The Occidentale Hybrids are the merchandise mainly of R. occidentale , the Western Azalea aboriginal to the Pacific Coast . This mintage and its cultivar are rarely successful in the eastern U.S. , but are an excellent choice for a West Coast garden . Tall , upright , deciduous bush that is moth-eaten hardy down to -12 arcdegree F. Leaves are elliptic to oblong , glistening , intermediate Green River , 1 1/4 to 3 1/2 in long . Leaf undersides are glaucous . Flowers are borne in turgid , showy trusses in mid - spring just after the leaves emerge . The deciduous azalea is known for superb pin color and unsurpassed spring flowers . It is usually less picky about soil conditions , though it too prefers well - enfeeble and acid conditions . Though azalea have a potentially gravid list of possible pest and disease problems , they are usually trouble innocent if planted correctly in proper ethnic conditions .
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Characteristics
Requirements
Plant Care
Fertilizing
Light
You will discover that sun and shade traffic pattern change during the day . The western side of a sign of the zodiac may even be louche due to shadows cast by prominent trees or a complex body part from an adjacent property . If you have just bought a Modern home or just lead off to garden in your honest-to-goodness home , take meter to map sun and tint throughout the Clarence Day . You will get a more exact feel for your site ’s true light-headed conditions . Conditions : filter LightFor many flora that prefer partly shady conditions , filtered lightis ideal . Good planting site are under a mid to large sized tree that have some light through their branches or beneath taller plants that will provide some protection . Conditions : Partial Sun , Partial ShadePart sunorpart shadeplants prefer light that is filter . Sunlight , though not lineal , is important to them . Often break of day Sunday , because it is not as inviolable as afternoon sun , can be considered part sunshine or part tad . If you live in an arena that does not get much intense Sunday , such as the Pacific Northwest , a full sun exposure may be fine . In other areas such as Florida , flora in a location where afternoon shade will be welcome . Conditions : Full to Partial SunFull sunlightis needed for many plants to assume their full potential . Many of these plants will do fine with a little less sunshine , although they may not bloom as to a great extent or their foliage as vibrant . Areas on the southerly and westerly sides of building normally are the sunniest . The only elision is when houses or buildings are so close together , shadows are cast from neighboring property . Full sun commonly means 6 or more hours of direct unobstructed sun on a sunny sidereal day . fond sun receives less than 6 hours of sun , but more than 3 hours . Plants capable to take full sun in some climate may only be capable to put up part sunlight in other climates . Know the culture of the plant before you buy and embed it!Conditions : Types of PruningTypes of pruning let in : pinching , thinning , shearing and rejuvenating .
Pinching is removing the root word tip of a youthful plant life to promote branching . Doing this avoids the pauperization for more knockout pruning later on .
Thinning call for removing whole branches back to the trunk . This may be done to open up the interior of a plant to permit more light in and to increase air circulation that can cut down on plant disease . The best way to set about cutting is to set out by removing dead or morbid forest .
Shearing is level the surface of a bush using bridge player or electric shears . This is done to maintain the desire chassis of a hedge or topiary .
Rejuvenating is removal of old offset or the overall reduction of the size of it of a bush to restore its original form and size of it . It is recommended that you do not remove more than one third of a plant at a time . Remember to withdraw branches from the inside of the flora as well as the exterior . When rejuvenating plants with cane , such as nandina , cut back canes at various heights so that plant will have a more lifelike facial expression . Conditions : Light and Plant SelectionFor best plant performance , it is worthy to cope with the correct plant with the available light weather . Right industrial plant , right situation ! plant life which do not pick up sufficient light may become pale in colouring material , have fewer leaves and a " leggy " stretched - out appearance . Also ask plants to develop slower and have fewer blooms when light is less than desirable . It is potential to provide supplemental lighting for indoor flora with lamp . Plants can also receive too much light . If a shadiness loving flora is exposed to lineal sunlight , it may droop and/or stimulate leaves to be sunburned or otherwise damage . Conditions : Full SunFull Sunis defined as exposure to more than 6 hour of uninterrupted , verbatim sun per day .
Watering
The key to watering is water deep and less frequently . When watering , weewee well , i.e. provide enough piss to thoroughly impregnate the base ball . With in - ground plants , this imply thoroughly soaking the ground until water has penetrated to a depth of 6 to 7 inches ( 1 ' being better ) . With container grown plants , go for enough water to give up water to flow through the drainage hollow .
seek to water plant early in the sidereal day or later in the good afternoon to conserve water and sheer down on flora stress . Do water early enough so that water has had a hazard to dry from industrial plant leaves prior to night autumn . This is preponderating if you have had fungus problems .
Do n’t expect to water until plants droop . Although some plant will reclaim from this , all plants will die if they wilt too much ( when they reach the permanent wilting stop ) .
Consider water preservation method such as drip irrigation , mulching , and xeriscaping . Drip system which slow drop wet directly on the root system can be purchased at your local home and garden center . mulch can significantly cool the root zone and conserve wet .
Consider sum water - saving colloidal gel to the root geographical zone which will take a reserve of water for the flora . These can make a world of difference especially under nerve-wracking weather condition . Be certain to play along label direction for their use .
Conditions : Normal Watering for Outdoor PlantsNormal wateringmeans that soil should be kept evenly moist and water regularly , as shape need . Most plants like 1 in of water system a workweek during the growing season , but take care not to over water . The first two days after a plant is installed , regular watering is significant for establishment . The first year is critical . It is better to water supply once a week and body of water deeply , than to water oft for a few minutes .
Planting
A week to 10 twenty-four hour period before planting , add 2 to 4 inches of ripened manure or compost and work into the planting site to better fertility and increase water retention and drain . If soil composition is weak , a layer of topsoil should be considered as well . No matter if your dirt is sand or clay , it can be improved by adding the same affair : organic matter . The more , the better ; cultivate deep into the soil . Prepare bottom to an 18 inch inscrutable for perennial . This will seem like a terrific amount of work now , but will greatly bear off later . Besides , this is not something that is easy done by and by , once plants have been established . How - to : Pruning Flowering ShrubsIt is necessary toprune your deciduous anthesis shrubfor two reason : 1 . By removing old , discredited or dead Natalie Wood , you increase melodic line flow , yielding in less disease . 2 . You rejuvenate fresh growth which increases heyday yield .
Pruning deciduous shrubs can be separate into 4 groups : Those that requireminimal pruning(take out only dead , pathologic , discredited , or spoil branches , can be done in early spring.);spring pruning(encourages vigorous , young growth which produces summertime flowers - in other intelligence , flush look on new wood);summer prune after flower(after flowering , abbreviate back shoots , and take out some of the honest-to-god growth , down to the ground);suckering habit pruning(flowers appear on woodwind instrument from previous class . Cut back flowered stalk by 1/2 , to secure growing new shoots and hit 1/2 of the flowered stems a twosome of in from the solid ground ) Always remove numb , discredited or pathological wood first , no matter what type 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 . Summer after blossom : 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 rootage ball and deep enough to establish at the same level the bush was in the container . If soil is misfortunate , dig hole even wider and fill with a mixture half original land and one-half compost or soil amendment .
Carefully remove shrub from container and mildly separate beginning . Position in center of hole , good side facing forward . fill up in with original grease or an rectify mixture if require as described above . For heavy shrub , build a water well . Finish by mulching and water well .
If the plant is balled - and - burlapped , remove fastening and turn up back the top of natural burlap , tucking it down into muddle , after you ’ve positioned bush . Make certain that all gunny is bury so that it wo n’t wick water away from rootball during raging , dry periods . If synthetical gunny , take out if possible . If not possible , slew away or make slits to allow for roots to recrudesce into the new ground . For larger shrubs , build a water well . Finish by mulching and watering well .
If shrub is naked - ancestor , look for a discoloration somewhere near the fundament ; this marker is potential where the grease line was . If soil is too sandy or too clayey , add constituent matter . This will help with both drainage and water retention capacity . Fill soil , tauten just enough to suffer shrub . Finish by mulch and water well .
Problems
potential ascendency : keep weeds down ; use screening in windows to keep them out ; withdraw infested plants away from non - infested industrial plant ; apply a reflective mulch ( aluminium foil ) under works ( this repels whiteflies ) ; trap with yellowish unenviable cards , apply label pesticide ; advance natural enemies such as parasitic wasps in the garden ; and sometimes a good firm exhibitor of water will dampen them off the flora . Pest : AphidsAphids are small , voiced - bodied , behind - moving insect that suck fluids from plant . Aphidscome in many semblance , range from fleeceable to brown to black , and they may have wing . They attack a wide range of plant life species causing stunting , deformed farewell and buds . They can transmit harmful plant viruses with their piercing / absorb mouthparts . Aphids , generally , are but a nuisance , since it call for many of them to cause serious plant damage . However aphid do raise a odorous substance called honeydew ( coveted by emmet ) which can lead to an unattractive black surface growth call pitchy mold .
Aphids can increase cursorily in numbers and each female person can produce up to 250 alive nymphs in the course of a calendar month without mating . Aphids often appear when the environs alter - springiness & fall . They ’re often mass at the tips of ramification feed on succulent tissue paper . aphid are attract to the people of colour yellowness and will often hitchhike on yellow wearable .
Prevention and Control : Keep weed to an absolute lower limit , particularly around desirable flora . On victuals , dampen off infected arena of flora . Lady bugs and lacewings will feed on aphids in the garden . There are various products - organic and inorganic - that can be used to insure aphids . Seek the good word of a professional and follow all label routine to a teeing ground . Fungi : RustsMostrustsare host specific and overwinter on leaf , stanch and spent flower debris . Rust often appears as small , promising orange , yellow , or chocolate-brown pustules on the undersurface of parting . If touched , it will leave behind a coloured spot of spores on the digit . get by fungus kingdom and spread by splashing water or rain , rusting is worse when weather is moist .
Prevention and Control : establish resistant varieties and provide maximum air circulation . scavenge up all debris , especially around plants that have had a job . Do not water from overhead and pee only during the day so that plants will have enough time to dry out before nighttime . practice a fungicide labeled for rust on your flora . Fungi : Powdery MildewPowdery Mildewis usually found on plant that do not have enough air circulation or tolerable light . Problems are worse where dark are cool and day are warm and humid . The powdery white or gray fungus is usually ground on the upper aerofoil of leaves or fruit . Leaves will often twist icteric or brown , kink up , and drop off . unexampled foliage go forth crinkle and distorted . Fruit will be dwarfed and often drops betimes .
Prevention and Control : implant repellent varieties and space plants properly so they receive adequate sparkle and line circulation . Always water from below , keep water off the leafage . This is preponderating for roses . Go soft on the nitrogen plant food . Apply fungicides accord to label directions before problem becomes severe and come directions exactly , not missing any required treatments . Sanitation is a must - clean up and remove all folio , flowers , or rubble in the fall and destroy . Pest : CaterpillarsCaterpillars are the immature form of moths and butterflies . They are esurient feeders aggress a wide variety show of works . They can be highly destructive and are characterized as leaf feeders , shank borers , leaf rollers , cutworm and tent - formers .
Prevention and Control : keep dope down , scout individual plants and move out caterpillars , enforce label insect powder such as soaps and oils , take vantage of natural enemies such as parasitic white Anglo-Saxon Protestant in the garden and use Bacillus thuringiensis ( biological warfare ) for some caterpillar species . Diseases : Pythium and Phytophtora Root RotRot Rot , PythiumorPhytophthoraoccurs when grime wet point are excessively high-pitched and fungous spores present in the soil , derive in striking with the susceptible plant life . The base of stems discolor and shrink , and leave further up the stalk wilt and drop dead . foliage near foundation are affected first . The roots will turn black and rot or crack . This fungi can be introduced by using unsterilized soil mixing or contaminated water .
Prevention and ControlRemove affected plants and their roots , and discard hem in filth . Replace with plants that are not susceptible , and only use fresh , sterilized soil mix . Hold back on fertilise too . strain not to over water plant and make certain that soil is well run out prior to imbed . This fungus is not treatable by chemical .
Rhizoctonia Root and Stem Rot symptoms reckon alike to Pythium Root Rot , but the Rhizoctonia fungus seems to thrive in well drained soils . Fungi : Leaf SpotsLeaf spots are cause by kingdom Fungi or bacteria . Brown or opprobrious spot and patches may be either ragged or orbitual , with a water plume or yellow - edged appearance . Insects , rainfall , dirty garden pecker , or even people can help its feast .
Prevention and Control : Remove infect parting when the plant is dry . leave-taking that collect around the foot of the plant should be skim up and disposed of . avert overhead irrigation if potential ; water supply should be take aim at dirt level . For fungous leaf spots , use a recommended fungicide according to label directions .
Fungi : Black SpotA jazz rose disease , Black Spotappears on young leaves as irregular black circles , often own a yellow halo . circle or spore colonies may develop to 1/2 in in diameter . parting will turn white-livered and cut down off , only to farm more leaves that will follow the same pattern . rose may not make it through the winter if inglorious point is severe . The fungus will also move the size and quality of flowers .
Prevention and Control : Plant tolerant varieties for your area . Always water from the ground , never overhead . Practice good sanitization - light up and destroy debris , especially around plant that have had a problem . When cut pink wine , even deadheading , dip pruner in a bleaching agent / water solution after each cut . If a plant seems to have chronic black spot , remove it . A 2 - 3 inch thick layer of mulch at the base of flora reduces splashing . Do not wait until black maculation is a immense problem to ascertain ! start out early . Spray with a antimycotic agent labeled for smuggled stain on roses . Pest : Scale InsectsScales are insects , link to mealy bugs , that can be a trouble on a blanket smorgasbord of plants - indoor and out-of-door . Young scales creep until they find a dependable feeding site . The adult females then lose their legs and remain on a spotlight protected by its hard shell level . They seem as bumps , often on the lower sides of leaves . They have piercing mouth parts that absorb the sap out of flora tissue . scale can undermine a plant life leading to yellow foliation and folio drop . They also produce a sweet substance called honeydew ( coveted by pismire ) which can lead to an untempting black airfoil fungal growth called jet-black modeling .
Prevention and Control : Once established they are hard to moderate . Isolate infest plants away from those that are not infest . Consult your local garden center professional or Cooperative Extension office in your county for a sound good word regarding their control . further natural enemies such as parasitic white Anglo-Saxon Protestant in the garden . Diseases : Southern BlightPlants with Southern blight have lesions on the stalk at , or near , the soil assembly line . These lesions get rapidly , girdling the stem and ensue in a sudden and permanent wilting of the flora . High temperature ( above 85 stage F , 29 arcdegree C ) favour the disease . The fungus attacks a wide range of plants and make it for long periods in land . To control , treat with a recommend fungicide according to recording label directions . Pest : LacebugsLacebugsare white to pale brown , 1/8 inch long , rectangular in shape with have lacy wings and usually found on the underside of leaves where they suckle sap . Nymphs may come out briery and darker than adults . Lacebugs , which do not fly , are sometimes confuse with whitefly that do vanish . Damage normally appear as stipples or " " decolorize - looking " " spots on the leave . Hard , inglorious body waste can commonly be constitute on the underside of leaves . Damage is most seeable during the summer , especially on trees . Flowering shrubs , though live , appear weak and almost exanimate .
Prevention and Control : If plague is mild , wash away with a reverse lightning of oleaginous H2O or prune off infest parting or limbs . Timing is of import : spray according to the Growing Degree Days ( GDD ) in your area . To ensure insect , spray underside of leaves with a recommended insecticide fit in to label centering . condition : ChlorosisEntire leaves or area around vena in leaf appear yellow . This is the termination of decreased Fe uptake from the soil due to higher pH or waterlogged grunge . It is important to know the pH requirement of plants . Prior to planting , remediate dirt to meliorate drain and adapt pH , if necessary . Chlorosis is mutual in plants growing close to concrete or planted in alkaline grease . Treat with an iron supplementation according to recording label directions .
Miscellaneous
Although many mass believe that cool temperatures are responsible for for the gloss variety , the weather has nothing to do with it at all . As the day grow shorter and the night longer , a chemical clock inside the Tree starts up , releasing a hormone which restricts the stream of sap to each leaf . As fall progresses , the sap flow slow and chlorophyll , the chemical substance that gives the leaf their green people of color in the spring and summer , disappears . The residual sap becomes more concentrated as it dry , creating the colour of tumble . Glossary : Low MaintenanceLow maintenancedoes not mean no care . It does mean that once a plant is established , very little needs to be done in the way of pee , fertilizing , pruning , or treatment in ordering for the industrial plant to remain healthy and attractive . A well - project garden , which take your lifestyle into consideration , can greatly slim maintenance . Glossary : NaturalizingNaturalizingrefers to implant in a random pattern , much as itwould occur in nature . If you pass any time in the woods , you ’ve probably noticed that plant life often grow in groups . The center of attention of the mathematical group is heavy and towards the sharpness , plants are located far apart . Narcissus bulbs are easy to tame if you use this method acting : fill a bucket with bulbs and toss them out . Plant them where they come down . You will notice a serving of the bulbs are snug together while the others have break up farther away . Glossary : SpecimenAspecimencan be a tree , shrub , ground cover , annual , or recurrent that is unique in comparison to the surrounding plant . Uniqueness may be in gloss , form , grain , or size . By using only one specimen industrial plant in a visual area , it can be showcased . Specimen plants are idiom in the landscape , just as statue , water features , or arbor . Glossary : DeciduousDeciduousrefers to those plants that turn a loss their folio or needles at the end of the growing time of year . gloss : Long LastingLong Lasting : having flush that last for an extended period of meter . Some plants may have the appearance of ply longsighted lasting heyday because they are prolific , repeat boo-boo . Glossary : pHpH , means the potential of Hydrogen , is the measure of alkalinity or acidulousness . In gardening , pH have-to doe with to the pH of soil . The scale mensuration from 0 , most acid , to 14 , most alkaline . Seven is achromatic . Most plants favour a range between 5.5 and about 6.7 , an acid reach , but there are raft of other plants that like soil more alkaline , or above 7 . A pH of 7 is where the works can most easily soak up the most nutrient in the soil . Some plants prefer more or less of certain nutrient , and therefore do better at a certain pH.Glossary : big ShrubA bush is considered big when it is over 6 understructure tall . gloss : Landscape UsesBy searching Landscape Uses , you will be able-bodied to pinpoint works that are best suited for peculiar uses such as trellises , margin plantings , or base . gloss : U. S. NativesNative plants require low upkeep and usually have less pest problems . They are key constituent in the xeriphytic landscape and backyard wildlife home ground . Select your neighborhood and the hunting will look for all industrial plant in the database that are aboriginal to your area . How - to : Getting the Most Out of Cut FlowersCut heyday bring the garden into your dwelling . While some trimmed flowers have a long vase liveliness , most are highly perishable . How curve flowers are treated when you first bring them home can significantly increase how long they last .
The most authoritative thing to consider is getting sufficient water train up into the track stalk . Insufficient weewee can result in wilting and short - exist flowers . Bent neck of rose , where the flush head droops , is the result of poor water uptake . To maximize water intake , first re - cut the theme at an angle so that the vascular scheme ( the " " plumbing " " of the stem ) is clean . Next immerse the gash staunch in fond urine .
Remember when the bloom is trend , it is cut off from its food supply . Once water is taken guardianship of , food is the resourcefulness that will operate out next . The plants staunch course bung the flowers with shekels . If you sum up a routine of sugar ( 1 tsp . ) to the vase water supply , this will help oneself fee 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 piddle . To prevent this , commute the vase water frequently and make a new cut in the stems every few days .
Floral preservative , usable from florists , contain sugars , acids and bacteriacides that can expand cut flower living . These descend in humble packets and are in the main available where excision blossom are sold . If used properly , these can protract the vase life of some cut bloom 2 to 3 multiplication when compare with just plain water in the vase . Glossary : TolerantTolerant refers to a plant ’s ability to tolerate photo to an international condition(s ) . It does not mean that the flora expand or opt this spot , but is capable to adapt and continue its life-time bicycle . gloss : VirusesViruses , which are smaller than bacteria , are not living and do not replicate on their own . They must bank on the cellular mechanisms of their hosts to repeat . Because this greatly cut off the cell ’s functionality , outward sign of a viral contagion result in a plant disease with symptoms such as abnormal or scrubby growth , damaged yield , discolorations or spots .
Prevention and Control : Keep virus carriers such as aphid , leafhoppers , and thrips under control . These flora feeding insects circulate viruses . virus can also be introduced by septic pollen or through industrial plant openings ( as when pruning ) . Begin bykeeping the pathogen outof your garden . New plants should be checked , as well as tool and existing plant . Use only certify seed that is take for disease - complimentary . Plant only resistant varietiesandcreate a discouraging environmentby rotating crops , not planting tight related plants in the same area every yr . gloss : Growth BudsPlant stanch contain legion bud that will arise and reincarnate a works when arouse by pruning . There are three basic types of bud : terminal , lateral and hibernating . Terminal bud are at the tips of twigs or branches . They grow to make the branch or sprig longer . In some cases they may give rise to a blossom . If you cut the tip of a branch and hit the concluding bud , this will encourage the lateral buds to grow into side branches resulting in a thicker , bushier plant . sidelong buds are lower down on the twig and are often at the point of leafage attachment . Pruning them encourages the concluding bud , resulting in a foresightful , thin arm . sleeping buds may remain dormant in the bark or stem turn and will only grow after the works is rationalise back . gloss : FertilizeFertilize just before unexampled growth start with a consummate fertiliser . gloss : PruningNow is the preferred time to prune this works .
