Follow up to "Azaleas always die on me"

11 years ago

I still don't know why my azaleas are dying. Someone mentioned that it may be because they were forced to bloom to look prettier so people would buy them. WELL! Now I know not to buy just the prettiest one...All of the flowers died, but the leaves look okay right now. Not the best condition but "okay". I decided maybe the roots were matted or clumped up because when I transplanted it I was afraid that if I used too much force with un-matting the roots that it would kill the plants. Now everyone's telling me don't be afraid to get down and dirty with the roots. So i took the azalea out and fixed up its roots so they are loose and pretty now. I replanted them and nothing happened. I got tired of looking at the ugly dead blooms so I gently pinched them off. Well it was really "pinched" because ass soon as I touched them they basically fell off on their own.

Around this exact time last year I was on bed rest because of my pregnancy and my Sister-in-Law bought me an azalea from Vons. I put it in my window sill and it thrived! It was so, so beautiful. No imperfection at all. About a month later it had doubled in size so I transplanted it and it died. *SIGH* Azaleas mean a lot to me now because I had it throughout my pregnancy...that in the end, ended in premature labor.

I really, really don't know what to do anymore. It hurts my heart to walk out my front door and see the plants looking so sad....I just want it to be as pretty and thriving as the one in my window was.

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Comments (5)

HayloKitteh
Original Author
11 years ago
This is a LITTLE glimpse of the azalea I had in my window. Sorry, its not a lot but this is the only picture I have.
HayloKitteh
Original Author
11 years ago
This is what the Now-Dying azalea looked like when I bought it.
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akamainegrower
11 years ago
So-called "florists azaleas" - which these most likely were - are forced into bloom for sale. They are raised in a warm, humid atmosphere in a greenhouse then when they are brought home they encounter the hot, dry air of the average house. This frequently causes the blossoms to rapidly dry and fall off. The plant itself is not dying, but the period of bloom is severely shortened.

It's impossible to tell from the first picture, but inspect the leaves carefully for pests. Such things as spider mites and scale commonly infest this type of azalea. Once the weather warms up, you can move the plants outside for the summer. They should set lots of flower buds for next winter/spring indoors.

The best way to ensure a longer bloom time is to raise the humidity around the plant. Frequent misting, placing the plant above, as on pebbles - not in - a tray of water are two ways to do this.
HayloKitteh
Original Author
11 years ago
So I should keep it inside until it gets warm, and put pebbles under the dirt so it can drain better? Does anyone know what type of azalea this is?
akamainegrower
11 years ago
Not under the dirt. Fill a shallow tray or water tight pot with water. Put in enough pebbles - or anything else that will serve the same purpose - for the azalea pot to rest on so that it is just above but not in the water. The evaporation of the water will raise the humidity around the plant.

There are 1000's of evergreen azalea varieties. Identifying which one from a single picture is not very likely.