Tips for Growing Girard's Dwarf azaleas
Posted: Thursday, April 17, 2008
by Neal Atwater
Getting ready to Grow!
Contrary to popular belief the Girard's Dwarf Azalea is very easy to grow. The most important factor in quality azalea growth and productivity being the use of acidic organic matter in the soil. You might have dwarf azaleas or even indica or japanese hybrid varieties. All of which require the same acidic organic soil.
An easy and cost-effective way to achieve or accumulate good soil would be a compost pile you might have or could easily start or obtain. To reach proper acidic levels you want to include plenty of pine needles in your compost heap. Oak leaves and any other coniferous leavings will work great as well giving you a well draining acidic soil which will be rewarded with thriving growth come Spring.
Choosing the right place to plant
Many people make the mistake of digging a hole in red clay and not adding any organic soil. You might as well plant it in a 5 gallon bucket of cement for similar results. Usually the plant will either drown because of the loose soil in the rock hard clay creating a bucket effect, or it's so hot you bake bricks out of the red clay which results in no water for the plant.
The best placement of these lovely plants would be 4-5 feet away from the trunk of a
pine or oak tree. This way you get the best of everything. You have a natural mulch coming from the leaves, filtered sunlight through the branches, cover from the harsh elements and most likely plenty of organic matter in the soil from the tree itself.
If you don't have pine or oak or any trees at all it would be best to find a location that gets partial shade as opposed to blistering heat all day. You'll end up with a plant that can't keep itself moist and most likely turn yellow and die. Lack of acidic soil or water will weaken your plants natural defense and often kill or at least yellow up the leaves and make an un-attractive specimen.
Mulch
Mulching is another important factor in the success of your azaleas. They have a shallow root system and need protection from the scorching heat of summer and cold winter nights. The roots only go 5 inches deep at the most and need the extra protection. Leaves and pine straw are great ways to keep your soil moist and acidic as the leaves tend to decay slower while the pine straw holds in moisture which keeps the decaying process going. 4-5 inches of mulch is ideal for these purposes.
When to fertilize
The Girard dwarf azalea is a full compact grower to 2-3 feet tall and is the first azalea to bloom come Spring. After the bloom cycle is the best time to fertilize the plant with an acid-loving plant food. Something like an Osmocote azalea slow release plant food would be the best. Just sprinkle over the mulch around the plant after it blooms out and water it in. No need to mix it in the soil and disturb roots as it releases fertilizer each time you water. This will keep your plant healthy and able to store plenty of food for the next blooming season!
Fantastic results!
If you follow these simple guidelines I promise you'll have fantastic azaleas for years to come. Just make sure you have an acidic soil full of organic matter such as pinestaw and leaves, plant in a filtered shade location under a tree or similar situation, use 4-5 inches of pine straw and leaves for mulch, and fertilize with Osmocote slow release azalea plant food or something similar after the bloom and you'll be set!
Good luck and Green Thumbs!
If you are looking for an online source for the Girard dwarf azaleas in this article try Provence Nursery
Those guys ship for free and even send a goodie bag with every order.
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Top-level comments on this article: (2 total)Thanks Neal, That was wonderful information and I know it will help my garden grow beautifully! I will send you pictures with full blooms. Blessings, Star Lyn
Thanks Star, Anything I can do to pass good info on! Thanks for the comment and feel free to ask me any other questions you might have. I'll be writing more articles in the near future so stay tuned! Thanks again, Neal
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