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 | Planting Rhododendrons |
The major planting requirement for these plants is a porous, well drained
soil and high broken shade. The north or east exposure of your home is ideal
as these plants also need protection from the summer sun. However, avoid very
deep shade as you do need sun and light for good blooms.
Cultivate a planting area twice the size of the container and as deep as the
container is tall. Mix a pine bark soil amendment together with your original
soil (about a 50/50 mix) to create a 6 inch tall mound that is twice the
diameter of the container. Remove the plant from the container and, pulling
back the mixed and amended soil, place in the center of the mound so that the
root ball is even with the top of the mound. Water thoroughly to remove any
air pockets. You may discover that the mixed and amended soil has shrunken
some. Add additional pine bark soil amendment or pine bark and soil mix so
that the mound again comes to the top of the root ball. Mulch with pine straw
or pine bark to conserve moisture and protect the roots. However, be careful
to keep the mulch at least 6 inches away from the trunk of the plant.
Fertilize lightly in the early spring or summer, never in the fall. Water well
the first season until the plant becomes established.
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Selecting Azaleas for Our Area |
Cold hardiness is a major factor in selecting the right Azaleas for gardens
in the northern Atlanta suburbs. Many of you have seen azalea buds
appear and begin to open only to turn brown and mushy after one of our early
spring freezes in mid to late April. For this reason we try to carry
late blooming, cold hardy varieties, though the more cold hardy, generally,
the less lush the winter foliage. A description of the various kinds of
Azaleas with some recommended selections follows.
Kurume Hybrids. Good cold hardiness. Smaller plants but they
can reach 4 to 6 feet in height. They are slower growing and have
smaller leaves than some of the other varieties and are generally earlier
bloomers. Appleblossom (light pink), Bridesmaid (salmon), Christmas Cheer
(red), Coral Bells (pink), Flame (orange red), Hinode-giri (red), Hi-no-mayo
(rose red), Mauve Beauty (mauve), Peach Blossom (pale salmon pink), Pink Pearl
(salmon rose), Salmon Beauty (salmon pink), Sherwood Red (orange red), Snow
(white). and Vesuvius (salmon red).
Southern Indian Hybrids (often called indica). Lacking in cold
hardiness. Faster growing to 8 feet. Better suited to southern
Georgia. Formosa, George L. Tabor, and Mrs. G. G. Gerbing are some of the most
popular varieties.
Belgian Indian Hybrids. Lacking in cold hardiness. Large
flowers. Rutherford varieties are popular.
Indica Azaleas. Good cold hardiness. Late blooming, often in
May and June. Macrantha represents a group of the Indica Azaleas.
Dwarf Indica Azalea. Good cold hardiness Compact and low
growing. Most popular varieties fall under the Gumpo group.
Satsuki Hybrids. Good cold hardiness. Late blooming, from
mid-May to mid-June. Large flowers often 4 to 5 inches across.
Some have striped flowers or a margin of a contrasting color. 'Amaghasa
(red), Bunkwa (pink), Eiten (mallow purple), Gunbi (white var.), Gunrei (pink
var.), Higasa (deep rose pink), and Shinnyo-no-Tsuki (white var.).
Gable Hybrids. Very cold hardy. Varieties include: Big Joe
(reddish violet), Cameo (shell pink), Carol (violet red), Corsage (lavender),
Forest Fire (red), Herbert (purple), Mary Dalton (orange red), Purple Splendor
(purple), Rosebud (rose), Rose Greely (white), Stewartsonian (red).
Kaempferi Hybrids. Good cold hardiness (better than Kurume).
Varieties include: Alice (salmon red), Carmen (red), Fedora (violet
red), Gretchen (reddish violet), Juliana (deep pink), Kathleen (rosy red),
Mary (violet red), Norma (violet red), Oberon (soft pink), Othello (red).
Glen Dale Hybrids. Good cold hardiness. A very wide variety
plants is included in this group with early, mid and late bloomers.
Early: Dayspring (pink), Festive (white), Morning Star (deep rose),
Wildfire (red). Mid: Aphrodite (pale rose pink), Colleen (pink),
Copperman (orange red), Evensong (rose pink), Fanfare (pink), Fashion (rose),
Glacier (white), Radiance (deep rose pink), Suwanee (rose pink). Late:
Aztec (peach red), Eros (pink), Sterling (deep rose pink).
Robin Hill Hybrids. Good cold hardiness. Large flowers and a
compact growth habit. Betty Anne Voss (soft pink), Gillie (rose salmon),
Marie Derby (orange red), Nancy of Robin Hill (rose pink).
Pericat Hybrids. Lacking in cold hardiness.
(From "Azalea Culture for Georgia Gardens" by Gary Wade, James T. Midcap, and
Melvin P. Garber in southern Landscape and Nursery, March 200 3)
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