Azalea time…Really?
Not exactly what the books and magazines state about seasonal care of azaleas, but I have had exceptional results with working on my Kurume azaleas this month. Here are my reasons:
• Azaleas do lose leaves over the course of winter, usually holding on to only those surrounding the flower buds at the tips of branches. This makes wiring easier.
• Since the buds are already set for the spring, wiring now allows us to position flower buds exactly where we want them; thinning out excess buds to direct energy to those we want to keep.
• Wiring in winter reduces the risk of dislodging the buds; they are held tightly on the tips of branches now. Waiting until spring increases the chance of damaging the buds.
• Branches can be somewhat brittle, especially where they fork and where they join with the trunk. In the winter, they are more forgiving.
It is cold out, and I’ll admit that I’ve missed seeing the trees up on the benches, so I’ll skip ahead a little and discuss the subsequent care of azaleas, following the winter wiring.
In early April, the Kurume azaleas’ flower buds swell and reveal multiple flowers within each bud. Carefully select the strongest buds and remove others, leaving one bud at each terminal. Like balancing candles on pines, selecting the buds that are similarly-sized and advanced will assure a spectacular show in a couple weeks.
Once blooms begin to fade, carefully cut them off, including the ovary; flush with the top set of leaves. This is easily done with a sharp pair of scissors. Feed the tree heavily and let it gain some strength. It will begin to grow, and I allow free growth until early June.
In early June, I prune the trees back very hard, back to forked branches, nearly defoliating it. With few leaves on the tree to transpire, I remove the moss from the soil to facilitate the soil drying. Continue to feed the tree and let it grow freely for the rest of the year. Flower buds will set by mid-August, and that sets me up to repeat the process.
When I repot the azaleas every three years in March, I will also remove all flower buds and give it a year off to recover.
Now…back to the present. It’s cold, the trees are sleeping…and I’ve got an azalea to wire!
