3 azaleas without a home

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LillyPutz La Crosse, WI(Zone 4a) Aug 03, 2015

i bought 3 azalea bushes (lemon northern lights) partly because i loved the color but mostly because they were so darn cheap! ($1.69 each) is there any way to plant them in pots and grow them that way or should they be planted right in the ground? i thank you for your suggestions =) im not really sure where to plant them...

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DaisyPlantLady Reno, NV(Zone 6b) Aug 03, 2015

I don't blame you for falling in love with these little azaleas. They are gorgeous. I have grown cold hardy azaleas in pots for years. Find pots that are at least 5 gallons in size and insulated - the bigger the better.

Plants in the ground have the entire earth to keep their roots cool in summer and warm in winter. The large insulated container will help keep the roots cool in the summer. You will have to bring them in to a protected area in the winter. As they are deciduous, you can wait for the fall spectacular and the leaves to drop then store them in the garage until spring. Don't forget to water - even dormant plants need a drink.

Use a good quality potting soil and mix some milled peat in (a little less than half and half). Make sure the peat and soil are completely wet. Dry spots in the peat will kill your azaleas fast. Find a spot that is shaded in the hottest part of the day. Azaleas need to stay moist but root and crown rot are a problem. Plant the azaleas a wee bit higher than the surrounding soil. Keep them damp, not soaked.

Good luck.

Daisy

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carrielamont Milton, MA(Zone 6a) Aug 03, 2015

http://www.extension.umn.edu/garden/yard-garden/flowers/azaleas-rhododendrons-for-minnesota/

If you decide to plant them in the ground, know that the 'Northern Lights' series of azaleas is bred to be cold hardy. Keeping these in pots does lower their ability to survive the winter. That will probably be more of a problem in La Crosse than in Reno. You can certainly keep them in their nursery pots while you prepare a site for them. You should consider carefully whether you can keep them healthy in a zone 4 garden.

http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/933

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DaisyPlantLady Reno, NV(Zone 6b) Aug 03, 2015

Lemon Lights is rated to Zone 4 and in some cases Zone 3. It would do great in a garden or in a pot. Azaleas have small rooting systems so, when planted in the ground, dig a whole 18 inches x 18 inches and fill it with commercial potting soil and milled peat (don't use the native soil). So, in a pot is pretty much like in the ground for an azalea except for the root temperature problems.

Daisy

PS: Reno is in Zone 6

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carrielamont Milton, MA(Zone 6a) Aug 03, 2015

Oh, now I feel dumb. I was thinking of the climate in Las Vegas. LIsten to Daisy, not to me. :)

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