What to Do When an Azalea Withers and Dies? Cause Analysis and Solutions
Potted azaleas often wilt and die, which flower growers deeply regret. The causes and countermeasures are briefly analyzed below for reference:
1. Insufficient light time. Azaleas have large, beautiful flowers and a long blooming period, and they require ample sunlight. If placed indoors for viewing, photosynthesis is restricted, and the organic nutrients in the plant are quickly consumed, leading to death. Therefore, indoor placement should not be long, and the plant should often be placed in a sunny outdoor location.
2. Poor ventilation. Azaleas prefer a ventilated, cool growing environment. Ordinary home flower growing is mostly on balconies, where due to poor ventilation, the radiant heat of the sun cannot be dissipated through convection in time, forming a hot, dry environment. This micro-environment easily causes the reproduction of pests such as red spiders. For this reason, azaleas should be placed in a cool, humid, and well-ventilated environment, and water should often be sprinkled on the leaves and ground to increase air humidity.
3. Unsuitable temperature. The azalea blooming period is exactly the budding period, and it also coincides with the time flowers are moved outdoors, while the outdoor climate in northern spring is dry. The habits of azaleas cannot adapt to this. Even tender buds that have already grown are often sunburned due to poor shading. In addition, dry hot winds blow frequently in spring, which is fatal damage to azaleas, which like humidity. In response to this situation, during overwintering they should be placed indoors with the temperature kept at 5-10°C. After being moved outdoors in late April, they should be shaded with reed curtains from 8-9 a.m., and the reed curtains should be opened at 5-6 p.m. At the same time, water should often be sprinkled on the leaves and ground to control the attack of dry hot winds.
4. Improper fertilizing. Azaleas do not greatly like fertilizer. Some people, eager to care for the flowers and considering that the blooming period consumes a large amount of nutrients, apply a large amount of fertilizer, resulting in increased fertilizer content in the soil, causing reverse osmosis of cell sap and making the plant wither. Others apply bean cake, fish intestines, and similar materials as fertilizer in the pot, not realizing that when these things rot in the soil, a large number of microorganisms become active, causing the soil to lack oxygen and the root system to suffocate and die. In response to these situations, fertilizer should be applied in small amounts and many times. If bean cake, fish intestines, and the like are used, they must be fully decomposed before application, and a small amount of ferrous sulfate can be added to prevent leaf yellowing.
5. Improper watering. Many flower growers believe that watering the flowers every day will make them flourish, not realizing that too much watering can instead cause bud drop, root rot, and death. Others water at hot noon or in the morning and evening of cold days. Because the temperature difference is too great, this seriously affects the growth of azaleas. In response to these situations, watering should be advocated as "see dry, see wet"; generally, watering thoroughly once every 2-3 days is enough. In summer, watering in the morning is best, and in winter, watering at noon on sunny days is best.
6. Not repotting in time. Some flower growers do not repot azaleas for a long time. As the plant grows larger, the root system cannot spread out, and the soil nutrients are exhausted. Some people also often pour leftover tea into the flowerpot, thinking it can add nutrients, not realizing that tea is alkaline while azaleas prefer acidity, so it is not suitable for their growth. Therefore, they should be repotted about once every three years, replacing the soil with well-drained sandy loam with a pH of 5.5-6. After a year or so, it is even better to dilute vinegar into a thin solution and spray it on the leaves.
7. Failure to control pests and diseases in time. Azaleas are often harmed by scale insects and red spiders. They should be promptly sprayed with 1500 times diluted fluoroacetamide to kill them. When the number of pests is small, they can also be brushed off with a brush.