Polar wrote:

After I bought an azalea at Nursery "A", I passed by Nursery
"B" run by Japanese. Saw a lot of azaleas sitting out. Asked the
young man about them. He said their azaleas are grown outdoors, and
not "forced", like the one I just bought. Therefore their blooming
cycle is more natural. Whereas the greenhouse-grown ones are full of
blooms when they arrive at the nursery,but then they abruptly lose hem
all and it's quite a while till they bloom again.

What do people think of this explanation?


It is a perfectly reasonable explanantion - "florist's azaleas" are forced
into bloom through the manipulation of chemicals. They are also very
highly hybridized for bloom size and color. They are sold as temporary
blooming houseplants and in many cases, will not transition successfully
to outdoor planting. If they do transition, it may take a number of years,
if ever, for them to bloom. Much better to get those bred for outdoor
conditions and hardiness - they will fare much better in the long run.

pam - gardengal