I bought this hardy plant in the spring when it was blooming. I repotted it
into a larger pot, and eventually after the bloom, it dropped most of its
leaves. During the summer, it recovered and now it has healthy green
leaves..will this plant bloom again this fall or is it just a cool spring
plant? Its in a 10" container. also should I fertilze and if so what is good
for Azalea's?

In article ,
(Wishy13764) wrote:

I bought this hardy plant in the spring when it was blooming. I repotted it
into a larger pot, and eventually after the bloom, it dropped most of its
leaves. During the summer, it recovered and now it has healthy green
leaves..will this plant bloom again this fall or is it just a cool spring
plant? Its in a 10" container. also should I fertilze and if so what is good
for Azalea's?

You don't say if it's a deciduous or evergreen azalea, but either way, it
shouldn't've dropped most of its leaves at that time of year, so something
must have stressed it -- dry soil, or a heatwave, or too much sun I'd
guess. It might be difficult to keep its soil properly moist in such a
small container. The same stress that caused it to drop leaves may have
kept it from budding properly for next year. But if it did set buds
properly, then it'll bloom next spring. Otherwise it may skip a year.
While not impossible, it is highly unlikely that you have an azalea that
would bloom twice a year, as they are few & far between; they mostly bloom
only in the spring.

As a generality azaleas want a mild fertilizer of the sort sold for
evergreen trees or even labeled specifically for rhododendrons &
camellias. I intentionally underfertilize mine but they're all in the
garden & get topcoatings of compost. A more regular fertilizing schedule
will be more important when kept in a container.

-paghat the ratgirl

--
"Of what are you afraid, my child?" inquired the kindly teacher.
"Oh, sir! The flowers, they are wild," replied the timid creature.
-from Peter Newell's "Wild Flowers"
See the Garden of Paghat the Ratgirl: http://www.paghat.com/

(Wishy13764) wrote:

I bought this hardy plant in the spring when it was blooming. I repotted it
into a larger pot, and eventually after the bloom, it dropped most of its
leaves. During the summer, it recovered and now it has healthy green
leaves..will this plant bloom again this fall or is it just a cool spring
plant? Its in a 10" container. also should I fertilze and if so what is good
for Azalea's?

Azaleas, for the most part*, bloom once each year in the spring. Your
plant should have set buds for next year starting in July. Now it is
hard to tell the difference between foliage buds and flower buds. You
plant should have set both. Normally hardy plants are planted before
winter. If you don't plant it, I would at least bury the pot in soil to
protect it from too much freezing and thawing if you live in that kind
of climate.

Fertilizing is not a good idea now. It should be hardening off for the
winter. In the spring, when all frosts are gone, a good fertilizer such
as HolyTone would be a good idea if used in moderation. Too much
fertilizer can cause the leaves to fall off, not prevent it.

* There are azaleas that are not very hardy called Encore Azaleas that
bloom twice a year in the Southeast US.

--
Pardon my spam deterrent; send email to
Visit my Rhododendron and Azalea web pages at:
http://home.earthlink.net/~rhodyman/rhody.html
Also visit the Rhododendron and Azalea Bookstore at:
http://home.earthlink.net/~rhodyman/rhodybooks.html
Cheers, Steve Henning in Reading, PA USA http://home.earthlink.net/~rhodyman

Bigger pot would be better, since 10-in. sounds dinky. Then,
depending on what Zone you are in, you can bury the pot in the ground
to help it overwinter, or surrounded the pot with mulch to insulate
the base. Keep it sheltered from wind in semi-shade. They usually
only bloom in the spring, and prefer acidic soil. There are some real
azalea experts here who can tell you a lot more.

Do a Google search for "potted azalea care" or just "azalea care", and
you will get an oodleplex of hits.

-- pelirojaroja




(Wishy13764) wrote in message ...
I bought this hardy plant in the spring when it was blooming. I repotted it
into a larger pot, and eventually after the bloom, it dropped most of its
leaves. During the summer, it recovered and now it has healthy green
leaves..will this plant bloom again this fall or is it just a cool spring
plant? Its in a 10" container. also should I fertilze and if so what is good
for Azalea's?