spazplant, I think you know what you need to do. Taking those weed out might help too.

Hi SpazPlant. Do you know your Azalea type/name?

Someone suggested I get Azalea 'Innocence,' for the garden. It's supposed to be highly fragrant. Think the person was told about 'Innocence' here on the Fragrant Forum.

When did you first plant your Azalea and has it bloomed?

Is there a reason you watered once? Isn't it true Azalea's like plenty of water in summer? What about fertilizer?

Your Azalea looks tall..what's its height?

I agree w/OG, the grass/weeds should be removed around your Azalea. Or is there a reason you're letting it grow?
Is your soil acidic there? Toni

Dear hopefulauthor,

Is it "Weston's Innocence", another deciduous azalea? I got very lucky in finding it by looking at my plant on Greer Gardens' website, and seeing Weston's Innocence just a few photos down from it. It looks classic & elegant--would be a nice complement to star & confederate jasmine :D They have the 12-18" size available for $26.

Mine is "WA State Centennial", a deciduous azalea(Mossman). Now it is maybe 18-24". I probably ordered the 8-12" last spring for $17.

OG & hopefulauthor,

i don't know the ph of my soil. i pull grass around it when i mow, but don't water it because it is supposed to be easy to care for and suited-- indeed created--for this particular climate, so on principle i wont pamper it. we've had rain here frequently until just the last month or so. it has shot up since last year, so it's doing fine in my opinion. it will make the most of all the rain we'll be getting soon enough for 9 months of the year, and shoot up again next spring, i expect.

honestly i cringe at the idea of washingtonians watering anything besides potted plants, seems kind of pointless to me. we're never long from any rain. digging into the soil where i am i find moist soil close to the surface even this time of year. what really boggles is people who mow too often & fry their lawn, then water it frantically. very strange. but to each his/her own.

Thank You for your replies &
Best Regards,
spazplant

hopefulauthor,

I'm sorry. In my water spaz i didn't include more info about this group of azaleas, of which Weston's Innocence is one.

These are Knap Hill/Exbury, hardy to -25F, growing 4-10'h x 4-6'w.

They are hybrids of R. molle, R. calendulaceum, R. occidentale, and R. arborescens.

hope that's helpful.
spazplant

spazplant, American are obsessed with lawn.
Grass roots migth have taken some nutrients away from your tree. I don't know about pampering the tree, I think what you meant is to grow this tree like it grows naturally in the wild providing minimium care. Still I would fertilize it in the spring, prune it when it is needed, and clean the dead leave or branches around the tree's base so disease/bugs won't spread, etc. and water it if it is needed. Of course , in WA where you live, you get rain often so you don't need to do that. You are luck, one less chores to do.

SP, actually, you've helped quite a bit.

The only Azaleas I've grown were in containers...the Weston's Innocence is the first grown in the garden..I had no idea there were other fragrant varieties.

Front soil is awful. I planted two Rhodo's several years ago, but the soil has a ton of clay. I tried amending, but to no avail. But the weeds do well..lol.

Thanks much. Hopefully, one day, my Innocence will grow tall, flower and emit fragrance...thanks, Toni