Azalea blooming out of season
 

Hola, amigas/amigos

I put in a new azalea in a LARGE pot on the E. side of the house (So.
Calif coastal) about 6-7 weeks ago.

It took right away and is growing fine. But it has put out a couple
of blossoms, way out of season. May be due to warm-ish "autumn",
or...

Is this going to affect normal blooming later on?

Any experience appreciated.

Persephone

Azalea blooming out of season
 

On Sun, 22 Oct 2006 11:14:26 -0700, Persephone wrote:

Hola, amigas/amigos

I put in a new azalea in a LARGE pot on the E. side of the house (So.
Calif coastal) about 6-7 weeks ago.

It took right away and is growing fine. But it has put out a couple
of blossoms, way out of season. May be due to warm-ish "autumn",
or...

Is this going to affect normal blooming later on?

Any experience appreciated.

Persephone


Sometimes my azaleas will bloom twice, a "strong" bloom in the spring
and a "weak" bloom in the fall.

Azalea blooming out of season
 

On Sun, 22 Oct 2006 11:14:26 -0700, Persephone wrote:

I put in a new azalea in a LARGE pot on the E. side of the house (So.
Calif coastal) about 6-7 weeks ago.

It took right away and is growing fine. But it has put out a couple
of blossoms, way out of season. May be due to warm-ish "autumn",
or...

Is this going to affect normal blooming later on?

Any experience appreciated.

There are a couple varieties on the market these days that bloom two
or three times a year.

Regards,

Hal

Azalea blooming out of season
 

Persephone wrote:
Hola, amigas/amigos

I put in a new azalea in a LARGE pot on the E. side of the house (So.
Calif coastal) about 6-7 weeks ago.

It took right away and is growing fine. But it has put out a couple
of blossoms, way out of season. May be due to warm-ish "autumn",
or...

Is this going to affect normal blooming later on?

Any experience appreciated.

Persephone

Keep it watered, moist but not wet. That's especially important during
Santa Anna conditions. (Today, the humidity did not go above 26%
relative and stayed mostly below 20%.)

If the foliage seems to yellow but not fall, give it a slight feeding
with commercial azalea/camellia food. However, if the leaves turn
orange or red, the variety is deciduous; then don't feed.

Don't prune until after spring flowering.

I have two 'Inga' azaleas in pots, one in front (about half-day sun) and
one in back (mostly shade). The one in back is not blooming right now.
The one in front has not really stopped blooming since spring. All
the others -- George Taber, Alaska, Formosa, and Pride of Dorking, all
in the ground -- are waiting for spring.

--
David E. Ross
Climate: California Mediterranean
Sunset Zone: 21 -- interior Santa Monica Mountains with some ocean
influence (USDA 10a, very close to Sunset Zone 19)
Gardening pages at http://www.rossde.com/garden/