Zach, your attempts to do best for your azaleas is understood, but from what you have described, your damage is most likely caused from insufficient water and more regular water during dry periods is the only thing that will correct it.

Better to identify a problem than to apply multiple treatments and hope one works :) Spidermites will show visible webbing and insects on close inspection of leaf undersides, and fungal infections have specific symptoms too. Fertilizer will only correct low fertility and these are not shrubs with high nutritional requirements that need 'feeding' in average soil of the right ph. Never fertilize a plant stressed for other reasons, may cause more harm than good....and thats true of all plants, not only azaleas.

Any parts dead or damaged should be removed with sharp pruners so as not to offer a foothold to secondary insects or diseases. Azaleas have dormant buds all along their stems just under the bark, and should sprout from just below any cut you make. Cut back until you find live tissue. If it was drought and the top growth was damaged and the roots still healthy, they should recover even if pruned severely, assuming you can now give them regular water as needed.

These are not drought tolerant plants and will die, or parts of the plant will die, without sufficient water. You mention mulch and that's good, will help to keep the soil cool and conserve moisture.

If you have symptoms showing I haven't understood, post again, possibly with photos, and we'll start over.

Thank you very much, that's very helpful. I suspect the largest part of the problem was drought; I didn't do anything to water any of my shrubs (water is expensive in Marietta and we were under a watering ban anyway for much of the drought period).

Someone at the local nursery also suggested pruning way back after this season's blooms (if any) come off. I think I am going to go that route. Now that water is more available, could you suggest a watering schedule? The bushes cover about 20 square feet and are roughly 3-4 feet tall.

I'm very familiar with wild rhododendron from fishing and hunting up on the mountains; it's clearly a water-loving species. I imagine azaleas must be at least somewhat similar.

Thanks again,
Zach

Thank you very much, that's very helpful. I suspect the largest part of the problem was drought; I didn't do anything to water any of my shrubs (water is expensive in Marietta and we were under a watering ban anyway for much of the drought period).

Someone at the local nursery also suggested pruning way back after this season's blooms (if any) come off. I think I am going to go that route. Now that water is more available, could you suggest a watering schedule? The bushes cover about 20 square feet and are roughly 3-4 feet tall.

I'm very familiar with wild rhododendron from fishing and hunting up on the mountains; it's clearly a water-loving species. I imagine azaleas must be at least somewhat similar.

Thanks again,
Zach

PS This forum software is horribly awkward; you have to change the subject line to reply to a post in a thread you started?

Zach, i think you have to change the subject line because you responded to your own reponse only a few minutes after you posted-- that happens to me every once in a while too.

you might consider rain barrels to store water in for watering plants-- it will reduce your water bill all the time, but will give you a source of water during periods of drought (?) for your most precious plants.

diggerb

I wish I could suggest a watering schedule but it isn't quite that simple. My own garden is clay based soil, high in organic content so it drains but holds moisture...and my summer temps don't approach yours on this cool foggy coast. I water every 7-10 days without rain but my azaleas and rhododendrons are in mixed beds with other plants, some of those have even higher water requirements than azaleas do.

I would be surprised if ideal water for your azaleas in your climate would be less than once a week. Maybe someone in a warmer summer area will join in and can add to my 'guess'.

One good deep soaking will do more than more frequent shallow waterings. When too dry, the leaves should take on a bit of a dull color and may even wilt or droop some. A little of that droop on a hot afternoon is normal but if you see it in the morning, you'd better water if possible.

I understand the price of water, even ours in this rainy climate is high. But I have the luxury of only running air conditioning very rarely so can make up the difference in what I don't spend on electricity.

Hello i have a problem with my Azalea.I got it from a food pantry and it is all brown i have never have had a plant like this help please.

They like soil that is as evenly moist -not wet- as you can make it, morning and afternoon shade, 3-4" of mulch and some Spring fertilizer in the first few years only (afterwards, they will feed off the decomposing mulch). After the blooms have browned out, you can plant it on the ground if it is hardy to your zone's winter temperatures.