Find Your Ask The Expert: I rec’d a beautiful azalea looking like the 1 in your photo. It remained so for 2 weeks but now…not only has it lost most of it’s blooms, the leaves have fallen off also. What did I do wrong??? Carol Anne
Reply:
Normally azaleas bloom only for a four to six week period. From the time they open an azalea bloom is on its way to death. This is a normal process, so blooms drying and falling off isn’t a problem. However, the leaves falling off indicate the azalea is in stress. Water is usually the culprit for this stress. Most florist azalea come to your house wrapped in beautiful paper with a bow. Which is great for presentations but should be removed as soon as possible for the health of the plant. The wrapping does not allow the plant to drain properly. You want to keep your azalea moist but not soggy and in bright light to keep it healthy. So check your soil and make sure excess water is draining away from the plant. Keep the plant evenly moist and it should start to recover. Good luck and keep me posted.
Thank you for your quick response. You called it…I, stupidly, kept the wrapping on the plant; there’s hardly a leaf left. Does it have hope? Should I remove the wilted blossoms?
You plant can still survive. Pick off any dead leaves or blooms and then keep the plant moist but not soggy. Make sure to give it plenty of light. If you live in a warm area, place it outside in the sun. However, if you are getting the severe rains we are getting you might need to keep it indoors in bright light. Good luck and keep me posted.
My Azalea has moths on it. What do I use to get rid of the Moths. It has not flowers or leaves & looks like it is dead but some of the stems are still green. Thank you for any help you can give me
First, trim off any dead stems and branches. Then determine what caused the plant to die – the moths or environmental conditions. Make sure the azaleas have not become to wet or too dry in the past few months. If the environment isn’t the problem, turn your attention to the moths – they are more than likely depositing their eggs on the azaleas and feeding on the leaves. You will need an insecticide to get rid of the moths. You can use a topical spray which will kill any moths presently on the azaleas or you can use a systemic insecticide which will give the plant protection for quit some time. You can get both products at your local garden center nursery.