What Azaleas Do Well In The Sun?
The azalea belongs to the genus Rhododendron, and they’re one of the most beautiful bonsai plants. Not only can they be trained, but they also bear the most amazing flowers.
In this guide, we’ll show you which azaleas do well in the sun and which are better off indoors.
Types of Azaleas and Sunlight
There are two types of azalea; evergreen and deciduous. The evergreen azalea, which does not lose its leaves in the fall, originates from Japan, China, Korea, and Taiwan. The deciduous azalea, which does lose its leaves, originates from Northern America, Eastern Europe, Japan, China, and Korea. Many modern deciduous varieties are hybrids.
Azaleas are not actual indoor plants. They’re miniature trees and should be treated as such. Generally speaking, azaleas are hardy plants and will grow under most climatic conditions, but they thrive in situations where summers are not too hot, and winters are cold. The cold winter is the dormant period for the plant, and then when the weather begins to warm, and spring arrives, the plants will burst into flower.
If they’re grown in conditions with no cold winter, the plant becomes a little confused about when it should be blooming and will tend to bloom most of the year-round, except in scorching weather.
Azaleas grow on the edge of wooded areas and flourish in the partial shade in their natural habitat. This is true of your bonsai azaleas as well. Any of the azaleas will thrive in a pot, but the most popular is the Kurume azalea (Rhododendron kiusianum and Rhododendron kaempferi) and the Satsuki azalea (Rhododendron indicum).
Here are some tips for growing your azalea in a hot environment.
- Get a greenhouse
Placing your azaleas in a greenhouse will benefit the plants as they will be protected from the high temperatures in the middle of summer. If the temperature outside drops below 45°F, bring your azalea indoors to save the lant stress from frost. Place it in a cold room and mulch well.
- Place the plants in the shade.
If you cannot put your azalea into a greenhouse, move them into the shade, so they get some direct sunlight early in the morning but are shaded from the blistering noonday sun.
- Water often and deeply.
Make sure that your azaleas don’t dry out in the summer months. They will need to be watered more than once a day at the height of summer and ensure that the water reaches the center of the root ball. don’t give a simple sprinkle!
Misting the leaves is a good idea during hot weather but be careful of leaving droplets of water on the leaves if the plant is still in the direct sun. These droplets can act like tiny prisms and burn the leaf underneath them
- A light touch with nitrogen fertilizer
Nitrogen fertilizer takes a lot of resources for the plant to process. In very hot weather, the plant is already stressed, so don’t make things worse by heavily feeding nitrogen-rich fertilizer.
- Insulate the roots
Azaleas hate having hot, dry roots, so make sure you cover the roots with a good mulch or plant moss around the plant to help keep the roots cool. Also, consider planting the azalea in a light-colored pot. Black pots may look elegant for show purposes, but they attract heat, so place your black pot inside a light-colored one during those hot months.
Final thoughts
Azaleas will grow happily in warm temperatures, but when they climb, watch out for stress on your plant and take the necessary measures to alleviate that stress. With care, these magnificent flowering plants will give you years of blooming pleasure.
