We bought a house last year after the azaleas had bloomed and I anxiously awaited Spring as there are loads of bushes of all sizes in this yard - only to be disappointed -- the majority of them bloomed only on the bottom 1/3rd of the bush or sparsely...some didn't bloom at all.

I re-read some of the previous posts as to what might have caused blooming problems, which I'll re-post here, but I don't think these are the cause(s) of my problem (HOWEVER, we did have a significant drought last summer). What amazes me is the camillia bushes bloomed profusely, so that's why I didn't feel that dry conditions led to the bloom problem.

Here's what I'd learned could cause bloom problems:

pruning after the buds form, which removes the buds for next year

**an unusual cold snap before plants have hardened off in Fall, or a late Spring freeze can sometimes freeze buds and they don't open

**lack of moisture during the late spring and summer reduces bud formation - mulch helps retain moisture and also keeps the soil cool

++shade reduces the number of buds (have your trees grown to gradually shade them out)

**a phosphorus deficiency, characterized by dull, dark green foliage with reddening underneath, reduces the number of buds, and poor plant nutrition in general reduces the number of buds

Does anyone have any other ideaa as to what caused my bottom-blooms?