Hello, Alameda. You can get answers to many questions at the Azalea Society Of America's website; click on the link below.

These are some of their basic requirements: the soil should be somewhat acidic, moist, should drain well; temps should be in the range of zones 6 thru 8ish; some types can handle full sun in the north but we need to place them where they get no afternoon shade (dappled sun is best; bright shade is good too); mulch heavily with 2-3' of pine bark or pine needles; do not fertilize (use a cup of cottonseed meal after flowering at first); water when the soil feels dry on the top 2 inches (I also water extra if I know it is going to be windy). Azaleas are shallow rooted so do not disturb their tiny roots when working around the plants. Remember to water during the winter months too.

Good luck, Luis

Here is a link that might be useful: Azalea Society Of America

Should I remove ALL THE DEAD BUDS from my Fashion Azalea?

I have 3 fashion azaleas that have never bloomed in three years. They are green and healthy otherwise. Fertilize 2x year with holly green fertilizer. Please advise?

Don't fertilize. It inhibits blooming.

To bloom they need some sun around bloom time and on into early summer. That is when they are forming the new flower buds. Do not prune until after they bloom and then prune soon after they bloom since they will start forming the next years flower buds then.

Drought also inhibits flower bud formation or will prevent flower buds from opening. Here are some more details. You will have to look to see if you have buds that didn't open, or if you never had buds.

Failure to set flower buds may be a sign of too much health and vigor in a plant. One solution my be to prune the roots by cutting around the plant with a spade or moving the plant. This will check foliage growth and encourage production of flower buds. Application of nitrogen rich fertilizers are the main cause of vigor which suppresses flower bud production. Deadheading flowers as soon as they wilt can promote flower bud production. Too much shade, a cool wet summer, or inadequate phosphorus or potassium in the soil may also suppress flower bud production. There are a number of other reasons for a lack of flowers. The effect of each variable depends upon the variety of the plant. The effects include:

Pruning. The buds are formed in late summer and early fall so pruning then or later is not advisable since it will remove flower buds. New leaf buds will form in the spring, but new flower buds won't form until the next year.

Variety. Some plants will never bloom. Some azaleas that come from the seed of a hybrid plant will look good but will never produce flowers or will produce very poor flowers. To come true to the parent plant, a hybrid may be propagated by cuttings or tissue culture but not from seed. A good hybrid seedling only comes about once in a while. For that reason it is important to know that you are getting a good named variety or a good species.

Fertilizing. Nitrogen promotes leaf and branch growth and discourages flower bud production. It can also force late season growth that gets killed or stunted by frost damage. Phosphorus promotes flower bud production and hardiness. Potassium is necessary for well being.

Weather. Cold weather can kill flower buds. Usually you see the brown buds in the spring. Cold spells in the fall or spring can damage buds that are not hardened off. Bud blast (blooming in fall or winter) uses up good buds which are then not available at the normal blooming time.

Age. Most azaleas take 2 to 3 years to bloom from a rooted cutting unless forced. Some take longer and some bloom sooner. From seeds the plant may take 1 or 2 additional years.

Sun & Shade. Some azaleas need full sun to bloom and others can take fairly dense shade. In general, the more sun the more flower buds but also the greater exposure to damage from desiccation in summer or winter.

More shade produces tall spindly foliage and less flowers.

Inspection. You can usually tell if the plant has ever bloomed. A azalea that has bloomed will have the seed pods on it unless it has been dead-headed. If dead-headed too late after blooming, new flower buds can be damaged.

There are many other cultural variables that influence the plant's health and hence, its ability to produce flowers.

Failure of flower buds to open could be due to a number of reasons. On a mature plant if they ever bloomed they will have a few of the seed pods still here and there. If you can't find any old seed pods, then they may have never bloomed. In any case, here are a few suggestions that may help:

Bud blast. Disease may attack the buds before they open. If it is a fungal infection, the dead bud will be covered with short hair-like structures.

Bud set. The buds could be foliage buds rather than flower buds. In this case check the previous section about flower buds not setting.

Fall Blooming. Some causes of fall blooming include a dry summer and moist fall and/or warmer climates including a warm fall. For some reason, fall blooming is more common in Georgia according to Dr. Sandra McDonald. Plants which are not sufficiently hardened off or are exposed to unseasonable warm spells can start bloom prematurely. These blooms are seldom satisfactory and many times get frozen before opening fully. In any case, the seasonal bloom is lost. Avoid application of nitrogen after late spring, but phosphorus and potassium may be applied during the growing season. Application of nitrogen too late in the season can hinder hardening off in the fall.

Low temperatures. The buds could be flower buds that froze. Early frosts are especially destructive. Plants harden off progressively in the fall. If a frost occurs before hardening is complete, the frost can kill flower buds. Late frosts in the spring after dormancy is broken is also a problem. This is especially true of early bloomers such as PJM that break dormancy very early. Cold climates may be too cold for many azaleas. Most azaleas have a low temperature at which the flower buds are damaged and will not produce flowers. It varies greatly from variety to variety and somewhat from season to season. Flower buds can also be damaged by cold, dry winds, particularly when warm winter weather is followed by a period of bitter cold.

Nutrients. Improper nutrients my be a problem that affects cold hardiness and flower bud set. A few things you can do are to fertilize with phosphorus (super-phosphate) per directions to increase hardiness and flower bud set. This can be done any time. Do not use nitrogen rich fertilizers as they may inhibit flower bud production and also reduce cold hardiness. Lawn fertilizers are notoriously high in nitrogen and should be kept away from flowering plants.

Acidity. Measure the pH and acidify if necessary. Flowers of sulfur (powdered sulfur) or iron sulfate are the best chemicals to use to increase the acidity [lower the pH]. Do not use aluminum sulfate since aluminum salts build up in the soil and eventually becomes toxic to many plants including azaleas. If soil is too acid, the symptoms can be the same. Very acidic soil can prevent the roots from taking up nutrients. As many of my azaleas are planted in very acidic forest soil, an application of Dolomite and a light topdressing of mushroom manure in late spring is all they need. Sprinkle the lime on in late winter, very early spring. Don't overdo it - just a light sprinkle. If it is mid-spring, get the lime on right away so the azalea roots will be able to take up the soil nutrients in time for new growth. If you don't have rain, water it in well.

Protection. If the plants are wrapped in burlap during the winter, they may gain a few more degrees in hardiness.

Drought. When soil moisture is too low, the buds will not open as shown in photo on the right. Watering will usually resolve this condition if detected soon enough. Also, summer drought with a moist fall can contribute to fall blooming.

Deer Damage. Deer and rabbits may eat many of the flower buds as they browse in the winter, particularly if the weather is harsh and other food is scarce.