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Too late to move azaleas

firstforgardeningfirstforgardening Posts: 16
in Plants
Hi

Could anyone advise if it’s definitely too late to transport our 2 azaleas into large planters now? Our garden has alkali soil so they weren’t thriving last year so we’re going to pot in half whisky barrels with ericaceous. 
The problem is we thought we did this late spring and apparently we’re supposed to do when they’re dormant. 1 has now had leaves and flower buds for a couple of weeks, the other just has buds. 

Shall we wait til autumn or can we do now?

Cheers
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Posts

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    I'd just do it now. If you leave them in unsuitable soil , they'll only deteriorate anyway. Water well before and after. 
    Make sure they're in a soil based mix though - not just compost.  :)

    I'd remove the buds to help make it easier to establish them, but you may want to risk it so that you get the flowers  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    I agree,  I’d do it now. 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • firstforgardeningfirstforgardening Posts: 16
    Thank you fairygirl very much for the great advice.

    Im not sure I can bring myself to cut off the buds! Id have to risk it and leave them or wait til autumn and give them iron feed over the next couple of months. 

    When you say soil mix, does top soil count as the soil part? We have fine composted bark, ericaceous compost and top soil. Our garden soil is alkali so I don’t think I should mix that in.

    Thanks again 👍 


  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Bark, and soil that's neutral to acidic is ideal, so you'd need to buy some topsoil if yours is alkaline. You can add some compost too if you have it.
    The bark will gradually break down the same as the compost, so just keep adding it now and again.
    Make sure they're planted at the same level as they were in the ground, and make that level fairly high - at about an inch or so from the top of the container. If you fill the containers and then plant at that level, the azaleas will sink along with the soil mix, and then it's awkward because you can't just top them up as you'd be burying the roots and main trunk too much. 
    Hope that makes sense!
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • firstforgardeningfirstforgardening Posts: 16
    Yep that makes sense, I’ll plant them right at the top of the barrels. 
    I have too soil so will do 40% top soil, 40% ericaceous compost and 20% bark, hopefully it does the trick 🤞.

    I’ve attached pics of the 2 azaleas, you can see 1 tree is much further along. could you tell me where to cut the buds if I do cut them? Maybe I’ll just take off half the buds as a compromise to give the trees more energy to focus on establishing roots etc.

    Sorry for all the questions! 
  • bédébédé Posts: 3,095
    Any shrub with fibrous roots is more forgiving of a move.  I moved rhodendrons, and deciduous and evergreen azalea to a new garden in July 1976.  Successfully.

    Don't forget to water well and keep watering.

    I wouldn't use top soil if it is alkaline.  Although regular treatment with Sequestene should help.
     location: Surrey Hills, England, ex-woodland acidic sand.
    "Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    No need to apologise - asking questions is the smart thing to do @firstforgardening :)
    If you want to leave the buds, that's fine. If you take them off, just nip them off where they're coming from the stems.  :)
    Just make sure the soil you have isn't the alkaline stuff from your garden. It might be easier to get some of the JohnInnes mixes from your local GC or similar. There's specific mixes for various different shrubs/trees. You can then mix your compost and add the bark as a mulch. I've never used them, but lots of people here do, and as long as you check the labels to get the right one, that should be fine. It [John Innes] is simply a formula for a soil based medium, and is mixed with other things according to the type of plant it's for. 
    Make sure the drainage is also good in your tubs. You can add some grit or fine gravel through the mix as well if you feel it's bit heavy.  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • firstforgardeningfirstforgardening Posts: 16
    Thank you, your help is hugely appreciated and we’ll follow your advice. 
    Omg they are heavier than I thought! 

    I’ll take a few of the buds off too 😢

    cheers 
     
  • bédébédé Posts: 3,095
    edited April 2023
    firstforgardening said:
    Omg they are heavier than I thought! 
    I bought a large deciduous azalea on the Friday at the Chelsea Flower Show.   It was about 4ft tall.  When I came to collect it, the root was almost as big and very heavy.  I could walk about 100yds before resting; This got successively shorter.
     location: Surrey Hills, England, ex-woodland acidic sand.
    "Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
  • firstforgardeningfirstforgardening Posts: 16
    I know!! My arms are still sore from moving plants over the weekend 😣 
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