Help - Azalea!

I have an unhappy, maybe dying azalea. But this particular azalea is one of two I got from my grandmother who has passed away this past year. She got her original cuttings from my OTHER grandmother, who has also passed on much longer ago.

Both were limbs that had rooted. I potted both and brought one to my home north of Atlanta. The other is at my parents home in central Georgia. There's is doing great, so I won't absolutely die if this one doesn't make it, but I want to do what I can.

I had noticed that spring had not perked it up like the one at my parents, but being 150 miles further south than I am, I thought maybe it just wasn't time yet. It started looking wilty in the hot sun and I moved it into the shade (I don't live somewhere permanent yet and it's a small cutting that I expect to stay in pots for awhile if possible).

This weekend, I thought maybe the pot was the problem, so I got a new pot and some nice potting soil and came home to move it. Then I discovered the problem. The pot wasn't draining properly. So, my azalea has been getting drowned. I got as much of the damp soil off as I felt safe and repotted it.

It's not looking any better today.

What should I do? Leave it in it's new pot and water well? Don't water much?

Any advice on how to give it the best chance for survival is appreciated.

Thanks,

Mark

Reply to
Booster Gold
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If your azalea has root rot, it is terminal and can not be stopped. Let's assume that your azalea will be OK. Planting in an acidic soil high in sphaghnum peat moss is ideal. However repeated transplanting is not a good idea. I would try to nurse it back to health. Only water when the soil is getting dry, then water thoroughly. Make sure that the drain is open. Twice a year sprinkle a teaspoon of powdered sulfur on the soil before watering. This will help increase the acidity slightly.

You might try putting coffee grounds on the soil. It will also help increase acidity.

Reply to
Stephen M. Henning

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