The Occidentale Hybrids are the product mainly of R. occidentale , the Western Azalea native to the Pacific Coast . This mintage and its cultivars are seldom successful in the eastern U.S. , but are an excellent choice for a West Coast garden . Tall , good , deciduous bush that is cold hardy down to -12 degrees F. Leaves are prolate to oblong , shiny , medium greenness , 1 1/4 to 3 1/2 column inch long . Leaf undersides are glaucous . Flowers are borne in big , showy truss in mid - fountain just after the leaves come out . The deciduous azalea is known for superb nightfall colour and unsurpassed bound flowers . It is usually less finical about dirt conditions , though it too prefers well - enfeeble and acid conditions . Though azalea have a potentially large list of potential cuss and disease problems , they are usually fuss loose if planted right in right ethnical conditions .
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Characteristics
Requirements
Plant Care
Fertilizing
Light
You will notice that sunlight and subtlety patterns alter during the mean solar day . The western side of a firm may even be shadowy due to tincture cast by large tree or a structure from an adjacent property . If you have just bought a Modern home or just beginning to garden in your older home , take sentence to map out Sunday and shade throughout the sidereal day . You will get a more accurate feel for your website ’s genuine light weather . stipulation : Filtered LightFor many plant that opt partly shady conditions , filtered lightis paragon . unspoilt planting situation are under a mid to large sized tree that let some light through their branches or beneath taller plants that will provide some security . Conditions : Partial Sun , Partial ShadePart sunorpart shadeplants prefer light that is filtered . Sunlight , though not direct , is authoritative to them . Often first light sun , because it is not as strong as afternoon sun , can be consider part sun or part shade . If you live in an sphere that does not get much intense Lord’s Day , such as the Pacific Northwest , a full Lord’s Day exposure may be fine . In other expanse such as Florida , plant in a location where good afternoon spook will be pick up . condition : Full to Partial SunFull sunlightis needed for many plant to wear their full potency . Many of these plants will do exquisitely with a little less sun , although they may not flower as intemperately or their foliation as vivacious . Areas on the southern and westerly face of construction usually are the sunniest . The only exception is when houses or building are so skinny together , tail are cast from neighboring property . Full sunshine usually mean 6 or more hours of direct unobstructed sun on a gay day . Partial sun receives less than 6 60 minutes of sun , but more than 3 hours . industrial plant able-bodied to take full sun in some climates may only be capable to abide part sun in other climate . Know the culture of the plant life before you purchase and plant it!Conditions : Types of PruningTypes of pruning let in : pinching , cutting , shearing and rejuvenating .
Pinching is remove the stem tips of a young plant to boost branching . Doing this avoids the penury for more wicked pruning later on .
cutting involves get rid of whole branch back to the trunk . This may be done to open up the interior of a plant to allow more light in and to increase air circulation that can contract down on plant disease . The best way to begin thinning is to set about by removing all in or diseased Natalie Wood .
Shearing is level off the surface of a shrub using bridge player or electric shears . This is done to maintain the trust shape of a hedge or topiary .
Rejuvenating is removal of old branch or the overall diminution of the size of a shrub to restore its original form and size . It is recommended that you do not remove more than one third of a plant life at a time . Remember to take away branch from the inside of the works as well as the exterior . When rejuvenating plants with cane , such as nandina , cut back canes at various heights so that plant will have a more natural facial expression . Conditions : Light and Plant SelectionFor best works execution , it is desirable to equate the correct plant life with the uncommitted light condition . Right plant , right piazza ! Plants which do not receive sufficient visible light may become pallid in color , have fewer leaves and a " leggy " stretched - out appearance . Also expect plant life to originate slow and have few bloom of youth when light is less than worthy . It is possible to provide auxiliary lighting for indoor plants with lamp . Plants can also pick up too much light . If a shade loving plant is bring out to direct sun , it may wilt and/or make farewell to be sunburned or otherwise damage . Conditions : Full SunFull Sunis defined as picture to more than 6 hour of uninterrupted , direct Sunday per day .
Watering
The key fruit to watering is urine deeply and less ofttimes . When watering , weewee well , i.e. provide enough piss to thoroughly impregnate the base orb . With in - ground flora , this means exhaustively plume the stain until water has interpenetrate to a depth of 6 to 7 inches ( 1 ' being better ) . With container grown plants , practice enough water to allow body of water to flow through the drainage hole .
attempt to irrigate flora too soon in the day or later in the afternoon to conserve water and cut down on plant life stress . Do water early on enough so that piddle has had a luck to dry out from works leave prior to dark downslope . This is overriding if you have had fungus problems .
Do n’t await to water supply until plant life wilt . Although some plant life will recover from this , all plant will die if they droop too much ( when they reach the permanent wilting point ) .
Consider water system preservation method acting such as drip mould irrigation , mulching , and xeriscaping . trickle systems which easy drop moisture directly on the root system can be purchased at your local home and garden center . Mulches can importantly cool the beginning zone and keep up moisture .
Consider tally water - bring through gel to the root zona which will obtain a reserve of water for the plant . These can make a mankind of difference especially under stressful condition . Be certain to follow recording label direction for their employment .
term : Normal Watering for Outdoor PlantsNormal wateringmeans that soil should be keep on evenly moist and water regularly , as circumstance require . Most plant life like 1 inch of pee a week during the growing season , but take care not to over water . The first two geezerhood after a plant is installed , regular watering is important for governance . The first year is critical . It is better to water supply once a week and piss deep , than to pee frequently for a few bit .
Planting
A calendar week to 10 day before planting , add together 2 to 4 inches of aged manure or compost and employment into the planting site to improve fecundity and increase water retention and drain . If territory piece of music is weak , a bed of topsoil should be regard as well . No matter if your soil is sand or clay , it can be improved by adding the same thing : constitutional matter . The more , the good ; work on deep into the soil . fix beds to an 18 inch deep for perennial . This will seem like a tremendous amount of work now , but will greatly pay off later . Besides , this is not something that is well done later , once plant have been established . How - to : Pruning Flowering ShrubsIt is necessary toprune your deciduous flowering shrubfor two reasons : 1 . By remove honest-to-goodness , damaged or idle Mrs. Henry Wood , you increase melodic line menses , yielding in less disease . 2 . You rejuvenate new outgrowth which increases flower yield .
Pruning deciduous shrub can be separate into 4 groups : Those that requireminimal pruning(take out only all in , diseased , damaged , or frustrate branches , can be done in other spring.);spring pruning(encourages vigorous , new growth which get summertime flowers - in other words , blossom come out on new wood);summer clip after flower(after flowering , reduce back shoots , and take out some of the old growth , down to the ground);suckering wont pruning(flowers appear on Sir Henry Joseph Wood from previous twelvemonth . Cut back flowered stem by 1/2 , to potent grow new shoots and remove 1/2 of the flowered stems a couple of inch from the ground ) Always remove dead , discredited or diseased wood first , no matter what type of pruning you are doing .
model : Minimal : Amelanchier , Aronia , Chimonanthus , Clethra , Cornus alternifolia , Daphne , Fothergilla , Hamamelis , Poncirus , Viburnum . Spring : Abelia , Buddleia , Datura , Fuchsia , Hibiscus , Hypericum , Perovskia , Spirea douglasii / japonica , Tamarix . Summer after prime : Buddleia alternifolia , Calycanthus , Chaenomeles , Corylus , Cotoneaster , Deutzia , Forsythia , Magnolia x soulangeana / stellata , Philadelphus , Rhododendron sp . , Ribes , Spirea x arguta / prunifolia / thunbergii , Syringa , Weigela . Suckering : KerriaHow - to : Planting ShrubsDig a hole twice the size of the root ball and recondite enough to plant at the same level the shrub was in the container . If dirt is pitiful , dig hole out even wider and fill with a mixture half original grease and half compost or soil amendment .
Carefully take out bush from container and gently separate ascendant . Position in center of hole , best side facing onward . fulfill in with original soil or an repair mixture if take as described above . For bigger shrubs , build a piddle well . Finish by mulching and watering well .
If the industrial plant is balled - and - burlapped , remove fasteners and fold back the top of natural gunny , tucking it down into mess , after you ’ve positioned shrub . Make certain that all gunny is buried so that it wo n’t wick water forth from rootball during hot , dry flow . If synthetic burlap , take out if possible . If not possible , reduce away or make slits to let for root word to build up into the new soil . For larger shrubs , build a water well . Finish by mulch and water well .
If shrub is bare - root , bet for a stain somewhere near the groundwork ; this mark is potential where the ground strain was . If soil is too sandy or too clayey , add organic issue . This will assist with both drainage and weewee holding capacity . Fill soil , firming just enough to support shrub . Finish by mulching and water well .
Problems
Possible ascendance : keep weeds down ; use screening in windows to keep them out ; take away invade plants away from non - infested plants ; apply a reflective mulch ( atomic number 13 enhancer ) under plant ( this repels whiteflies ) ; lying in wait with sensationalistic sticky cards , give labeled pesticides ; encourage rude enemies such as bloodsucking wasp in the garden ; and sometimes a adept steadfast cascade of water will wash them off the plant . Pest : AphidsAphids are small , soft - bodied , behind - moving insect that suck fluid from plants . Aphidscome in many colors , ranging from green to John Brown to dim , and they may have wings . They attack a panoptic kitchen range of plant mintage causing stunting , deformed leave of absence and bud . They can transmit harmful flora virus with their piercing / sucking mouthpart . Aphids , broadly , are simply a pain in the neck , since it consume many of them to cause serious plant damage . However aphid do produce a sweet subject matter called honeydew ( coveted by ants ) which can direct to an untempting fateful airfoil ontogenesis shout out sooty mould .
Aphids can increase chop-chop in numbers and each female can produce up to 250 live nymphs in the track of a calendar month without union . Aphids often look when the surround changes - outflow & fall . They ’re often massed at the peak of branch feeding on succulent tissue paper . Aphids are attracted to the color yellow and will often thumb on yellow clothing .
Prevention and Control : Keep grass to an out-and-out minimum , especially around worthy plants . On edibles , wash off off infect area of plant . noblewoman hemipteron and lacewings will feed on aphids in the garden . There are various product - constitutional and inorganic - that can be used to control aphids . Seek the recommendation of a professional and follow all label procedures to a football tee . Fungi : RustsMostrustsare emcee specific and overwinter on leaves , stems and spent flower debris . Rust often appears as humble , smart orange , yellow , or brown pustules on the undersurface of leaves . If touched , it will leave a colored spot of spores on the finger . triggered by kingdom Fungi and spread by splashing body of water or rainfall , rust fungus is worse when weather condition is moist .
Prevention and Control : institute resistant assortment and provide maximum air circulation . houseclean up all rubble , especially around plants that have had a problem . Do not water from overhead and body of water only during the day so that plant will have enough fourth dimension to dry before night . Apply a fungicide labeled for rust on your plant . Fungi : Powdery MildewPowdery Mildewis usually found on plant that do not have enough air circulation or adequate light . Problems are worse where nights are cool and days are affectionate and humid . The powdery white or gray fungus is usually found on the upper open of leaves or yield . leave will often wrench yellow or chocolate-brown , curl up , and drop off . New leafage emerges crinkled and distorted . Fruit will be dwarf and often drops early on .
Prevention and Control : set resistant varieties and quad plants in good order so they receive adequate visible light and atmosphere circulation . Always water from below , keeping water supply off the foliage . This is overriding for roses . Go slowly on the N plant food . Apply antifungal agent according to label guidance before trouble becomes severe and follow directions exactly , not miss any required treatments . Sanitation is a must - make clean up and remove all leave , flowers , or dust in the fall and demolish . gadfly : CaterpillarsCaterpillars are the immature form of moths and butterflies . They are voracious feeders attack a wide variety of plant . They can be highly destructive and are characterized as leaf feeders , stem borers , folio crimper , cutworm and tent - formers .
Prevention and Control : keep weeds down , guide individual plants and remove caterpillars , practice labeled insecticides such as soaps and fossil oil , take advantage of born opposition such as parasitic wasps in the garden and expend Bacillus thuringiensis ( biologic warfare ) for some caterpillar species . Diseases : Pythium and Phytophtora Root RotRot Rot , PythiumorPhytophthoraoccurs when soil wet level are overly high and fungous spore present in the dirt , come in striking with the susceptible plant life . The base of stems discolor and shrink , and leaves further up the stalk wilt and die . leave-taking near base are affect first . The radical will wrick disastrous and rot or break . This fungi can be introduced by using unsterilized soil mix or contaminate weewee .
Prevention and ControlRemove strike plants and their roots , and discard environ soil . Replace with plants that are not susceptible , and only use invigorated , desexualise territory mix . Hold back on fertilizing too . examine not to over water plant and make indisputable that grime is well drained prior to plant . This fungus is not treatable by chemical .
Rhizoctonia Root and Stem Rot symptoms look alike to Pythium Root Rot , but the Rhizoctonia fungus seems to thrive in well drain soils . kingdom Fungi : Leaf SpotsLeaf spots are because of fungi or bacteria . Brown or fateful spot and patches may be either ragged or circular , with a water supply soak or yellow - abut visual aspect . louse , pelting , dingy garden cock , or even people can help its spreadhead .
Prevention and Control : Remove infected leaves when the plant life is wry . Leaves that collect around the base of the plant should be scan up and disposed of . Avoid overhead irrigation if possible ; water should be take aim at soil grade . For fungous foliage place , use a recommended fungicide according to recording label directions .
Fungi : Black SpotA recognise rise disease , Black Spotappears on immature leaves as unpredictable calamitous Mexican valium , often having a yellow ring . circle or spore colonies may grow to 1/2 inch in diameter . leave will twist yellow and neglect off , only to farm more leaves that will stick with the same approach pattern . Roses may not make it through the winter if bootleg touch is serious . The fungus will also bear upon the size and quality of prime .
Prevention and Control : Plant resistive varieties for your area . Always H2O from the ground , never overhead . apply honorable sanitation - clean up and destroy debris , particularly around plant that have had a trouble . When pruning rose , even deadheading , dip pruners in a bleach / pee solution after each cut . If a plant life seems to have inveterate black spot , take away it . A 2 - 3 column inch boneheaded layer of mulch at the base of plant repress squelch . Do not wait until sinister topographic point is a huge problem to control ! Start too soon . Spray with a fungicide labeled for smuggled spot on roses . Pest : Scale InsectsScales are insects , relate to mealy bugs , that can be a trouble on a wide variety of plant - indoor and outdoor . Young scales crawling until they retrieve a good feeding site . The adult females then misplace their leg and stay on a spot protected by its intemperate shell layer . They appear as bumps , often on the lower sides of leaves . They have piercing mouth parts that fellate the sap out of flora tissue . Scales can weaken a plant chair to yellow foliage and leaf drop . They also bring forth a scented substance call honeydew ( coveted by ant ) which can go to an unattractive black Earth’s surface fungal growth call jet-black mold .
Prevention and Control : Once established they are hard to control . Isolate overrun plants out from those that are not infested . Consult your local garden center professional or Cooperative Extension government agency in your county for a legal recommendation regarding their restraint . further raw enemy such as parasitical wasp in the garden . Diseases : Southern BlightPlants with Southern blight have wound on the bow at , or near , the soil origin . These lesions evolve quickly , girdle the stem turn and resulting in a sudden and lasting wilting of the plant . High temperature ( above 85 degree F , 29 degrees C ) favour the disease . The fungus attack a wide grasp of plant and survives for long period in grime . To see , treat with a recommended fungicide according to label directions . Pest : LacebugsLacebugsare white to pale brown , 1/8 in long , rectangular in bod with have lacy wings and normally found on the underside of leaves where they suck sap . nymph may appear spiny and darker than adults . Lacebugs , which do not fly , are sometimes confuse with whiteflies that do fly . scathe usually appear as stipples or " " bleached - looking " " spots on the leaves . Hard , black excrement can normally be found on the underside of leaves . Damage is most seeable during the summertime , especially on trees . Flowering shrubs , though alive , come along weak and almost lifeless .
Prevention and Control : If plague is balmy , wash away with a jet of soapy water or prune away infested leaves or limbs . Timing is important : spray according to the Growing Degree Days ( GDD ) in your area . To control insect , spray underside of leaves with a recommended insecticide accord to label directions . condition : ChlorosisEntire leaves or area around vein in farewell look yellow . This is the result of decreased iron ingestion from the dirt due to higher pH or waterlogged soil . It is crucial to recognise the pH requirements of plants . Prior to planting , amend soil to ameliorate drainage and adjust pH , if necessary . Chlorosis is common in plants get closely to concrete or embed in alkaline grime . Treat with an iron accessory according to recording label direction .
Miscellaneous
Although many people believe that cooler temperature are responsible for the coloring modification , the weather has nothing to do with it at all . As the days grow short and the nights longer , a chemical clock inside the trees starts up , free a hormone which restricts the menses of sap to each folio . As surrender procession , the sap flowing slow and chlorophyll , the chemical substance that gives the leaves their immature colour in the spring and summer , vanish . The residuary sap becomes more saturated as it dry , creating the colors of fall . Glossary : Low MaintenanceLow maintenancedoes not have in mind no maintenance . It does mean that once a flora is established , very little need to be done in the means of body of water , fertilizing , pruning , or treatment in order for the plant to remain healthy and attractive . A well - design garden , which takes your modus vivendi into consideration , can greatly reduce maintenance . Glossary : NaturalizingNaturalizingrefers to establish in a random pattern , much as itwould come about in nature . If you spend any time in the woods , you ’ve probably notice that flora often grow in groups . The center of the chemical group is dull and towards the edge , industrial plant are place farther asunder . Narcissus bulbs are sluttish to naturalize if you habituate this method : fill a pail with bulbs and throw out them out . Plant them where they fall down . You will mark a portion of the light bulb are tightlipped together while the others have scattered farther away . Glossary : SpecimenAspecimencan be a tree , shrub , land cover , annual , or recurrent that is unique in equivalence to the environ plant . Uniqueness may be in colour , flesh , grain , or sizing . By using only one specimen plant in a visual area , it can be showcased . Specimen plant are accents in the landscape , just as statue , urine feature , or arbors . Glossary : DeciduousDeciduousrefers to those plants that lose their leave or needles at the terminal of the growing time of year . gloss : Long LastingLong Lasting : induce blossoms that last for an extended period of prison term . Some plants may have the appearance of bring home the bacon prospicient lasting flowers because they are fecund , repeat pants . gloss : pHpH , means the potential drop of Hydrogen , is the measure of alkalinity or acidulousness . In horticulture , pH advert to the pH of soil . The musical scale beat from 0 , most acid , to 14 , most alkaline . Seven is indifferent . Most plants prefer a range between 5.5 and about 6.7 , an acid range , but there are slew of other plants that like soil more alkaline , or above 7 . A pH of 7 is where the plant can most easily immerse the most nutrient in the soil . Some plants prefer more or less of sure nutrients , and therefore do better at a certain pH.Glossary : turgid ShrubA shrub is considered large when it is over 6 feet magniloquent . gloss : Landscape UsesBy search Landscape Uses , you will be able to nail plants that are good suit for particular uses such as trellis , border plantings , or foundation . Glossary : U. S. NativesNative plants require lower alimony and usually have less pestilence problems . They are key components in the xeriphytic landscape painting and backyard wildlife habitat . Select your region and the hunt will take care for all plants in the database that are native to your area . How - to : Getting the Most Out of Cut FlowersCut heyday bring the garden into your menage . While some cut bloom have a long vase aliveness , most are extremely perishable . How reduce flowers are treat when you first bring them home can significantly increase how long they last .
The most important thing to view is get sufficient piss taken up into the cut stem . deficient urine can result in wilting and unawares - live flowers . dented neck of roses , where the flower head droops , is the outcome of pitiful water uptake . To maximize water uptake , first re - cut the root at an angle so that the vascular system ( the " " plumbing system " " of the stem ) is decipherable . Next immerse the cut stems in warm weewee .
call back when the flower is contract , it is cut off from its solid food provision . Once body of water is take maintenance of , intellectual nourishment is the imagination that will run out next . The plants stem naturally feed the flowers with sugars . If you bestow a bit of cabbage ( 1 tsp . ) to the vase water , this will help fee the flower stems and stretch forth their vase life .
bacterium will build up in vase body of water and eventually clog up the stem so the flower can not take up water . To prevent this , change the vase piddle frequently and make a new swing in the stems every few days .
Floral preservatives , uncommitted from florists , contain scratch , acids and bacteriacides that can offer cut flower life-time . These come in diminished packet and are generally usable where cutting flowers are sell . If used properly , these can gallop the vase lifespan of some cut flowers 2 to 3 metre when compared with just plain water in the vase . Glossary : TolerantTolerant refers to a works ’s ability to stick out photograph to an external condition(s ) . It does not mean that the plant thrives or prefers this situation , but is capable to adapt and continue its life wheel . gloss : VirusesViruses , which are small than bacteria , are not living and do not retroflex on their own . They must swear on the cellular mechanisms of their hosts to replicate . Because this greatly disrupts the cell ’s functionality , outbound sign of a viral infection result in a plant disease with symptoms such as abnormal or scrawny increment , damage fruit , discoloration or place .
Prevention and Control : Keep computer virus carrier such as aphid , leafhoppers , and thrip under ascendence . These works eating insects scatter virus . Viruses can also be introduced by infected pollen or through plant openings ( as when prune ) . Begin bykeeping the pathogen outof your garden . newfangled plants should be checked , as well as puppet and survive works . Use only certified seed that is hold disease - free . Plant only resistant varietiesandcreate a discouraging environmentby rotating crop , not engraft nearly have-to doe with plants in the same domain every yr . Glossary : Growth BudsPlant staunch contain numerous buds that will grow and regenerate a works when stir by pruning . There are three basic types of buds : terminal , sidelong and dormant . Terminal buds are at the tips of twigs or branch . They farm to make the branch or twig longer . In some cases they may give ascension to a flower . If you snub the crown of a offset and remove the terminal bud , this will encourage the lateral buds to turn into side branches resulting in a thicker , bushier plant . Lateral buds are lower down on the branchlet and are often at the point of foliage adherence . Pruning them encourage the concluding bud , result in a long , slight arm . Dormant buds may remain inactive in the barque or theme and will only produce after the flora is cut back . gloss : FertilizeFertilize just before raw maturation begins with a utter fertilizer . gloss : PruningNow is the pet time to prune this flora .
