I mentioned fertilizer first because everybody seems 

 to want to fertilize. But, if at all possible, you should 

 convince your customers that fertilizing is not the most 

 important thing for plant health. Far more important to 

 azalea health (and good growth) is the use of plenty of 

 organic matter when planting and the application of 

 mulch annually. 



Mulch, for all its value, is often misused — to a plant's 

 detriment. Some people have the misconception that if 

 some mulch is good, then more is wonderful. Not so. 

 The oxygen needs of azalea roots are rather precise. 

 Cover them too deeply and they quickly die. So a rea- 

 sonable recommendation is three inches of loose mulch 

 [not peat moss) the first year and no more that two 

 inches annually thereafter. 



Azaleas need plenty of moisture — but wet feet will 

 quickly kill them. The answer is a well-drained, mois- 

 ture-retentive soil that organic matter provides. Water- 

 logged soil or clay soil creates a particular problem 

 since it drains poorly — or not at all. If a way to drain a 

 planting hole cannot be found, then the planting site 

 must be raised above the soil level. I dig a much larger 

 hole than necessary, fill it with mulch and some of the 

 soil. Then I mix the remaining soil with more mulch 

 This I mound up six to ten inches over and around the 

 hole. The azalea is then planted with no more than half 

 the root ball below the original soil level. 



Sounds almost as if azaleas were a persnickety plant, 

 but that's absolutely not true. They're tough and can 

 survive lots of abuse — much more than many other 

 plants. I've seen them growing in the wild on solid rock 

 in less than an inch of soil. But mere survival is not the 

 point. 



When your customers buy plants, they are unlikely to 

 be satisfied with anything less than top performance — 

 and mind you, that's the perfect performance they see 

 in their mind's eye. If the plant doesn't come up to ex- 

 pectations, that's your fault. If it grows well, that just 

 shows how good a gardener they are. Hopefully, they'll 

 also thank you. But on the other hand, if they just be- 

 come dependable customers, that's thanks enough for 

 anyone in business. So it's important to be able to tell 

 customers how to be successful with the azaleas they 

 buy from you. Then they will thank you in the right 

 place — the pocketbook. 



This is log's second article for The Plantsman. He hybridizes 

 azaleas with emphasis on hardiness, late flowering and resistance 

 to mildew and insects. His six-acre garden in Dover, NH (Zone 

 5A) includes a thousand or more azaleas and rhododendrons. 

 He is a member of the American Rhododendron Society and the 

 Garden Writers Association of America. NHPGA members are 

 welcome to call him at 603-749-4498 and to visit his garden. 



Some Deciduous Azaleas Suitable for New Hampshire 



H Y B R 



CULTIVARS 



Note that cultivars on this list have been chosen 

 because their known resistance to mildew and insect damage. 



Frank Abbott Zone 4A (-27F). Vibrant dark pink fragrant flowers — almost red. Blooms in late May. Full sun. 



Seven feet in ten years. 



lane Abbott Zone 4A (-29F). Extremely fragrant rich pink flowers. Blooms in late May. Full sun. Seven feet in 



ten years — wide growing. Seems to prefer a less acid soil than most — say about pH6.5. 



Lemon Drop Zone 3B (-34F). Pale yellow flowers. Red-brown winter stems. Blooms in mid-luly (long lasting) 



Full sun. Ten feet in ten years. 



Lollipop Zone 4A (-30F). Extremely fragrant pink flowers. Blooms in late )une. Full sun. Six feet in ten years — 



wide-growing. 



Parade Zone 4B (-24F) Fragrant dark pink flowers. Blooms in mid-july. Full sun. Eight feet in ten years^ 



columnar-growing. 



Peach Abbott (lane Abbott Peach) Zone 4A (-29F). Fragrant orange-pink flowers. Blooms in late May. Full sun. 



Ten feet in ten years. 



Pink and Sweet Zone 4A (-29F). Fragrant light pink flowers. Blooms in late |une. Full sun. Five feet in ten 



years — makes a mound. 



Siskin Zone 5B (-I4F). Large brilliant yellow flowers. Blooms in late May. Full sun. Ten feet in ten years. 



Although not fully resistant to mildew, it is the most resistant of any of the Ghent azaleas. 



There are likely other cultivars resistant to mildew and insect damage. However records have been kept only in recent years so 

 they are not generally known. VJhat is known is that most of the Knaphill, Exbury, Northern Lights, and Ghent azaleas are 

 extremely susceptible. Although beautiful in bloom, these hybrids are therefore not particularly desirable for home use. A number 

 of hybridizers, including the author, are working on development of resistant plants. 



THE PLANTSMAN 



