Most willow have a dense, fibrous root system, closer to the surface particularly in clay soils. After 9 years, it could be competing for nutrients and WATER. Have you tried digging into the bed about at the drip line of your azaleas...they do best in a loose soil high in organic content; if you can't get the shovel in, you have a problem.

Common reasons for failure to bloom...too much shade. Drought in summer when they are setting buds for the following year. Over fertilization with a high nitrogen product, or the reverse, poor plant nutrition ( especially phosphorus deficiency) reduces the number of buds.

clodsley,

I'm just down the road from you in Fuquay. I have a area with many medium and large trees with about 25 five year old azaleas scattered amongst them. They've always bloomed beautifully, except this year. Only about 5 have blooms at all, and even those are few in number. My guess is that with the trees, they're stressed for water and nutrients. My plan it to drip irrigate them and give them some hollytone.

FWIW, I didn't get any blooms on my white indica azalea this year, either. My snow kurume's bloomed just fine, however, and so did my red indicas.

I have a 4 year old George Taber azalea that bloomed fine the first two years it was in the ground, but the past two it has not set buds. It is under a canopy of hardwoods, but is not in deep shade. It has been fertilized properly as far as I know. Any suggestions as to how to get it to bloom? I live in Atlanta, Ga.

Consider:

(a) lack of water during the critical summer months, when the buds are set or

(b) too much nitrogen. Humus created from mulch should be sufficient food for them. The Azalea Society says they are not heavy feeders so do not feed them fertilizers. Some Hollytone or cottonseed meal would be ok if you feel like you have to give them something after blooming in the spring.

(c) Have you done a soil test recently to check for mineral deficiencies?

Luis

Thank you very much for your input, Luis. I will get a soil test done, something I haven't done as yet.

It's interesting to read that our azaleas were not the only ones that didn't bloom this year. Over the past years they have survived drought, too much rain, and freezes and have always bloomed- till this year. Last year they were beautiful.