . Hard , disgraceful excrement can usually be find on the underside of leaves . harm is most visible during the summer , especially on Tree . Flowering shrubs , though alive , appear weak and almost lifeless .
Prevention and Control : If plague is soft , wash out aside with a super C of soapy water or prune forth infested leave-taking or limbs . Timing is crucial : spray agree to the Growing Degree Days ( GDD ) in your arena . To control insects , spray underside of leaves with a recommended insecticide according to label way . Conditions : ChlorosisEntire foliage or country around nervure in leaves appear yellow . This is the result of decreased smoothing iron uptake from the soil due to gamy pH or waterlogged soil . It is authoritative to know the pH requirements of plants . Prior to planting , amend dirt to improve drain and correct pH , if necessary . Chlorosis is common in plants growing near to concrete or embed in alkaline filth . Treat with an iron postscript agree to label counseling .
Miscellaneous
Although many the great unwashed believe that cool temperatures are creditworthy for the colour modification , the weather has nothing to do with it at all . As the Clarence Day grow shorter and the nights longer , a chemical clock inside the trees starts up , releasing a hormone which restricts the rate of flow of sap to each leaf . As fall progresses , the sap stream slow and chlorophyll , the chemical substance that gives the foliage their green colouring material in the spring and summertime , melt . The residual muggins becomes more concentrated as it dry , creating the colors of downfall . Glossary : Low MaintenanceLow maintenancedoes not intend no maintenance . It does mean that once a plant is established , very niggling needs to be done in the way of water , fertilizing , pruning , or intervention in order for the plant to remain goodly and attractive . A well - designed garden , which takes your lifestyle into consideration , can greatly reduce maintenance . gloss : NaturalizingNaturalizingrefers to plant in a random pattern , much as itwould occur in nature . If you spend any clip in the wood , you ’ve in all likelihood remark that plants often grow in groups . The nerve center of the group is dense and towards the edges , plant are located farther asunder . Narcissus bulbs are easy to naturalize if you use this method acting : fill a pail with bulb and cast aside them out . Plant them where they decrease . You will detect a constituent of the bulbs are faithful together while the others have scattered far aside . Glossary : SpecimenAspecimencan be a Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree , shrub , priming back , annual , or perennial that is unequaled in comparison to the surrounding plants . Uniqueness may be in color , form , texture , or size . By using only one specimen flora in a visual orbit , it can be showcased . Specimen plants are accent in the landscape , just as statues , water features , or arbors . Glossary : DeciduousDeciduousrefers to those plant life that miss their leaves or needle at the end of the grow season . Glossary : Long LastingLong Lasting : stimulate bloom that last for an extensive period of time . Some plants may have the visual aspect of providing prospicient last flowers because they are prolific , repeat bungle . gloss : pHpH , signify the potential of Hydrogen , is the mensuration of alkalinity or acidity . In horticulture , pH refers to the pH of soil . The scale measures from 0 , most caustic , to 14 , most alkaline . Seven is inert . Most plants favour a range between 5.5 and about 6.7 , an acerbic range , but there are raft of other plants that like grime more alkaline , or above 7 . A pH of 7 is where the plant can most easily absorb the most nutrients in the land . Some plant life favour more or less of certain nutrients , and therefore do well at a sure pH.Glossary : Large ShrubA bush is consider large when it is over 6 feet marvelous . gloss : Landscape UsesBy research Landscape Uses , you will be able to pinpoint plant that are best suited for finical utilization such as trellis , boundary line planting , or foundations . Glossary : U. S. NativesNative plants require lower maintenance and usually have less pest problems . They are fundamental components in the xeriphytic landscape and backyard wildlife home ground . choose your neighborhood and the search will look for all plant life in the database that are native to your area . How - to : Getting the Most Out of Cut FlowersCut flowers bring the garden into your home . While some cut flush have a long vase life , most are highly perishable . How cut flowers are treated when you first make for them home can importantly increase how long they last .
The most significant affair to consider is make sufficient piss acquire up into the cut stem . Insufficient water can ensue in wilting and short - endure blossom . Bent cervix of roses , where the flower head sag , is the answer of poor water ingestion . To maximise water ingestion , first re - slew the stems at an slant so that the vascular organization ( the " " plumbing " " of the stem ) is clear . Next immerse the cut stem in lovesome water .
call up when the flower is foreshorten , it is cut off from its intellectual nourishment supply . Once water is taken charge of , intellectual nourishment is the imagination that will escape out next . The plants stems naturally fertilise the flower with sugars . If you append a routine of loot ( 1 tsp . ) to the vase water , this will help fee the flower stems and extend their vase life sentence .
Bacteria will build up in vase water and finally clog up the stalk so the flower can not take up water . To prevent this , change the vase urine often and make a new cut in the stem every few days .
Floral preservative , uncommitted from florists , contain sugars , Zen and bacteriacides that can extend trim back heyday aliveness . These come in small packet and are generally available where cut flower are sold . If used properly , these can extend the vase lifetime of some cut flowers 2 to 3 times when compare with just unornamented water in the vase . gloss : TolerantTolerant refers to a plant ’s ability to allow pic to an external condition(s ) . It does not mean that the flora thrives or prefers this situation , but is capable to adapt and continue its biography cycle . Glossary : VirusesViruses , which are lowly than bacteria , are not live and do not repeat on their own . They must trust on the cellular mechanism of their host to retroflex . Because this greatly disrupts the cell ’s functionality , outward signs of a viral infection termination in a plant disease with symptom such as unnatural or stunted increase , damage yield , discoloration or spots .
Prevention and Control : Keep virus carriers such as aphids , leafhoppers , and thrip under control . These plant feeding insects spread virus . Viruses can also be introduced by infected pollen or through plant hatchway ( as when pruning ) . get down bykeeping the pathogen outof your garden . Modern plants should be checked , as well as instrument and exist plant life . practice only certify germ that is deemed disease - free . flora only insubordinate varietiesandcreate a discouraging environmentby rotating crop , not set closely related industrial plant in the same area every twelvemonth . gloss : Growth BudsPlant stems contain legion buds that will grow and renew a plant when stimulated by pruning . There are three introductory case of bud : terminal , sidelong and abeyant . Terminal buds are at the peak of twigs or branches . They maturate to make the branch or twig longer . In some case they may give salary increase to a heyday . If you cut the tip of a arm and off the final bud , this will encourage the sidelong bud to produce into side branches ensue in a thicker , shaggy industrial plant . sidelong bud are lower down on the twig and are often at the point of leaf attachment . Pruning them further the terminal bud , result in a long , slight branch . Dormant buds may remain inactive in the barque or stem and will only grow after the industrial plant is cut back . Glossary : FertilizeFertilize just before raw growth begin with a staring fertilizer . gloss : PruningNow is the pet time to rationalise this industrial plant .
