A Gardeners Forum Forums General Discussion The Plants and Flowers Forum Shrubs and Trees my new azela shurbs HELPP!!

Hello fellow thread viewers, i recently bought my mom 8 azelias for her front yard the soil is good drainage is ok and soil is around 5.5PH....

I've been looking online on how to plant the ROOT BOUND shrubs, so what i did was make vertical incisions every 3inches around the entire rootball is and tease the bottom of them, is this ok will they grow like they should please help i spent alot of money on them, not only that i want these beautiful shrubs to strive,

You did fine when you scored the roots....

http://www.thegardenhelper.com/azaleas.htm

wow that response was fast thanks, what was actually worring me is the root ball looked the same shape still ust alot of slits around the sides are the roots going to grow out where i cut them?


and the incision varied to 1/2 to 1in deep i didnt cut all the way down to the middle of the root ball

I usually "fluff" the cut ends of the roots with my finger tips, but your plant's roots will figure out shortly that they are now free to roam...

thanks again Bill.....one more question...what signs should i look for if the plant isn't doing good and how long 2 c if thy're ok

The will probably wilt a bit until they recover from transplant shock (2 weeks or so) and then perk up. What is your climate like? If they are planted in full sun and you expect high temps, you might want to give them some artificial shade for the first week or so. Be sure to keep them well watered.

shade is good they get morning sun and shade most of the day.....they alll look great but whats i was asking is how do i know when the roots are growing proprely...will it i mean i did the right thing making slits around the root ball so they should be fine.....im just worried


there a nice pine over them w filtering shade

im in ny zone 6 i bealieve

They should be just fine!

i noe but are there any signs i need to look for that indicate that the root ball isnt doing whats its supposed to be doing

again bill thank u for all the help

anyone else have any insight?

Bill is a master gardener. If there was anything to tell he would have said it. Having killed many plants I can tell you that it will develop what look like rust spots if you have messed up.

thank u for your relpy i've been watering them regularly and they're lookin beautiful still a little early to tell if they will be ok, but i've done evrything that azelea's like ph 5.5 good soil well drained, im going to pick up some mulch today as well

Mulching is good...hopefully, the stem(s) are slightly elevated above the surrounding soil, don't worry if it's not, and don't pile mulch against the stems. 1" is a bit deep to score but should be fine. Bill said it all, absolutely great advice. As to your question, number one, Bill already said they'd be fine, I say they'll be fine, BUT! If you need proof positive that the roots are okay and beginning to grow into the new soil, just watch for new, light green growth to start forming, new leaf growth only occurs when transplant shock is over and new root growth has begun. Won't be long now, and don't worry.

i see alot of new growth but its only 4 days there slighty wilting but nothing serious, i water them thorougly every morning and once more around 530-6pm.

And no i didnt plant them too deep all the shrubs stems arent covered, as i made the hole the same depth as the container, Any specific mulch i should consider when purchasing.

Again thanks for all the help, your making me feel better already`

Some people insist that wood mulches cause shotgun fungus, which literally blats sticky spores several yards and makes a mess on siding, cars, whatever. I have never seen that here. I like cypress mulch and cedar mulch, but, if you have enough pine needles from your pine(s), those would be GREAT! Be careful not to overwater, azaleas love moist soil, but most anything can be overwatered, poke a finger an inch or two into the soil, if it's barely damp, then water. Azaleas can often take care of themselves after a year or 2 of becoming established, and then you can neglect them a bit.
You can plant ferns, hostas, impatiens, ajuga, begonias and lots of things in the shady, moist soil the azaleas like.

i planted them about 3 ft apart from the stem is this too close im going for that one huge bush look if you know wat i mean

Fungal diseases can strike azaleas and cause browning leaf margins and other symptoms. Dieback, a fungal disease triggered by stress, causes foliage to wilt and yellow and twigs and branches to die. If you see brown streaks on the cut stem, this is the problem. Remove affected branches; with special care, your plants may make it. You could also try a copper or sulfur spray or ask your nurseryman for a systemic spray.

Root rot, usually triggered by poor drainage, also strikes azaleas. With this fungus, you may see brown margins, wilting, discolored and dead leaves. Branches may die. Good drainage is the best preventative. A systemic fungicide also can be used as a control. Remove affected branches. If the shrub does not survive, remove and replenish the soil in that area.


They are pretty hardy in my book. They're everywhere around here.

will do..... but did i plant them too closely like i said before i want that one huge bush look, anything special i need to do to achieve that?

I think 3 feet is a good space. When you prune them (right after they bloom) just don't prune too much where you want them to almost touch.

thanks....i totally understand about the pruning issuse and not too prune too much.....but can i just let them grow into eachother and prune around them rather then inbetween....i also want it to serve assomething to hide me from the neighbors lol

sometimes if you don't prune just a little everywhere on the bush it will start looking leggy and not real full in those particular areas. Just take the tips off. Being brand new you don't have to prune for a few years (maybe just a pinch here and there)- wait until you see what's going to happen with them.

where do you live?

i'am in zone 6 NY

and yea you got that right im BRAND NEW to garderning i have a lot to learn, but i feel more confident that i have you nice people to reffer to

I meant the plants are brand new. Don't prune them or yourself for a few years.

lol woops theres goes a finger

btw i was looking at your picutre trail and your garden is looking

thank you. I asked a bunch of questions when I first joined up here.

i just put down red colored cedar down on my front yard around azaleas and rhodos, its got me thinking is the dye from the mulch gunna harm my plants?

anybody?

i called the numbr on the bags of mulch i bought and asked them a bunch of questions....


it's 100 percent cedar wood

the red color is a dye (iron oxcide )


so that makes the dye ok then and not artifical...am i right please helpp

anyone i dont want this cedar killing y plants

:(

guess no one wants to help any more lol

guys and girls just want to let you all know that my azalea bushes are no longer wilting (except one guess its had a harder transplant then the other 7) and there is new growth, its been raining here for 2 days straight and i guess the plants like it, also found out the cedar is good but should do pine needle much as its the most acidic, but my soil was at a good ph between 5.5 and 6.0


now on to my rose bed that im planning just bought some nice roses

ink spot
oranges and lemons (climber)
AUTUMN SPLENDOR (mini)
good ol summertime
i nmoe 4 is no big deal but i got lots more that i'am going to get