During the first winter, it's a good idea to cover your young azalea with insulating covering when temperatures are foecast to drop below 20 degrees F. New roots produced in fall will help the azalea benefit from an early spring root flush so it will flourish in the next growing season. To avoid damage from an early frost in fall, cease feeding after August.įall & Winter Planting Care: Encore Azaleas do well and are easier to establish when they are planted in fall. Therafter, feed after the first bloom cyscle in spring. Wilting new leaves are a sign your plants need a good deep soaking.įertilize with the recommended levels of azalea food or a "goof proof" organic fertilizer such as Nitroganic soon after planting.
Your Encore Azaleas should not need regular watering after the first year unless there are periods of excessive drought. So just keep the soil moist during the first growing season. New azaleas will die quickly if the soil dries excessively, and they can develop root rot if the soil stays constantly soggy. During the first growing season keep the soil moist, but not wet, until winter. Water your Encore Azalea deeply when you first plant it. Pull your soil around the plant, water thoroughly and cover with a 1- to 1.5-inch layer of shredded wood mulch or pine straw. Set the plant into the hole you've prepared, making sure the top of the root ball is slightly above the soil level. Remove your Encore Azalea from its container and carefully but firmly loosen some feeder roots around the surface of the root ball. This is especially important if you have heavy clay soil. Mix some compost, such as Root Zone Organic Planting Mix with the soil. Turn and break up the soil removed from the planting hole. If you want space between plants separate them by more than the mature width dimensions.ĭig a hole at a depth equal to the height and two to three times as wide as the container your Encore Azalea was growing in. This measurement should be taken from the center of one plant to the center of the other. When planting a hedge, space plants the same width apart as the mature dimensions specify. How you intend to use your Encore Azaleas will determine how far apart you space them. A slower rate indicates poor draining soil and could be a caution you might need to improve drainage, plant in a raised mound or bed, or look for plants that are more tolerant of wet or boggy conditions. A faster rate, such as in loose, sandy soil, may signal potentially dry site conditions. In well-drained soil the water level will go down at a rate of about 1 inch an hour. Then, after it drains, fill it with water again, but this time clock how long it takes to drain. Fill the hole with water and let it drain. To test soil drainage, dig a hole 12" wide by 12" in the planting area. If you are uncertain about soil drainage in the area you intend to plant your Encore Azaleas, it's well worth taking the time to test the drainage before planting. As with many other plants, they do not like a constantly soggy or wet soil, which can lead to root rot and other plant diseases. Too much shade can result in skipped or significantly reduced bloom cycles.Įncore Azaleas grow best in a soil that is well-drained but moist. A minimum of four hours of direct sunlight per day is required for proper blooms. All day filtered sun or morning sun with afternoon shade are okay.
Autumn twist encore azalea full#
Here are a few simple guidelines to help your new plants grow to their fullest potential:Įncore Azaleas perform best in sites that offer anywhere from full sun to part shade. Planting & Caring for Encore AzaleasĮncore Azaleas are similar to traditional azaleas in that they require proper planting, watering and care to thrive. Inspired, he began crossing traditional spring-blooming azaleas with the rare Taiwanese summer-blooming azalea, Rhododendron oldhamii. Lee first envisioned Encore Azaleas in the early 1980s when he found a tray of azalea cuttings blooming in the summer sun at his small Louisiana azalea nursery. "Buddy" Lee of Independence, La., the evergreen Encore Azaleas enjoy more sun than traditional azaleas, but offer the same easy care. As an "encore," these exceptional azaleas flower again with traditional spring azaleas and the process starts over. This unique bloom season continues through the fall, the curtain dropping with the onset of cold weather. The Encore Azalea's "second act" opens when these buds begin blooming into full flower during summer. Once this "first act" of blooming concludes in spring, new shoots begin to grow and set buds. Why? Because Encore Azaleas bloom in spring, summer and fall!Įach of the many Encore varieties begins their performance with the spring flowering season. People who like spring blooming azaleas are really gonna love the Encore Azaleas.
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