Re: Planting Azaleas ???
- To:
- Subject: Re: Planting Azaleas ???
- From: M* T*
- Date: Fri, 3 Sep 1999 04:27:59 -0400
I have heavy clay soil and generally plant my Azaleas and rhodies high.
Sometimes, if the soil is full of roots, too, I simply put the rootball on
top of the existing soil (which has been cleaned of weeds and disturbed by
inserting digging fork where I can and heaving a bit). If you dig a hole
in heavy clay, you will create a bath tub effect and drown the roots on
these plants...been there, done that.
These plants have relatively shallow, wiry root systems - one of the
reasons they are easy to move when fairly large, but also why the roots
tend to dry out quickly. The genus Rhododendron, to which your azaleas
belong, requires an acid (pH 4.5 - 6) organic, quick-draining soil that
does not dry out...not the easiest thing to provide for them, but possible.
To do either type of planting, you make a mix of acid based organic
material ( pine bark fines are best if you can get them, but leaf mould,
fine pine bark mulch, well-rotted sawdust or woodchips - I mean black, not
brown), peat moss - and a small amount of your native soil with some coarse
sand will do quite well. If you do not have access to any of the above
organic items, you can used bagged compost or humus from the local DIY, but
it will likely be a bit on the neutral side for these plants who insist on
acid soil conditions. If this is the case, you can add some kind of soil
acidifying agent - whatever you can get locally (ask at your local nursery
or garden center). It is difficult to tell you exact proportions, but
there should be more organic matter and sand than clay. Another thing you
could use is bagged Pro Mix or another peat based potting soil, if you
can't find any of the other things I've mentioned. If you do this, you
won't need to add much sand as it will probably come with perlite in it.
You can get Pro Mix compressed in small or big bales, rather like
peatmoss...not cheap, but it's a pretty good bagged material - I use it for
seed starting, myself. It comes in various formulations.
About the only time I use peatmoss anymore is in the planting of acid
lovers. It has no nutritive value, but it is acid. Don't use peat humus,
you want the baled stuff and make sure it is thoroughly damp (like a wrung
out sponge) *before* you add it to your mix.
Set your plant root ball, either on top of the native soil, or in a *very*
shallow depression and fill in around the ball with your mix. You will
need some kind of retaining material - logs, rocks or something, to hold
back the mix because you need to make the top level with the top of the
rootball - not sloping on the sides (water will roll right off the rootball
and not penetrate it, if the sides slope).
If your plants are in pots (sounds like they must be, and fairly small at
50cents each?) and the roots seem very congested when you unpot them (like
all roots in the shape of the pot, no soil falling away), gently pull some
of the roots out of their spiral before planting so that they will grow
into the mix and not just keep going around and around. I use a plant
label on small plants and on big ones, a fork or my hands to disturb the
rootball enough so that a good many roots are sticking out all around.
Make sure the rootball is good and wet before you plant. If these plants
are in pots, submerge them in a bucket of water until no more air bubbles
come up. If they are too big for this, water the rootballs thoroughly and
water them in as you plant. In other words, fill in about half way up the
rootball and water it well (direct your hose on the rootball and wash away
some of the potting soil and puddle in the new mix so you have really good
root contact with the new mix), then finish filling and water again. Once
all are planted, water them all again and mulch with at least 3 inches (for
fair sized plants - less if the plant is only 6" tall) of pine bark mulch
or pine straw (if you can get it - that's pine needles) and water again
after mulching. Do not put the mulch up against the stem of the plant - it
will rot the stem; stay at least 3 inches away from the stem.
Water these guys every week that it does not rain nicely for their first
year after planting - and if the weather is very hot and dry or hot and
windy, you may have to water more than that....just don't let them dry out.
You don't want to drown them, but if you have a light, organic mix around
them and they are on top of your clay, drowning will not be an issue,
drying will.
Do not fertilize when planting. These plants are not heavy feeders. If
you feel like they look peaky in early spring, feed with a fertilizer
formulated for acid loving plants - around here, it's called 'Holly Tone',
but may be something else where you are - do it according to package
directions. Never fertilize them after June or they will put out new
growth that will get nipped by winter frosts. Just about any balanced
formula will do...but, as I say, it is not necessary unless they look like
they need it. I seldom fertilize mine; some plants haven't been fed in 25
years. Yellowing leaves are a sign, generally, of soil that is not acid
enough, not a sign that they need feeding.
Late afternoon sun is not ideal, but I have a number of rhodies and a few
Azaleas growing in spots where this is what they get. As long as they do
not dry out and are not subject to harsh winter winds, they will be fine.
Winter wind can cause more damage than summer sun, so you really want to
make sure that the spot you choose is not right in the path of your
prevailing winds or, if it is, that there are larger evergreen shrubs or
trees between the wind and where you are planting.
If you can provide your babies with cool temperatures (40 - 60F), high air
humidity (as opposed to the desert created by central heating) and light,
you should be able to winter them satisfactorily inside. Normal home room
temps are too high for them, really and air humidity is very important. If
it is too warm and dry inside, you will get a good case of spider
mites....and your plants will break dormancy too soon....think those
Slococks are deciduous, aren't they...now that I think of it? If that's
right, winter winds won't be quite the issue they would be for evergreen
plants, but it is still good to protect them their first winter.
You really only need to keep them frost free - anything above 32F will do
and this is for the roots, not the tops...you don't want the roots to
freeze; the tops are (or should be) cold hardy to well below 32F. They
would prefer to be on the cold side, rather than in a place that is
comfortable for humans.
If your plants are really tiny, you might want to rig a screen around them
out of burlap stapled to wood stakes for their first winter, just to help
cut down on wind.
Marge Talt, zone 7 Maryland
mtalt@clark.net
Editor: Gardening in Shade
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> From: WHTROS@aol.com
> Date: Friday, September 03, 1999 2:16 AM
>
> Good Day,
> OK, now that I've got the Slocock 'Satan' Azaleas, how should I plant
them??
> I got 12 @ 50 cents each.
> Don't look great but have some new growth and buds ready to bloom in the
> spring.
> I can hardly wait...
> But, first, I have to get most of them in the ground.
> Everything I've read says to plant in a "soil mixture high in organic
> content."
> How should I go about doing this? I feel pretty stupid :-(
> Do I dig a large, deep hole and mix in a lot of compost?
> I've also heard that they don't like to dry out but CAN'T STAND wet feet,
and
> the deep hole is likely to hold water since they will be planted in heavy
> clay.
> So should I dig a very shallow, wide hole mixing in a lot of compost so
the
> roots can grow horizontally??
> The main place I want to put several is at the top of a hill that drops 8
ft
> over about 5 ft. Surely that would give them enough drainage? Gets late
> afternoon sun. Actually, I'm more afraid it will be too dry for them
there?
> Some I want to save in my basement under lights over the winter.
> Do you think this is do-able?
> And should I fertilize in addition to the compost?
> There are 3 kinds of Azalea/Rhody food at Wal-Mart alone; each one having
a
> different formula? For now, I think I am more concerned about the pH.
> They will mainly be around a Colorado Blue Spruce.
> Hope all these questions are clear enough.
> (Its midnite and I should be in bed!!)
> Thanks again for your help.
> Barb
> USDA Zone 5, Rock Island, IL
> "What this country needs is dirtier fingernails & cleaner minds." Will
Rogers
> @}-->-->---------------------
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