A flower-loving friend asked me: he has been growing an azalea for two or three years. Last year he moved it from a south-facing balcony to a west-facing balcony. After blooming in spring, it was in poor condition, the new branches that grew were limp and droopy, the leaves on the old branches turned yellow and withered, and the leaves became fewer. What is going on? The cause is mostly a problem with the care environment. No matter what plant it is, it needs a period of adjustment to a sudden change in its care environment. Perhaps the south-facing balcony at home had better light, while the west-facing balcony has insufficient light. In this case, it can cause the azalea to be in poor condition. Now let's talk about the daily care of azaleas.

What to do when your azalea is in poor condition? I will teach you to improve the care environment, and after 7 days it will sprout new shoots and grow vigorously

Proper sunlight is very important

When an azalea does not get enough light, it will grow relatively slowly. Azalea bonsai likes a sunny, well-ventilated environment and plenty of water, and it grows well in slightly acidic soil that both retains and drains water. If it is cared for on an enclosed balcony, ventilation must be strengthened. Not just azaleas, but all plants: having a ventilated environment is very important. If they are always kept in an unventilated environment, the leaves will generally be droopy and look listless, let alone grow well.

The potting soil needs to be replaced

If the soil of a potted azalea has not been changed for two or three years, it easily becomes compacted, the potting soil does not have enough nutrients, and the plant naturally cannot absorb nutrients and so will not grow well. Therefore, the soil must be changed. You can consider mixing humus soil with red clay soil, and you can add some small stones, trying as much as possible to imitate the soil in which azaleas grow in the wild. Based on this flower-loving friend's situation, it can also be moved back to an east-facing direction. If conditions do not allow that, add a shade net on the due west side to reduce the western sun in summer when the sun is due west.

What kind of soil should be used for azaleas?

There are many ways to mix azalea growing soil, varying with the cultivated variety, but it must meet the following conditions: loose, well-draining, well-aerated, acidic soil, rich in humus, with sufficient base fertilizer. Azaleas usually grow vigorously only in acidic loam. If they are in alkaline soil, they will soon turn yellow, decline and die. Azaleas are regarded as an indicator plant of acidic soil.

When should the pot be changed?

When the seedlings grow up, the roots fill the potting soil and need a larger range for root expansion. Usually, pay attention to whether roots are growing out of the drainage holes at the bottom of the pot. If so, the plant should be repotted, moving it from a small pot into a large pot. Second, after a potted flower has grown for 2-3 years, the nutrients in the potting soil are almost used up. To replenish nutrients and improve the soil, the potting soil should be replaced. When repotting, remove part of the old soil, and use sharp scissors to trim the old roots. Old roots are those rootlets that grow poorly and are blackened and shrunken. But note: when repotting seedlings, the roots must not be trimmed. When repotting a plant, make sure the roots are kept with a soil ball.

The watering issue for azaleas

It is best to use natural rainwater, because natural rainwater does not contain bleaching powder and other chemicals and impurities. Next is river water and pond water, and after that tap water. Spring and autumn are the growth, flowering and bud-development periods of azaleas, so the water supply should be appropriately greater, but do not water too much during the flowering period; too much water will make the flowers wither early. Generally, in spring and autumn, water once every 2-3 days.

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