Azaleas for Spring

Planting Guide for Spring

Plant sunflowers now from seed. Choose either the multi-stemmed kinds for cut flowers or the giants for edible seeds. Prepare for planting season by turning in cover crops and conducting a soil test if your garden had trouble last year.

Plant lawns now from seed and reseed established lawns to fill in bare patches. Attract birds to your yard with bird feeders—goldfinches will visit thistle feeders, while rufous-sided towhees prefer seed feeders.

Perennial vegetables like asparagus, artichokes, and rhubarb can be planted now.

Growing Azaleas

Azaleas are compact, evergreen shrubs that produce some of the loveliest spring flowers. They thrive in partial or filtered shade and make excellent border plants, living for many years with proper care.

Planting Azaleas

• Plant in well-drained, cool, moist, acidic soil.
• Dig a hole 18–24 inches wide but only as deep as the root ball.
• Amend soil with peat moss, planting mix, or ground bark (up to 50%).
• Plant the azalea slightly higher than ground level, ensuring the root ball surface remains exposed.
• Avoid burying the root ball or over-fertilizing, as azaleas have sensitive fibrous roots.

Care and Maintenance

• Use a non-burning organic fertilizer (e.g., cottonseed meal) or an azalea-specific chemical fertilizer monthly in April, May, and June.
• Switch to a 0-10-10 fertilizer in July, August, and September.
• Water to keep soil moist but not soggy to prevent root rot.

Cold-Hardy Varieties

• Kurume azaleas: Dense foliage with small flowers in red, pink, lavender, purple, and white. Hardy to 5°F.
• Satsuki azaleas: Looser form with large, sometimes striped or multi-colored flowers. Hardy to 5°F.
• Belgian Indicas & Southern Indicas: Suitable for areas where temperatures stay above 20°F.

Companion Plants

Pair azaleas with rhododendrons, Lily of the Valley shrub (Pieris japonica), Japanese Snowball bush (Viburnum plicatum), or Japanese maples for a harmonious garden design.