The azalea gardens of the South Atlantic and Gulf Coast area are notorious for their extravagant colors, and visitors from the North plan extensive tours to see them each spring.
Spring and azaleas go together, and few severe gardeners in the South do not want an azalea display of their own.
Ideal Azalea Growing Requirements
Light And Planting Season
Azaleas will grow in full sun, but the best situation is in partial shade.
As the old gardens demonstrate, an ideal location is under trees where the sunlight is filtered, and the sun cannot strike the plants directly after a freeze or while they are covered with frost.
The planting season for azaleas extends from November to April, but most of them are planted during their flowering season, February and March.
Good Soil Condition and Acidity
The soil should be acid, from 4.5 to 5.5 pH. Some will tolerate soil of lesser or higher acidity, but most will be happy in the range suggested.
Two well-known agencies for making the soil acid are aluminum sulfate and sulfur.
Soil analysis determines the exact amount to apply, but the usual application is 4 to 5 pounds of aluminum sulfate or 1 to 2 pounds of sulfur to 100 square feet of bed.
This quantity will usually bring the pH down about one point.
Iron sulfate is sometimes used in cases of chlorosis (yellowing of the leaves), but the new iron chelates seem to give better results.
The roots of azaleas are tiny and grow in a mass. Therefore, the soil should be exceptionally loose and friable to enable the root system to develop properly.
Good soil is made by mixing 2 parts of good garden loam with 1 peat moss or using a half-and-half mixture of garden loam and leaf mold.
Azalea Groups
The azaleas grown in the South may be divided into two general groups:
- The large-leaved, large-flowered, fast-growing, and somewhat tender indicas
- The small-leaved, small-flowered, dwarfish, and rather hardy Kurumes
- Other small groups are the “Japanese hardy” and the pericats. All of these are evergreen in the South.
Popular Indicas
- Pride of Mobile is a mid-season bloomer of deep watermelon pink.
- Lawsal (Daphne Salmon) is somewhat like Pride of Mobile in the character of growth and foliage, but the flowers are rich salmon.
- George L. Tabor is a late-bloomer and, for that reason, stands colder than most others in the group. The blooms are pink with dark markings.
- Southern Charm (Judge Solomon) is a pink sport of the well-known and once highly-popular Formosa, which is a not too pleasing magenta.
- Fielder’s White is an excellent white indica.
Popular Kurumes
- Coral Bells is perhaps the most popular of the group. It is a dainty hose-in-hose coral pink, shading deeper toward the center of the flower.
- Hinodegiri is perhaps the most popular red Kurume.
- Pink Pearl is a rapid-growing variety with large hose-in-hose salmon-rose flowers shading lighter toward the center—a color with strong appeal.
- Salmon Beauty has large hose-in-hose flowers of a striking salmon-pink color. It has glossy green leaves.
- Snow has pure white flowers borne in large clusters.
“Japanese Hardies” And Pericat Varieties
There are at least 3 “Japanese hardy” varieties that are dependable and showy.
- Flame is a fast grower of upright form, producing a profusion of flowers of a bright orange-red.
- Lilacina is a delicate lilac color that shows up well in contrast with the darker shades.
- Maxwelli is a vigorous, heavy-foliaged carmine.
2 pericat varieties are quite lovely and fully as hardy as the Kurumes—at least that has been my experience.
There are:
- Gardenia Supreme is a beautiful white with gardenia-like flowers
- Sweetheart Supreme is delicate blush pink.