Help for re-blooming azaleas

[BoPeep75]

Can anyone tell me why my re-blooming azaleas look like this? I live in zone 7. I’ve had them for over five years and every spring and summer they look the same. I fertilize them with azalea fertilizer per the instructions, and they only get morning /very early afternoon sun. They were in the ground for four years, and last year I moved one into a raised bed and one into a pot to see if that helped, thinking our partly clay soil wasn’t doing them any favors. Even though I grow lavender and Russian sage and other things that don’t like partly clay soil, these are doing the worst. The one in the pot and the one in the raised bed did not fare any better. I used to think late freezes were harming them, but we have had several mild winters through those years, and it doesn’t change anything. I’ve tried for five years to fix them and if I can’t figure it out, I’m going to have to pull them. I have 4 different types, one of which is a dwarf variety.

 

[Chuck]

I see a lot of yellow leaves with green veins which shows a micro-nutrient deficiency, probably iron or magnesium. I would use Chelated Iron. It should clear up within 10 days.

 

[Meadowlark]

Have you checked the ph of the soil lately?

Main reason I ask is because Lavender and Russin Sage both of which you mentioned are doing well in the same soil likes a ph range of 6.5 to 8.

Azaleas absolutely need a ph level below 6.0 to thrive.

I've seen encore azaleas look just like yours due to high ph levels in the soil.

 

[BoPeep75]

Thank you! I didn’t specify, but I do have more of an alkaline/dry bed that is separate and that is where the lavender and Russian sage grow. That is more of my rock garden kind of area. I was assuming that the azalea fertilizer would make it acidic enough, but perhaps you are right. I’m going to have my husband pick up some test strips today because I can’t keep looking at these things like this. I don’t know if you know this by any chance… I have always heard that roses and raspberries like acidic soil as well. And I know blueberries and azaleas do. All of my roses do great and my raspberries do great. My blueberries and azaleas have not done well ever (separate beds but same fertilizer) and I wonder if they require even more acidity than roses and raspberries. I use the Espoma brand made specifically for acid-loving plants. But hopefully the strips will give me some kind of answer.

 

[BoPeep75]

I see a lot of yellow leaves with green veins which shows a micro-nutrient deficiency, probably iron or magnesium. I would use Chelated Iron. It should clear up within 10 days.

Thank you. I’m gonna see if he can find any where he’s at right now. I honestly have never seen this in the store but I will order online if I have to. I love azaleas, but they don’t appear to love me. I would love to save them if I could so I’m pulling out all the stops

 

[Meadowlark]

...My blueberries and azaleas have not done well ever (separate beds but same fertilizer) and I wonder if they require even more acidity than roses and raspberries.

Yes, absolutely they do, blueberries especially (blueberries must be grown in very acidic soil with a ph of 4.0 to 5.3). Blueberries are NOT forgiving on this point as I have learned the hard way. Azaleas are more forgiving but still require acidic at ph 4.5 to 6.

Contrast that with roses which prefer ph of 6.5. See the incompatibility? If roses are doing fine, the blueberries will very likely die, and azaleas will suffer in the same soil at 6.5.

Synthetic fertilizers won't fix the problem...only reduce symptoms somewhat.

 

[BoPeep75]

Yes, absolutely they do, blueberries especially (blueberries must be grown in very acidic soil with a ph of 4.0 to 5.3). Blueberries are NOT forgiving on this point as I have learned the hard way. Azaleas are more forgiving but still require acidic at ph 4.5 to 6.

Contrast that with roses which prefer ph of 6.5. See the incompatibility? If roses are doing fine, the blueberries will very likely die, and azaleas will suffer in the same soil at 6.5.

Synthetic fertilizers won't fix the problem...only reduce symptoms somewhat.

I usually use chicken and goat manure, as well as the Espoma, which I mainly only used on the acid loving plants as I thought that was helping. I also make compost and comfrey tea. What would you specifically suggest? I’ve found some organic iron tone from Espoma as well. I honestly don’t know much about Espoma but I thought it was essentially OK. I have only ordered ordered fertilizer that was either this brand or organic fish liquid fertilizer. I don’t want to use anything synthetic anyway, but especially not on food. I thought Espoma brand was more “natural”. Please correct me if I’m wrong. I see that miracle grow has organic stuff too, but I don’t buy that.

 

[Meadowlark]

The first thing to address is ph.

What ph do you have in the soil with the Azaleas?

That needs to be 4.5 to 6...somewhere in that range, preferably closer to 4.5 than to 6.

If it is above 6, which seems likely, then soil amendments will be needed to reduce it. I don't trust those colored strips myself as they aren't precise enough IMO, but you can try it that way.

Adjusting ph is best done slowly and methodically checking and re-checking the ph as you go.

As far as fertilizers, what you mentioned is fine as well as the @Chuck recommendation for chelated iron....but if the ph is off, they won't fix the problem.

 

[BoPeep75]

I also hate the strips. I don’t feel they are especially accurate. I’ve never tried the probe, but I have my doubts about that as well. I may buy one that has especially good reviews to try it, but in the meantime, I have ordered some natural things to acidify the soil. Hopefully I can come back in a couple of weeks and tell you I see marked improvement.

 

[lucy willard]

The problem might not be the soil or freezes, but rather that the azaleas are getting too much sun or are stressed from being moved. Even morning sun can be too much for some varieties, especially in zone 7. If there’s been no improvement in 5 years, it makes sense to consider replacing them with something that thrives better in your conditions

 

[BoPeep75]

The problem might not be the soil or freezes, but rather that the azaleas are getting too much sun or are stressed from being moved. Even morning sun can be too much for some varieties, especially in zone 7. If there’s been no improvement in 5 years, it makes sense to consider replacing them with something that thrives better in your conditions

It is certainly possible that I will have to replace them, but I’m going to give them at least a few weeks with the amended soil and see if that helps them. Hopefully I will have good news by then. I never considered the pH since I was already adding a soil acidifier, and the test strips were always very vague. One time it would be be high and the next time it would be low. But it makes sense. I had some rhododendrons and blueberries both die, and I just assumed they were in the wrong spot even though other plants did better . I really hope that this fixes them, but if not, I always have roses waiting in the wings to be planted!