Top 5 Gardening Tips for Encore Azaleas

Winning Formula: How to keep your Encores in tip-top shape

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Assure success for your Encore Azaleas by following these easy tips:

1. Mix your native soil with lots of decomposed organic material when planting your Encore Azaleas.

50 to 75 percent is not too much, especially if you have heavy clay soil. This will promote the well-drained, acidic environment that azaleas love. Make your own mixture of humus, decomposing pine bark or pine straw, and peat moss, or purchase compost or soil conditioner to   add to your native soil.

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2.  Make sure your Encore Azaleas get at least 4-6 hours of direct sun per day to promote abundant blooming.

Morning sun with partial afternoon shade is ideal.

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3.  Plant your Encore Azaleas in spring, fall or winter.

You may plant your Encore Azaleas in spring after danger of frost has passed, or even during the winter if you live in milder regions where the soil does not freeze. Spring is best for zone 6 and for zone 5, if conditions allow. In most zones, planting in the fall is also an ideal time as it allows their roots to become established before they bloom, and before enduring the stress of summer heat.

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4. It is important that your azaleas receive plenty of water while their roots are developing.

This is critical during the summer months of their first year in the ground. The soil should be moist but not soggy. Supplemental watering will depend on how hot it is and how much rain you receive. When you water, thoroughly soak the entire root ball. However, remember well-draining soil is essential. If the roots stay wet, they can rot.

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5. Prune at appropriate time

To shape or to stimulate growth and flowering, prune your Encore azaleas immediately after their spring bloom. Pruning later in the year may result in loss of buds for your next bloom cycle.

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