Planting gift Azalea outdoors?

Discussion in 'Annuals, Biennials, Perennials, Ferns and Bulbs' started by Bluewing, May 11, 2009.

  1. Bluewing

    Bluewing Well-Known Member

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    Ok, you all have probably been asked this quite a few times....
    I received a 6" potted gift plant on Sunday that is flowering with lots of pink blooms. My brother said it should stay as a houseplant, but unless you have a cool place for it, it won't do all that well in the winter months with the heat on, I tried it before and many of the leaves looked brown dry and just plain terrible from lack of humidity.

    I have two Azalea's that do very well in my yard.
    Can my "gift Azalea plant" be planted outdoors and survive cold NY winters? If not, why not?

    Thanks for any information you may have:)
     
  2. joclyn

    joclyn Rising Contributor

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    your brother is correct that azalea don't do well as houseplants unless you can give them a bit of cold treatment so that they can go into their natural dormant period. it's tricky to do and still give it the moisture it needs to survive. i've had bonsai azalea and they're even harder to care for when trying to give a period of dormancy.

    usually, when things are forced by the nursery to bloom, they don't do well when transplanted outdoors. since this IS the natural time for azalea to be in bloom, then it might do okay transplanted because it probably wasn't forced (or not too much, rather).

    i'd start acclimating it to the outside temps right away - start off with it in a shaded spot that gets indirect light and is protected from excess winds (it's still a bit too chilly at night yet). by the time you get it out into full sun and fully exposed to breezes it'll be a steady minimum 50 (or higher) at night and then you can get it into the ground.
     
  3. Bluewing

    Bluewing Well-Known Member

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    Thanks a lot joclyn!

    It was my brother who suggested that it be kept as a houseplant, I really didn't think it would do well at all indoors, no cool enough room in the winter....

    Good to know it has a good chance to live outdoors like my other ones that weren't gift plants.
    I'll put it outside tomorrow (in it's pot) and bring it into the garage at night, then later when the temps warm and stay up, I'll plant it in the ground. I planted another ''gift" Azalea a few yrs back, but that was in the fall and it didn't make it, so I wasn't sure about planting this one, but know I think it died mostly because it didn't have time to adjust well before winter set in.

    Thanks again:)
     
  4. joclyn

    joclyn Rising Contributor

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    azalea are quite hardy - after they've gotten acclimated and have been able to get their roots situated, that is.

    so, planting in fall just wasn't enough time before dormancy for the roots to get situated...this one should fare much better :)
     
  5. Bluewing

    Bluewing Well-Known Member

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    Yes, I think this one will do better then the last one, already have a nice spot picked out.
     

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