What causes azalea death
Azalea death is generally caused by the following reasons.
Alkaline and clayey soil: Azaleas are fibrous-rooted plants and require soil with a pH of 5.5 to 6.5, preferably a growing medium with strong water permeability and rich in humus. After the growing medium is mixed, it should be used only after insecticidal sterilization or high-temperature disinfection. Clay soil has poor permeability, and alkaline soil can cause small flowers, withered stems, leaves and branch tips, and even death.
Poor ventilation: Azaleas prefer cool temperatures and fresh air. Poor ventilation easily creates a high-temperature, hot and dry environment, and makes them prone to brown spot disease, red spider mites and other pests and diseases. Ventilation conditions should be improved, the branches and leaves should be sprayed and washed with clean water to increase humidity, and watering should be reduced at the same time.
Long-term insufficient light: Azaleas have brightly colored flowers and a relatively long flowering period. When placed indoors, the plant's internal nutrients are consumed in large amounts, while photosynthesis is also affected, so nutrients cannot be replenished in time, and the plant will wilt and die for unknown reasons. In summer, shading is needed to prevent strong light from scorching the leaves, but in spring, early summer and winter, they should receive light in the morning, avoiding long-term placement under weak light.
Improper watering and fertilizing: Because azalea roots are fine and delicate, they fear both dryness and waterlogging. Excessive watering can cause leaf drop and bud drop, and if they are often in a state of excessive moisture, it easily causes root rot and death. Watering should be moderate, keeping the soil alternately dry and moist, and maintaining air humidity above 70%. In winter, strictly control watering and keep the soil slightly moist. Azaleas cannot tolerate heavy fertilizer, and especially avoid concentrated fertilizer and raw fertilizer. If raw fertilizer such as rotten eggs or dead livestock and poultry that has not been decomposed, or chemical fertilizer with too high a concentration, is applied, it easily burns the roots and causes the plant to wither and die. When fertilizing, pay attention to using a small amount. If a larger amount of fertilizer is needed, the number of fertilizing times can be increased, and at the same time, a small amount of ferrous sulfate should be added. Stop fertilizing in October to avoid sprouting new branches and affecting safe overwintering.
Not repotting in time: If the pot is not changed for years, the plant will become large while the pot remains small, the roots will be too many and too long, tangled too densely, unable to spread out in the pot, nutrients will be exhausted, and over time the plant will decline and die. Therefore, repot at least once every 3 years. Remove the plant from the old pot, peel off part of the old soil, loosen the fibrous roots, cut off overly long fibrous roots as well as diseased roots and dead roots, and replace with new growing medium to promote root metabolism.