Green Gardening – Organic Supplements for Azaleas

Last Updated on Wednesday, 29 June 2011 16:01 Written by Corrina Monday, 06 June 2011 19:30

Expand your green lifestyle in the garden by choosing organic supplements for azalea-preferred plant food and soil enrichment.

Making compost. Composting is an easy and cheap way to garden organically since all the ingredients are readily available in your landscape and home. All you have to do is build or buy a compost bin and water and stir on occasion. Compost should include Carbon-rich ingredients such as leaves, hay, and straw along with Nitrogen-rich ingredients such as grass clippings, weeds, and vegetable and fruit peels.

N-P and some K. Fertilizers contain Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium, elements that are essential for plant growth. A typical azalea fertilizer analysis is 6-10-4 and while you can find pre-mixed organic fertilizers in your local nursery, there are other organic materials that introduce these elements to the soil and plants.

• Nitrogen-rich ingredients include grass clippings, weeds, and fruit and vegetable peels. Homemade compost (as mentioned above) can be loaded with Nitrogen and provide balance when mixed with materials high in Carbon.

• Cotton seed meal is very good "green" fertilizer for azaleas. Knowing the Ph of your soil and amending the soil appropiately before planting, correctly planting, properly mulching and fertilizing azaleas can help save time and valuable resources. You may try pine nuggets and pine needles for mulch, pine bark for soil amendments.
  

• Greensand sandstone raises Potassium without affecting the soil’s pH level.

More acid, please. Introduce more acid to the soil with tea, vinegar, coffee grounds, and saw dust. Coffee grounds increase acidity as well as Nitrogen and sawdust increases Carbon – a balanced combination when used together.

To view the full Encore® Azalea Collection, click here. For more gardening tips, check out our Care Tips, by clicking here.