did you prune them? prunign azaleas after they've already set flowers (usually right after they bloom) for the next year will keep them from flowering.

Marcy, yes I pruned a few that were getting out of hand and I didn't expect blooms from those. But the ones I never touched didn't bloom. One I checked on this morning that has always bloomed no matter what the weather also has all dead buds. Obviously, something is going on. I will try to see that a few of my favorites have enough water this year. I'm wondering if something that my neighbor's yard people is putting on his grass is having something to do with the problem. A lot of his yard drains across ours. And he changed yard maintenence companies last year.

Possibly twig blight? I don't know anything about it except it causes buds to die. I don't think it causes all of them to die at once though. But you could check it out

It doesn't take much cold weather. Just a good frost one night at the wrong stage in the bud development and the buds are burnt! I would suspect that the ones that look eaten have been visited by aphids.

Thanks to all for your answers. It's just that this has never happened before. I always look forward to the azaleas in the spring and my years are getting fewer. Now I have to wait till next year to see the blooms- at least I hope they will bloom next year.

I have a few azaleas that didn't bloom also. I am blaming it on those three nites of heavy frost that we had a few weeks ago. The 3rd nite was especially cold in my area. I think the flower buds got zapped that nite.

I've had some spotty azalea blooming as well. I've been thinking that some of them may be just late this year, but now I don't know.

I have posted a couple of pictures of last years' azalea's blooms at the Photography Forum. I sure was looking forward to seeing them again this year. Now, I have to wait another year.

I have a lawn chemical business and have 5 customers with dieing azaleas. These houses are miles apart. At first It looked liked herbicide damage, but that has been ruled out. As the bloom dies the branch dies, and the plant defoliate heavyly, the new growth has tiny leaves, and when we cut the stems they are a odd color green inside. It has several of us baffeled including a county agent, and a local azalea grower. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
John

That is very scary. I think I found out what was wrong with my azaleas, they were sitting in water. The 3 that I moved are doing much better (well, one isn't, but it doesn't look any worse.

The ones in the back that have previously looked the best, but had minimal blooms are also putting on new leaves, but have had some die back as described in the post above.

I've also lost a few Encores last year. Not sure what it was.