Who can resist a houseplant completely covered in blooms in the dead of winter? The florist’s azaleas sold as houseplants are tender shrubs originating in Asia. They are not suitable for growing outdoors, and require some special care to keep them happy indoors. Azaleas bloom in shades of pink, white, peach, lavender, red or bi-colours, usually double or semi-double. Some even have ruffled petals.
Florist’s azaleas bloom for three to four weeks with the right conditions. When purchasing an azalea, look for some open flowers and lots of buds showing just a hint of colour. Protect it from the cold and drafts when bringing it home. Drainage is critical, so if the pot is covered in plastic or foil remove it to uncover the drainage holes. Place your new plant in bright light, but not direct sunlight, away from sources of heat. Protect it from cold drafts and provide a little extra humidity by setting it on a pebble tray. The pebble tray should have some water that evaporates and provides extra humidity, but the pot should not sit in water. It is best not to mist the plant because azaleas are prone to fungus which can kill the plant.
Azaleas are acid loving plants, so if you have hard water, use distilled water to water your azalea. Do not allow it to dry out, but make sure it is well drained. Do not fertilize your azalea while it is in bloom. Deadheading spent flowers will keep it in bloom as long as possible.
Once it has stopped blooming it may be difficult to get it to rebloom. At this point many people will discard the plant. Another reason to not keep it around is that every part of the plant is poisonous. If you have a cat, dog or small child that likes to nibble on plants, you may not want to keep it around.
If you want to try to get your azalea to bloom year after year you have to provide the right conditions. After flowering prune back your azalea. It is a small shrub. Only repot every three years or so, with a peat-based potting mix. Azaleas bloom better if slightly pot-bound. Azaleas require a two month rest period - place the plant in a cool room with less light. Cut back watering, but do not allow it to dry out. Fertilize every two weeks with special fertilizer for acid-living plants diluted by half. If you can not obtain the right fertilizer right away you should be fine for a while if you use distilled water and regular houseplant fertilizer. Once it forms buds you can bring it back out to enjoy the blooms.
