A cold hardy ( down to -5 degree Fahrenheit ) , evergreen azalea of mass medium to large size grown for it ’s large flower . Girard Unsurpassable has a compact form and beautiful blush wine - pinkish peak . This particular azalea crossbreed was breed by Girard Nursery ’s in Geneva , Ohio . Flowering time is from early to late spring calculate on cultivar and growing mood . flora as you would any of the other azalea : in high spirits and in well - drained , acerb dirt , robust with organic issue . Though azalea have a potentially large tilt of possible pest and disease problems , they are unremarkably trouble innocent if plant correctly in proper cultural conditions .
Google Plant Images : sink in here !
Characteristics
Requirements
Plant Care
Fertilizing
Light
You will comment that sun and shade patterns change during the daytime . The westerly side of a house may even be shady due to shadow cast by big tree or a structure from an adjacent holding . If you have just bought a novel menage or just begin to garden in your older home base , take time to map sunshine and shade throughout the mean solar day . You will get a more accurate feel for your land site ’s straight unclouded conditions . circumstance : filter LightFor many works that prefer part suspect atmospheric condition , filtered lightis saint . Good planting site are under a mid to large sized tree that lease some Christ Within through their branches or beneath tall plants that will provide some protection . condition : Partial Sun , Partial ShadePart sunorpart shadeplants prefer lightness that is filtered . Sunlight , though not direct , is important to them . Often dawning sun , because it is not as secure as good afternoon Dominicus , can be consider part sun or part shade . If you experience in an expanse that does not get much intense sun , such as the Pacific Northwest , a full sun exposure may be fine . In other areas such as Florida , works in a location where afternoon shade will be receive . Conditions : Full to Partial SunFull sunlightis needed for many plant to assume their full potential . Many of these plant will do fine with a small less sunlight , although they may not blossom as heavily or their foliage as vibrant . Areas on the southern and western sides of building normally are the sunniest . The only exception is when houses or building are so unaired together , shadows are cast from neighboring properties . Full sun usually means 6 or more 60 minutes of unmediated unobstructed sunlight on a cheery daytime . Partial sun receives less than 6 hours of Dominicus , but more than 3 hours . flora capable to take full sun in some climates may only be able-bodied to endure part sun in other climates . Know the culture of the plant before you buy and set it!Conditions : Types of PruningTypes of pruning admit : pinching , thinning , shearing and restore .
Pinching is remove the fore crown of a young industrial plant to promote branching . Doing this avoids the need for more severe pruning later on .
Thinning involves removing whole branches back to the trunk . This may be done to open up the interior of a plant to permit more Christ Within in and to increase tune circulation that can cut down on works disease . The best way to begin thinning is to begin by get rid of all in or diseased wood .
Shearing is leveling the Earth’s surface of a shrub using hand or electric shears . This is done to maintain the trust shape of a hedging or topiary .
Rejuvenating is remotion of sure-enough branches or the overall step-down of the size of a shrub to furbish up its original form and size . It is recommended that you do not get rid of more than one third of a plant at a clock time . think to absent subdivision from the inside of the flora as well as the exterior . When rejuvenating plants with cane , such as nandina , cut back cane at various heights so that plant will have a more natural look . condition : Light and Plant SelectionFor safe works public presentation , it is desirable to match the correct plant with the available light conditions . correct works , veracious place ! works which do not have sufficient light source may become pale in color , have fewer foliage and a " leggy " stretched - out show . Also await plants to grow wearisome and have fewer blooms when ignitor is less than desirable . It is potential to provide supplementary kindling for indoor plants with lamp . plant life can also receive too much visible light . If a shade make love industrial plant is let on to verbatim Lord’s Day , it may wilt and/or get leaves to be sunburn or otherwise damaged . Conditions : Full SunFull Sunis define as pic to more than 6 hours of continuous , verbatim sun per day .
Watering
The key to watering is water deeply and less frequently . When watering , water well , i.e. provide enough piss to thoroughly impregnate the root ball . With in - land plants , this means thoroughly soaking the filth until water has penetrated to a deepness of 6 to 7 column inch ( 1 ' being better ) . With container grown plants , hold enough water to allow pee to flow through the drainage pickle .
attempt to irrigate plants early in the day or subsequently in the afternoon to keep up pee and turn out down on works stress . Do water supply betimes enough so that weewee has had a chance to dry out from industrial plant leaf prior to night fall . This is predominant if you have had fungus job .
Do n’t wait to water until plants droop . Although some plants will reclaim from this , all plants will die if they droop too much ( when they arrive at the permanent wilting point ) .
Consider water conservation method such as drip irrigation , mulching , and xeriscaping . trickle systems which easy drip moisture directly on the antecedent system can be purchased at your local home and garden center . Mulches can importantly cool down the source zone and conserve moisture .
Consider adding water - saving gels to the root zone which will sustain a reserve of weewee for the works . These can make a earthly concern of difference especially under stressful experimental condition . Be sealed to stick with label directions for their use .
Planting
A week to 10 days before planting , tot up 2 to 4 inch of aged manure or compost and work into the planting site to improve fertility and increase water retention and drainage . If dirt report is weak , a bed of topsoil should be considered as well . No matter if your soil is sand or clay , it can be improved by adding the same affair : constituent matter . The more , the estimable ; work deep into the soil . cook bed to an 18 inch deep for perennials . This will seem like a tremendous amount of work now , but will greatly pay off later . Besides , this is not something that is easily done later , once plants have been established . How - to : Pruning Flowering ShrubsIt is necessary toprune your deciduous anthesis shrubfor two intellect : 1 . By removing sure-enough , damaged or drained wood , you increase air flow , concede in less disease . 2 . You rejuvenate new growing which increase flower production .
Pruning deciduous shrubs can be separate into 4 mathematical group : Those that requireminimal pruning(take out only dead , diseased , damaged , or crossed branch , can be done in early spring.);spring pruning(encourages vigorous , raw growth which create summer flowers - in other word , flowers look on raw wood);summer pruning after flower(after inflorescence , cut back shoot , and take out some of the old growth , down to the ground);suckering habit pruning(flowers appear on wood from previous year . Cut back flowered stem by 1/2 , to strong growing novel shoots and slay 1/2 of the flowered halt a couple of in from the ground ) Always polish off stagnant , damaged or diseased woodwind first , no matter what type of pruning you are doing .
example : Minimal : Amelanchier , Aronia , Chimonanthus , Clethra , Cornus alternifolia , Daphne , Fothergilla , Hamamelis , Poncirus , Viburnum . Spring : Abelia , Buddleia , Datura , Fuchsia , Hibiscus , Hypericum , Perovskia , Spirea douglasii / japonica , Tamarix . summertime after flush : Buddleia alternifolia , Calycanthus , Chaenomeles , Corylus , Cotoneaster , Deutzia , Forsythia , Magnolia x soulangeana / stellata , Philadelphus , Rhododendron sp . , Ribes , Spirea x arguta / prunifolia / thunbergii , Syringa , Weigela . Suckering : KerriaHow - to : Planting ShrubsDig a muddle twice the size of the ancestor formal and mystifying enough to found at the same level the bush was in the container . If soil is pitiable , dig hole out even wide-eyed and fill with a mixture half original soil and half compost or dirt amendment .
Carefully remove bush from container and gently freestanding roots . Position in core of gob , good side present forward . replete in with original dirt or an amended mix if needed as described above . For big bush , work up a water well . Finish by mulch and water well .
If the plant is ball - and - burlapped , take away fastener and fold back the top of born burlap , pucker it down into pickle , after you ’ve place bush . Make indisputable that all gunny is buried so that it wo n’t wick water away from rootball during hot , juiceless periods . If synthetic gunny , remove if potential . If not possible , cut away or make slits to allow for roots to develop into the new soil . For bigger shrubs , build a H2O well . Finish by mulching and watering well .
If shrub is stripped - root , look for a discoloration somewhere near the base ; this crisscross is likely where the dirt line was . If soil is too sandlike or too clayey , total organic thing . This will help with both drainage and water property mental ability . Fill soil , firm just enough to support bush . Finish by mulch and water well .
Problems
Prevention and Control : Isolate infest works from those that are not . Consult your local garden snapper professional or the Cooperative Extension office in your county for a legal insecticide / chemical substance recommendation . promote natural enemies such as gentlewoman beetles in the garden to help reduce population levels of mealy bugs . Pest : WhitefliesWhitefliesare little , wing louse that see like tiny moths , which snipe many types of plant . The flying adult stage prefers the underside of leaves to give and stock . Whiteflies can multiply cursorily as a female person can lay up to 500 eggs in a life couple of 2 months . If a plant is infest with whiteflies , you will see a swarm of fly dirt ball when the plant is trouble . Whiteflies can weaken a flora , eventually leading to set death if they are not checked . They can carry many harmful flora viruses . They also produce a sweet substance visit honeydew ( covet by ants ) which can head to an untempting disgraceful surface fungal growth called sooty mould .
Possible control : keep weeds down ; utilization block out in window to keep them out ; remove infest plants away from non - infested plant ; use a musing mulch ( Al hydrofoil ) under plant ( this repels whiteflies ) ; trap with lily-livered sticky cards , practice label pesticide ; further instinctive enemies such as parasitic WASP in the garden ; and sometimes a good steady shower of water will wash them off the plant . Pest : AphidsAphids are minuscule , soft - corporal , slow - moving dirt ball that suck fluids from plant . Aphidscome in many color , ranging from green to John Brown to black , and they may have flank . They attack a wide range of works mintage causing stunt flying , deformed parting and buds . They can transmit harmful works viruses with their piercing / suck mouthparts . Aphids , generally , are but a pain in the neck , since it take many of them to induce serious works damage . However aphids do produce a sweet substance called honeydew ( coveted by ant ) which can lead to an unattractive black Earth’s surface growth called coal-black cast .
Aphids can increase speedily in numbers and each female can produce up to 250 lively nymphs in the course of a month without mating . Aphids often seem when the environment changes - spring & fall . They ’re often mass at the tip of branches eat on lush tissue paper . Aphids are attracted to the color yellow and will often hitchhike on yellow habiliment .
Prevention and Control : Keep weeds to an absolute lower limit , specially around suitable plants . On edibles , lap off infected domain of plant life . dame bugs and lacewings will fertilise on aphids in the garden . There are various products - constitutional and inorganic - that can be used to control aphid . Seek the good word of a professional and follow all label procedures to a football tee . fungus : RustsMostrustsare innkeeper specific and overwinter on leaves , stems and spent flower rubble . Rust often appears as low , smart orange , yellow , or brown pustule on the bottom of parting . If allude , it will leave a colored spot of spores on the finger . because of fungi and spread by splashing water or rainwater , rust is bad when weather condition is damp .
Prevention and Control : Plant immune variety and provide maximal air circulation . cleanse up all junk , specially around plants that have had a job . Do not water from viewgraph and urine only during the twenty-four hour period so that plant will have enough prison term to dry out before dark . Apply a fungicide judge for rusting on your flora . Fungi : Powdery MildewPowdery Mildewis usually found on plant that do not have enough air circulation or enough light . Problems are big where nights are cool and days are warm and humid . The powdery white or gray-headed fungus is usually found on the upper surface of leaves or fruit . leaf will often twist yellowish or brown , kink up , and drop off . New foliage emerge crinkled and distorted . Fruit will be shadow and often drops early .
Prevention and Control : Plant resistant varieties and outer space plants properly so they receive enough illumination and strain circulation . Always water from below , keeping weewee off the foliage . This is paramount for roses . Go tardily on the nitrogen fertilizer . practice fungicides according to label direction before problem becomes stark and follow focussing exactly , not missing any required treatment . Sanitation is a must - clean up and remove all leaves , flower , or debris in the evenfall and ruin . pestilence : CaterpillarsCaterpillars are the unripened kind of moth and butterflies . They are voracious feeders attacking a wide miscellany of plants . They can be highly destructive and are characterize as leaf eater , stem rock drill , leaf rollers , cutworm and tent - formers .
Prevention and Control : keep weeds down , scout private plants and remove caterpillars , apply labeled insecticides such as easy lay and oils , take advantage of natural enemies such as parasitic wasps in the garden and use Bacillus thuringiensis ( biological war ) for some caterpillar species . disease : Pythium and Phytophtora Root RotRot Rot , PythiumorPhytophthoraoccurs when grunge wet stratum are excessively mellow and fungal spores present in the soil , occur in inter-group communication with the susceptible plant . The base of stem discolor and shrink , and leaves further up the stalk wilt and croak . Leaves near base are bear on first . The roots will turn black and molder or break . This fungi can be introduced by using unsterilised ground mixing or contaminated water .
Prevention and ControlRemove impact plants and their roots , and discard surrounding soil . put back with plant life that are not susceptible , and only use fresh , sterilise soil premix . Hold back on fertilizing too . Try not to over water plant life and check that that soil is well drained prior to planting . This fungus is not treatable by chemicals .
Rhizoctonia Root and Stem Rot symptoms seem standardized to Pythium Root Rot , but the Rhizoctonia fungus seems to thrive in well drain soils . Diseases : BlightBlights are get by fungi or bacteria that kill plant tissue . Symptoms often show up as the rapid detection or wilting of foliage . There are many different blights , specific to various plants , each requiring a wide-ranging method of control . Pest : LacebugsLacebugsare white to pale brown , 1/8 inch long , orthogonal in embodiment with have lacy wings and normally observe on the bottom of leaves where they suck sap . nymph may appear spiny and darker than adults . Lacebugs , which do not fly , are sometimes confused with whiteflies that do fell . harm usually appears as stipples or " " bleach - looking " " spots on the leave of absence . intemperately , pitch-black excretory product can commonly be found on the undersurface of leaves . hurt is most seeable during the summertime , especially on trees . Flowering shrub , though alert , appear debile and almost lifeless .
Prevention and Control : If infestation is soft , wash forth with a reverse lightning of soapy water or prune aside infest leaves or limbs . Timing is important : spray according to the Growing Degree Days ( GDD ) in your surface area . To control insects , spray underside of leave with a recommended insect powder according to label directions .
Miscellaneous
The most crucial thing to consider is buzz off sufficient water supply taken up into the cut stem . deficient water can leave in wilting and short - lived flowers . bended neck of rose , where the flower head sag , is the result of hapless water consumption . To maximise water uptake , first re - cut the stems at an angle so that the vascular system ( the " " plumbing " " of the stem ) is clear . Next immerse the cut stem in strong water .
Remember when the flower is foreshorten , it is edit off from its food provision . Once water is taken guardianship of , nutrient is the imagination that will run out next . The plants stems naturally flow the blossom with sugars . If you add a bit of cabbage ( 1 tsp . ) to the vase water , this will facilitate launch the heyday stems and extend their vase life .
bacterium will make up in vase water and eventually clog up the root word so the flower can not take up water supply . To foreclose this , exchange the vase piddle ofttimes and make a unexampled slice in the stem every few days .
Floral preservative , useable from florists , contain sugars , acids and bactericide that can extend cut blossom life . These amount in small packet and are broadly speaking uncommitted where cutting flowers are sold . If used properly , these can protract the vase aliveness of some weakened flowers 2 to 3 times when compared with just plain water in the vase . Glossary : TolerantTolerant refers to a plant life ’s ability to tolerate photo to an external condition(s ) . It does not mean that the plant thrives or prefers this situation , but is able to adapt and continue its biography cycle . Glossary : PruningNow is the preferred clock time to clip this plant life .
