A few practical tips for keeping azaleas at home

Azaleas are deeply loved by gardeners for their abundant blooms and vivid colors. But many people find that when they first bring an azalea home, the flowers are bright and the leaves green, yet after being kept indoors for a long time, the leaves turn yellow and drop, and the flowers become smaller and fewer. How do you grow azaleas well? Based on years of experience, the author believes the following three points should be noted:

1. Humidity. Before being bought and brought home, azaleas are grown and maintained in greenhouses, where the air humidity is high and suitable for azalea growth, but the air humidity in ordinary homes is very low, especially in heated apartment buildings in winter, where the indoor air humidity is even lower. Because the growing environment changes, azalea leaves very easily turn yellow and drop, and the flowers bloom smaller and fewer. Therefore, after bringing an azalea home, you should frequently spray the plant with clean water to increase the surrounding air humidity, and at the same time wash off the dust stuck to the flowers, branches and leaves.

2. Fertilizing. Azaleas are flowering plants that love fertilizer, and their fertilizer needs are even greater during vigorous growth and peak blooming. However, when fertilizing, you must not apply a large amount all at once; instead, follow the principle of "light fertilizer applied frequently, small amounts many times" to prevent the azalea's roots from being burned or rotted by too strong a fertilizer concentration. For fertilizer, it is best to use fermented liquid from sesame cakes, peanut cakes, bean cakes, etc. When fertilizing, take the clarified liquid of the well-fermented cake fertilizer, dilute it with water and apply it around the edge of the pot; the remaining residue can be applied as a base fertilizer when repotting the plant.

3. Water quality. Azaleas are fairly strict about water quality and prefer slightly acidic water; alkaline water easily slows azalea growth, ages the plant, and can also easily cause iron deficiency. Water in the north, however, is mostly on the alkaline side, with a relatively high content of calcium and magnesium ions, and is not suitable for watering azaleas. When watering, it is best to use rainwater or clean melted snow water (their water quality is neutral or slightly acidic), and add a small amount of ferrous sulfate while watering; this can both supplement the iron element the plant lacks and acidify the water, giving a better effect.