Planting A Mother's Day Gift Azalea Outdoors?

Bluewing · May 11, 2009

Ok, you all have probably been asked this quite a few times....

I received a 6" potted gift Azalea on Sunday which has lots of pink blooms. My brother said it should stay as a houseplant, but I know unless you have a cool place for it, it won't do all that well in the winter months with the heat on, I tried it before and many of the leaves looked brown dry and just plain terrible from lack of humidity.

I have two Azalea's that do very well in my yard.
Can my "gift Azalea plant" be planted outdoors and survive cold NY winters? If not, why not?

Thanks for any information you may have:)

Newt · May 12, 2009

Hi Bluewing,

What a lovely gift! As to planting your azalea outside, what you have is called a florist azalea. This site should explain it.
http://www.azaleas.org/faq.html#flo

Florist azaleas
Some varieties of evergreen azaleas are grown for sale by florists in full bloom at almost any time of the year. Try to find out the variety of your gift azalea, and look it up in a reference book or in the azalea database, to see if it is cold-hardy in your area (most of them can't stand a frost). If it is, enjoy it inside until spring and then plant it outside in a part-sun, part-shade place in the garden (see planting azaleas). If you want to prune it, do that soon after it blooms, to avoid cutting off the buds for next year's blooms.

While it is in the house, remove its pretty paper wrapper, and water it deeply and infrequently. A good way is to soak it in a tub of water until the bubbles stop, and then let it drain out the excess water. Do this about once a week. Exactly how often depends on its potting mix and the temperature and humidity of the room. The goal is to have moist soil, rather than having it either saturated or dry for more than a few hours at a time. Keeping it in a cool area of the house will lengthen the bloom period. Putting the pot on or near a saucer of water and gravel will raise the humidity and help it hold its leaves.

If the azalea is not cold-hardy, you can plant it outside after the last frost, still in the pot, with the rim of the pot even with the soil level, or use it as a potted plant. Remember to water it, as the roots can only get the water in the pot. Bring it back into the house during the winter as a potted plant, and put it in the coolest part of the house during the winter.

If it will be staying in the pot, fertilize it lightly every month or so through the fall, with a fertilizer low in nitrogen and high in phosporus to promote root and bud growth without promoting plant and leaf growth. Then let it rest during the winter, but don't forget to water it. Also, carefully remove it from the pot every six months or so to check the roots. If you see fine roots circling the root ball, put it into another pot, 2 to 4 inches wider than the old pot. Before repotting it, cut those circling roots by making top-to-bottom cuts every few inches, all the way around the root ball. A good potting mix is a 50/50 mixture of potting soil and fine pine bark.
Click to expand...

Here's their site you can look at for more help.
http://www.azaleas.org/faq.html

Newt

Bluewing · May 12, 2009

Hey Newt!

Thanks so much for all the information and sites to browse! Unfortunately, the plant didn't come with a tag, so I don't know the name to look up whether it's hardy or not. I could keep it in the garage in it's pot through the winter (semi heated 50-55 degrees) that is, if I chicken out from planting it outdoors, but I'm leaning towards planting in the garden, if it makes it, great, if not, that will be ok too. I'm sure I can get another one and try the garage method next time.

Thanks again!

Newt · May 12, 2009

Bluewing, you are so very welcome! I'd say to give it a go when the flowers are gone and plant it outside with lots of compost.

Newt

Bluewing · May 12, 2009

Newt,

Yes, I think that's what I'll do, shouldn't hurt too much if it doesn't make it...

Newt · May 12, 2009

Bluewing, good luck with it!

Newt

Bluewing · May 12, 2009

Thank you Newt!

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Planting A Mother's Day Gift Azalea Outdoors?

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