Instructions

• 1). Visit your local nursery or garden center when plants are in bloom so you can see the shape and color of the flowers before purchasing. Select plants with sturdy trunks and healthy, green leaves. Avoid plants that appear wilted, spindly or dried out.
  
  
• 2). Select a planting location that receives partial sun or filtered shade. Azaleas require moist, well-drained, acidic soil with a high organic content. A soil pH of 4.5 to 6.0 is ideal. Have your soil tested to determine the soil’s pH and nutritional content. If the pH level is too high, experts at the University of Georgia recommend using wettable sulphur or ferrous sulfate to lower the soil’s pH. Do not use aluminum sulfate as this chemical can damage the roots.
  
  
• 3). Before planting the azalea, wet the root ball thoroughly. Gently remove the plant from the container and loosen the roots with your fingers. If the roots are massed into a solid clump, use a sharp knife to score 2-inch-deep slits around the root ball before prying the roots apart.
  
  
• 4). Dig a hole about 2 times wider than the root ball. Do not dig the hole too deep, as the azalea’s shallow roots need to reside near the surface of the ground to absorb oxygen and nutrients.
  
  
• 5). Position the azalea in the hole so that the top of the root ball is about 1 inch above ground level. Fill in around the plant with a mixture of half top soil and half organic material such as compost or shredded bark.
  
  
• 6). Place mulch around the base of the plant and water deeply. Keep the plant evenly moist but not soggy. Azaleas do not tolerate excessively wet or extremely dry conditions
  
  
• 7). Once the azalea becomes established, fertilize the plant once annually. Fertilizer can be applied after new growth appears in spring up through early fall. Use organic fertilizers such as compost or rotted manure or a chemical fertilizer, developed specifically for acid-loving plants. The azalea’s shallow roots are easily damaged by excess fertilizer, so be careful not to overfertilize.