Stephen M. Henning wrote:

Alexander Pensky wrote:


I have an azalea in front of the house which is in its 4th season
after being purchased in a gallon pot, and it has never bloomed.
Each year it puts out new leaves and grows a bit larger, but no
flower buds. I don't know the exact cultivar but it is one of
the deciduous ones with a very open habit and peach-colored
blossoms (well, they would be, if any ever appeared). It is
on the southwest side of the house, Zone 5-6 (Northern Ohio),
gets about 3-4 hours of sun a day, and gets no special treatment
other than watering and very infrequent fertilization.

There is another azalea next to it, planted at the same
time, which is blooming OK. It is a "Hershey" red, one of the
boxwood-like evergreen ones.

Do azaleas need to establish for a few years before they begin
to bloom? Or is mine unhappy about something (soil pH, light
exposure, etc.)



Steve, thanks for this informative reply... I'm still not
sure I can find my problem among those you listed.


This could be one of 3 distinct problems:
1) Bud Blast, 2) No Buds, or 3) Buds Dying.

[...]

I'm pretty sure I'm not getting any flower buds at all, so I
doubt that it's Bud Blast or buds dying. I think it is failing
to set flower buds.

The plant is not over-fertilized; in fact it is rarely
fertilized at all.

[...]
* 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.

I've never pruned it.

* Variety. Some plants will never bloom. Some rhododendron that come
from the seed of a hybrid plant will look good butwill 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.

I doubt it was grown from seed; it was purchased from a reputable
greenhouse.

* 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.

Nutrient imbalance is a possibility.

[...]
* Age. Most rhododendron 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.

It was in bloom when I bought it, and was in a 1 or 2 gallon container
with branches about 2 feet tall, so I assume it was at least 3 years
old when I bought it.

- Alex