What are the watering precautions for azaleas?

Azaleas are acid-loving shallow-rooted flowers with densely packed fibrous roots as fine as hair. They like moisture, dislike dryness, and fear waterlogging. Watering azaleas should be done as follows:

1. Use slightly acidic water. Azaleas like slightly acidic water and should not be watered with alkaline water. It is best to water them with soft water, because the calcium, magnesium and other inorganic salts contained in hard water often harm normal physiological activities. Rainwater, river water, lake water, pond water, etc. are called soft water, generally weakly acidic or neutral, and are suitable for watering flowers.

2. Use "aged water". At present, tap water and deep well water are commonly used for growing flowers at home. These two kinds of water are mostly hard water and often contain chloride ions, which are unfavorable to flower growth. If conditions permit, tap water should be poured into a vat and stored for 5-7 days before use. "Aged water" should be aired and sunned in a place at the same temperature as the azaleas.

3. Do not water until dry. One of the keys to watering azaleas is not to water until dry. How do you tell if it is dry? You cannot just look at whether the surface of the potting soil is dry. More importantly, you should tap the pot and listen to the sound. A dull sound means it is wet, and a crisp sound means it is dry.

4. When watering, water thoroughly. How do you tell if it has been watered thoroughly? When planting azaleas, generally about 1 cun of water space should be left. In most cases, as long as the water space is filled, it can be considered thorough. But if the soil is level with the rim of the pot or the water space is too shallow, it is hard to water thoroughly in one go. For some large pots, after the soil dries, gaps appear around the edges and water easily escapes. You may see water leaking from the bottom of the pot, but only the upper layer and the surrounding area are wet, and the inside of the potting soil has not been watered thoroughly. At this time, water once or twice more.

5. The four seasons differ. In spring and autumn, azaleas are in their growing period, so sufficient water must be ensured. Especially in spring, the frequency of watering should be relatively increased, and the leaves and the ground should also be sprayed frequently to maintain environmental humidity and reduce water transpiration from the leaves. In summer, when temperatures are high and water evaporates quickly, water once in the morning and once in the evening. In winter, the physiological activities of azaleas are greatly weakened, so they do not need much water. As long as the potting soil is kept from drying out, that is enough, and this is beneficial for overwintering.