A Gardeners Forum Forums General Discussion The Plants and Flowers Forum Shrubs and Trees Encore Azaleas in Fort Worth, TX

I have three beautiful encore azeleas that were planted by a landscaping service last year. Two of them are doing great, but the third looks like it is dying. They also put in a soaker hose to the bed they are in. Is the soaker hose supposed to be above the dirt? I have a feeling that the bush is not getting as much water as the other two. I open the faucet all the way as I was told to do, but maybe the hose is clogged with dried mud.

My question is, can I prune the bush back, how much and when? Thanks for the help.

Soaker hoses do go above the dirt but below the mulch. If you haven't mulched, I recommend doing so...it will help them retain water. The hoses can get clogged sometimes, too. Never prune a water stressed plant...it can kill it. Are the leaves turning yellow, or are they brown and dry? If yellow, it is probably a nutrient deficiency, most possibly iron, and a good dose of iron rich fertilizer can help. If the leaves are brown and dry, then it's a water issue, and it will depend on the severity as to whether giving it more water will correct it or if it's too late.

Is the sick one in too much sun? The leaves on some of mine turned yellow a few years back and put out some iron and it got better.