It is spring and means it is time to think about planting flower beds. When
working outside you can expect to gain joy along with the hard labor. Correctly
plant, fertilize and water and you will have something beautiful to enjoy.
When planting shrubs or bushes, dig a hole generally twice to two and half
times as the root ball or pot the bush came in. If your soil is like clay or
packs tightly, you may want to consider replacing the soil with peat moss or
with a soil that does not pack down. When planting azaleas, you will definitely
want to replace the soil with peat moss. Azalea roots are very fine and require
a loose soil. The roots only go down about 9 inches so it is a shallow rooted
plant. Dig the hole for the azalea about 3 feet around by 9 inches deep. Place
the dry peat moss in the hole, then fill with water. Stir the water around in
the peat moss until it is moistened. This will take a while. You can also open
the peat moss and let water run in the bag until it overflows and let sit while
you dig the hole for the Azalea. If the root ball of the azalea is tight, take
a box cutter or knife and cut from top to bottom of root ball about three times
and pull the roots out. If an azalea plant stays too long in a pot the roots
ill turn inward and will not spread out as it should after you plant it.
The nice thing about roots only going 9 inches deep, is that the azalea is
easy to transplant as long as it is not too big for you to lift. Just dig
around the azalea a little past the distance the limb stick out. You can buy
smaller plants, let them grow a couple of years then remove every other plant
and move them wherever you want.
After planting the azaleas, mulch with pine bark or pecan hulls. When
pruning flowering shrubs, such as azaleas, prune as soon after they flower as
possible. Azaleas set their blooms for the next year in August, so if you prune
after August you will be cutting off next years blooms
Azaleas are the most spectacular flowering bush. When someone mentions the
Master's Golf Tournament in Augusta,
Georgia, my
husband drools over the golf game and course. I am impressed with all the
azaleas.
You can plan a longer blooming season by planting azaleas that bloom in
early Spring along with azaleas that bloom mid to late Spring. If you are interested
in propagating azaleas, you can break off some of the new growth and put it in
wet peat moss until it roots or take one of the branches that has new growth
and hangs low, and cover it with wet peat moss. Wait a month or two and you
will see roots. Transplant to where you want the new plant to grow. You will
need to keep it moist while it is creating new roots.
Any flowering shrub would make a grrrreat mother's day gift, especially the
mother who likes to work in the yard.
For more information on planting azaleas go to allaroundyourhome.com
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