Some of you may know I'm planning a new garden (just moved a couple of months back) that has a lot of shady areas. Of course azaleas/camelias are often recommended in these spots. I'm a bit hesitant to invest in these, however, because I planted four 5 gal. azaleas at my last house, and the results were extremely disappointing! They were planted in a smallish bed against the front facade of the house, in pretty deep shade (grass growth was spotty there), under a magnolia tree (there were two huge magnolias in the front yard). The azaleas NEVER bloomed, in three years, and their growth was pretty unimpressive (scraggly branches, etc.). I pruned them back one year in the fall, but they still didn't thrive the next spring... I suspected that this spot was perhaps TOO shady to stimulate good growth, or that the copious shallow tree roots hindered the azaleas' progress... any thoughts?
Our new place has a lot of trees as well - though they're all pines, so I don't know if the root system poses as much of a problem as the magnolias (anyone know about these trees?). Much of my shade in the front is also pretty "deep" shade, so I'm afraid I'll have a repeat lackluster preformance from any azaleas planted there... what do you think?
Kelly
Azaleas failed to thrive... any thoughts on why?
Azaleas need good drainage and acidic soil amended with lots of peat moss. The recommended planting procedure if you have less than ideal soil conditions is to creat a berm or raised bed about a foot high. That helps soil drain faster and avoids some of the root competition. Most azaleas need filtered sunlight, but depending on the variety, some can take morning sunlight.
If the shade is that deep under the pine trees, you may have problems with most flowering plants and may have to opt for non-flowering ones. Alternatively, you could try opening up some of the canopy by thinning out branches or removing the lower ones.
Veronica
Magnolia trees have fibrous roots near the surface - not much can grow well under one. I am not surprised the azaleas didn't do well. Azaleas also have fibrous roots that grow near the surface, and Veronica pointed out their planting needs. If you prune azaleas in the fall, you will lose the blooms for the next year. Pruning should be done immediately after they finish blooming. They start setting buds for the next year in mid-summer. Fertilizing should begin following bloom also, and then repeated one month later, and again one month later. Then stop. You will have fertilized three times. Use a fertilizer recommended for azaleas. Raised beds are essential in this area.
Oh - and when you plant them, be sure to break the root ball up a little, or cut it down the side in 3 or 4 places. Then pull it apart a little, plant it on a little mound of soil you have made, then cover the roots. Mulch well. These things are grown in peat, and if you don't do that, their little roots stay in that formation and never break free. And when they are watered, the water just runs down the outside of the root ball. That is often the cause when they do not thrive.
CT
This message was edited May 31, 2006 4:14 PM
Drat. Too many typos!
This message was edited May 31, 2006 4:15 PM