Azelea flowering?

Hi

I bought a couple of Azalea plants a few weeks ago, moved them into a large pot each with compost and placed them in a mostly sunny location and gave plenty of water.

For about a week there were lovely pink flowers but now nothing - just dull looking green plants. Is that it ? will they come back ? have I done something wrong???

thanks

 

No you have done nothing wrong. They flower in May. Feed them now to encourage new growth for next years flowers. Sequesterd iron is best. Are they the Mollis azaleas? You should get lovely autumn colours from the leaves. They are slow growing shrubs. Very beautiful when in flower en mass.

 

Thanks for that - at least they're OK then but I was hoping for some colour to last longer than that!

I assume I should pull off the dead flower heads which have turned brown?

 

Roger, have you put them in ericaceous compost? They need this compost if they are in posts, they won't survive in 'ordinary' compost

 

Goodness me - I've no idea! I just bought a bag of £4.99 compost from the garden centre...

 

Unfortunately they don't like it. You will need to repot them into ericaceous otherwise you will lose them:(

 

If the compost you bought is peat based it will be OK.
Unfortunately I can't get the huge bales of peat anymore. I used to mulch my azaleas in the border with that twice a year.

 

Roger - have a look around other gardens close to you. If you see Azelias, Rhodedendrons or Pieris growing in them - you soil will be OK.

I am on clay with a pH of 6.5 - which is almost neutral - just a fraction on the acidic side, and they are happy in my soil and in gardens around me. If your soil is OK you can always pot them up in half soil half compost. Or even 100% soil. If you plant them in the garden itself, they will be in 100% soil.

 

I've always been of the opinion that Ericaceous compost was a bit of a con, 9 times out of 10 it's just basic compost but without any lime:wink:

 

Just speaking from my experience with Azaleas. But I stand corrected if everyone else thinks it's okaty. I must have done something else wrong then.

 

Roger, the flowers on your Azaleas will last much longer next year if you take them out of that sunny position while they are flowering and keep them very well watered. They should be fine in general purpose compost and yes it does help them if you take the dead heads off.
You might get a bonus and get some flowers from them in the autumn and the leaves do very good autumn colour.