Azaleas prefer soils whose aciduty is 6 or lower but tolerate less acid soil up to a point. A value under 7 means your soil is acidic, 7 means it is neutral and values above 7 mean the soil is alkaline. If your azaleas do not show symptoms of iron chlorosis (the leaves turn light green or yellow except for the leaf veins which remain dark green) then you do not need to amend the soil. Otherwise, add some sulphur (1 Tbsp), some green sand or some iron sulphate around the main trunk once a year.

Some azalea varieties tend to look leggy always while others get leggy when they get too little sun; around 4 hours of sun during the summer should be ok. More than that and the leaves might scorch from our hot summer sun. Pinching of new leaf buds in Spring sometimes help achieve a fuller look.

The meter reads from 8 (Alkaline) to 3.5 (Acidic). I would think that if Azaleas like Acidic soil that the number would be in the 5 range, but I have never used a meter like this before and I know it is a cheap meter, about $10.00. It may not give a true reading. I have used chemicals to test a swimming pool and dirt before. I will check the meter with a chemical test.

Last year I used some Azalea plant food and when I planted them I used Pine Straw to cover the beds. I have pictures that you can see.

Here is a link that might be useful: Encore Azaleas

If the leaves are yellow with green veins, they are chlorotic and have a problem such as the soil is not acidic enough.

If the leaves are nice and green, they they are OK and are managing just fine.

Here is a link that might be useful: How to care for azaleas

I re-checked the acid content of my soil, every place that I checked it is about 6 to 6.5. That is in the root system of the Azaleas and other flower beds also. The Azaleas just are not doing well, at least I don't think they are. They are blooming now, but not very full and pretty thin on leaves also.

I have put out some 8-8-8 fertilizer and I just bought a Miracle Grow sprinkler and their fertalizer for Azaleas. I used it on about 1/2 of them this afternoon, of course it is too soon to tell anything.

Is there any kind of spikes that would build up the acid content of the soil? I have pictures that you can view, listed below.

Here is a link that might be useful: Azalea and the soil.

Sure my soil is acid enough, but still in the habit of adding used coffee grounds to my azaleas, holly, camellias, and other acid lovers.--Good organic source for lowering pH.

Rolacoy, your azaleas don't look chlorotic as though grown in soil with too high a ph to me. They look more like they have suffered from drought at some point and have not yet recovered. Azaleas are not particularly heavy feeders with high nutrional requirements - you can cause more harm than good by over fertilizing, it's not a cure all. (Those inexpensive meters are not thought to be good measures of soil ph in any case, you would need to take sample and have a genuine soil test done - by a lab.)

njoasis, any time an organic material is applied at a rate faster than decomposition is taking place, an acid condition will follow. But spent coffee grounds themselves will usually test out to almost neutral, or very barely acidic at best.

Here is a link that might be useful: Soil Testing LSU