I bought this hardy plant in the spring when it was blooming. I repotted it into a larger pot, and eventually after the bloom, it dropped most of its leaves. During the summer, it recovered and now it has healthy green leaves..will this plant bloom again this fall or is it just a cool spring plant? Its in a 10" container. also should I fertilze and if so what is good for Azalea's?
You don't say if it's a deciduous or evergreen azalea, but either way, it shouldn't've dropped most of its leaves at that time of year, so something must have stressed it -- dry soil, or a heatwave, or too much sun I'd guess. It might be difficult to keep its soil properly moist in such a small container. The same stress that caused it to drop leaves may have kept it from budding properly for next year. But if it did set buds properly, then it'll bloom next spring. Otherwise it may skip a year. While not impossible, it is highly unlikely that you have an azalea that would bloom twice a year, as they are few & far between; they mostly bloom only in the spring.
As a generality azaleas want a mild fertilizer of the sort sold for evergreen trees or even labeled specifically for rhododendrons & camellias. I intentionally underfertilize mine but they're all in the garden & get topcoatings of compost. A more regular fertilizing schedule will be more important when kept in a container.
-paghat the ratgirl
Azaleas, for the most part*, bloom once each year in the spring. Your plant should have set buds for next year starting in July. Now it is hard to tell the difference between foliage buds and flower buds. You plant should have set both. Normally hardy plants are planted before winter. If you don't plant it, I would at least bury the pot in soil to protect it from too much freezing and thawing if you live in that kind of climate.
Fertilizing is not a good idea now. It should be hardening off for the winter. In the spring, when all frosts are gone, a good fertilizer such as HolyTone would be a good idea if used in moderation. Too much fertilizer can cause the leaves to fall off, not prevent it.
I just had an azalea bloom this week. I think the seasons have gotten all mixed up or something.
This is called sporting. Some azaleas are very prone to this. A group of azaleas called Encore Azaleas have been bred to bring out this trait and are being sold for this quality. In general it is a product of genics that are easily fooled and a weather pattern that tricks the plant into breaking dormancy or thinking(?) that it was dormant when it wasn't.
The upside is that you can enjoy a little color now. The downside is that this bud will not open again and is lost from the spring display.
I have a large old evergreen rhody that "looks almost like" Lee's Dark Purple, though I've never been certain what it is, & every year it reblooms in Autumn. The rebloom is as extravagant as the original spring bloom, & subtracts nothing from the following spring. The first photo on this page shows it in October:
I also have a Korean azalea that puts on a very tepid Autumn rebloom, but only like three or five unexpected blossoms vs the shrub vanishing under blossoms in spring.
-paghat
how does one know what variety of Azalea's they have. home Depot is notorously bad in describing some plants, and are of no help.
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