@User Damn.... :) Congrats on such a nice plant!

Of course, 6.3 is pretty close to their target range of 4.5 to 6.0.... But still an interesting data point.

I think your best bet is to acidify your own soil and load it with compost. My "soil" pH is 8.5, and I see folks around the neighborhood with beautiful magnolias in their yards. So it can be done.

But honestly, how much of a hassle it is to spread some sulfur and compost once a year? 5-10 minutes?

Encore Azaleas wrote an article specifically for North Central Texas (I am in Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas) that suggests 15 inches high. Here are the details:

https://encoreazalea.com/plant-care/how-to-care-for-encore-azaleas-in-north-central-texas/

Of course, you still have to continue amending the soil with sulfur/etc. in order to maintain some acidity. By the way, it is not always necessary to get the soil pH down so much as some azalea varieties tolerate s o m e alkalinity, just not a lot. I use a lot of organic compost with azaleas in my alkaline soil.

@JoJo (Nevada 9A) I don't believe a little sulfur is going to take ground soil from pH 8.5 to 5.0. To move 3.5 points on the pH scale you are looking at a LOT of sulfur, and probably many applications in order to avoid a heavy burn by a single large application.

Trust me I will forget to apply that powder, and certainly, the next homeowner will not want the burden of that. I want something more foolproof.

Westes, you don't need to acidify all the way down to 5.0. I don't know where you get this number. My previous garden was in Maryland where the pH is around 7-6.5 (mine was 6.8). EVERYBODY has azaleas, gardenias and camellias around the house.

I had to acidify my blueberry patch and some hydrangeas (because I wanted blue flowers) but that's it.

You don't just dig in sulfur -- it has to be combined with compost. Compost is a buffering agent in the soil -- in alkaline soils it absorbs ions to make it closer to neutral. It's not a huge change, but plants notice. Your azaleas will be fine.

And... LOL, set your smartphone to remind you once a year...😁

"What is the strategy landscapers use?"

The strategy the best and most experienced landscapers use is to select plants that will do well in the indigenous soil. The "right plant, right place" concept :-) If you do not have naturally acidic soil conditions, then do not plant ericaceous or acid loving plants!! Or plant them in containers or raised beds where you can import or tailor the soil specifically for their needs.

btw, as JoJo noted, most plants are a bit flexible about their pH requirements. You will find sources stating the 'preferred' pH range but that does not necessarily mean that the plants will not thrive outside those 'preferred' conditions. Soils in the western Washington area of the PNW are generally only slightly acidic - 6.0 to 6.5 - yet all manner of acid loving plants grow happily here without any acidifying amendments. In fact, blueberries are grown as commercial crop under these same pH levels.