How to care for Dandong azaleas through the summer in the south

Dandong azaleas like a cool and humid environment. When growing Dandong azaleas in southern cities in summer, shade cloth must be used, otherwise the sunlight will scorch the leaves and affect flower bud growth. At the same time, spread a layer of straw bags or sawdust on the ground, about 5 cm thick, and water it thoroughly. Place a layer of bricks on top, then set the flower pots on the bricks. In hot weather, in addition to wetting the ground every day, spray the azalea leaves several times a day to create a cool and humid microclimate suitable for Dandong azalea growth. After the plum rain season ends, southern cities immediately enter the hot season. In early July, apply a light fertilizer to help flower bud formation. After that, do not apply liquid fertilizer to the pots during the hot season to avoid root damage. To keep the azaleas growing well and safely through the summer, you can also spray the leaves once a week with a 0.2% potassium dihydrogen phosphate solution. During the hot season, every ten days dilute 25% omethoate with water to 1000-15000 times solution and spray it on the leaves to control pests. Every ten days, spray the leaves with 800-1000 times solution of thiophanate-methyl, or 500 times solution of carbendazim, which is very effective for sterilization and disease treatment.