Azaleas - curling leaves - problem?

I've planted a few azaleas in recent months. Some of the leaves on one are curling up - please see photo. Is this a problem? If so, any advice on resolving it would be appreciated.

Unfortunately, I'm not sure exactly what variety it is. I think that it's Big Point, but it might be Arabesk. I bought both together (3 litre pots from Millais Nurseries in September of last year), and now I can't remember which way round I planted them. Yes, I know that's pretty stupid of me.

In case it's relevant, I first noticed this happening about a month ago. I gave the plants a healthy dose of Vitax Azalea, Rhododendron & Shrub Fertiliser about a week ago. I also hoed in some sulphur chips.

I've not noticed any problems with any of the other azaleas in this bed, or with the rhododendrons in front of the house.

 

I think you have had a frost and it causes stress on the plant and with all this rain we have had over the winter ... they should be fine as the leaves look healthy and dont look like they have a fungus etc ,,, see what others say but thats what I tink

Spruce

 

Yes, we did have a few sub-zero nights during the winter. If that's all it is, I guess that I can stop worrying.

Thank you.

 

do you have different varieties ? some are more tough than others

 

Yes, four varieties of each of the azaleas at the back and the rhododendrons at the front. This is the only one of its kind that I have.

 

I'm wondering if they are dry at the root.
Passed some potted rhododendron earlier to day and they were doing the same thing.

 

No, definitely not. I've kept the soil moist since I planted it out last September. But thanks for the thought.

The only time it'll have been drenched is when we had a lot of heavy rain. And that won't have lasted long - it's fairly well drained. So I don't think that the opposite is the problem, either.

 

I concur with the possibility of cold weather since you got to freezing on the night of March 29. Not much. Some rhodies do the same type of curling although by late May to June, there are some leaf roller pests here sometimes. Watering deeply may help sometimes or covering them with blankets if temps go down much further. I usually keep 5-10 cms of organic mulch underneath so the soil moisture does not easily evaporate.

 

Thank you.

I don't think that the temperature two nights ago is terribly relevant: as I said above, I noticed the rolled leaves a month ago. Nonetheless, I'm very glad to hear that you agree that frost is the likely cause.

 

Yes, rhododendrons like azaleas tend to roll/curl the leaves and might resemble like a cigarette. The leaves either roll/curl up (like in your picture) or can roll/curl downwards too. On March 5th through 8th and on March 24th, you had overnight temperatures below freezing. Make sure it has organic mulch to protect the tiny, shallow roots (they are usually found in the top 10-20 cms) in their new home from these temperature fluctuations.

 

In case anyone cares, here's the same plant a couple of months later. I'm pleased to see that I was worrying about a non-problem. There are plenty of new leaves and some beautiful flowers.

This is the last of my azaleas to flower: the others have all finished, but looked lovely when they did. I'm immensely pleased, because I'm a really reluctant gardener, but I've kept this lot alive in about eight inches of soil immediately on top of chalk bedrock. And now a couple of the rhododendrons in front of the house are beginning to flower

 

Very nice, bluepeter! Post pictures of the rhododendrons too if/when you can!

 

Thank you.

OK, here are the rhododendrons. Picture taken from just inside my front door. Only two (out of six) flowering so far.



This is what that bed looked like in August of last year. I paid a couple of men to clear it out. They did the job in a couple of hours one morning, and I planted the rhododendrons the same afternoon. (I'd already had them, sitting in pots on the patio, for a few days.)

 

thanks for the update ...appreciated