Mid City Nursery Garden Care Guides - Azaleas, Camellias, and Rhododendrons

AZALEAS, CAMELLIAS, & RHODODENDRONS CARE GUIDE
Light and Watering Requirements: It is best to plant Azaleas, Camellias, and Rhododendrons in a shady location. A north or east side of a house, and/or under a tree with filtered shade is good. Morning sun is recommended because afternoon sun causes burning on the leaves. Deciduous Azaleas tolerate more sun. Good drainage is key, with consistent regular watering. To prevent root damage, do not cultivate under the plants. Each Fall lightly mulch the plants with E.B. Stone Azalea, Camellia, Rhododendron Planting Mix. This helps protect roots from cool winter nights and the high summer temperatures. Fertilizer: For Azaleas, Camellias and Rhododendrons we recommend an application of Master Nursery Azalea, Camellia, Gardenia Food or E.B. Stone Azalea, Camellia, Gardenia Food once after bloom, once early Summer (June), and once in early Fall (September). If you prefer to use a liquid fertilizer, we recommend using Master Nursery Acid Plant Food monthly March - September. Fertilize with Master Bloom 0-10-10 to enhance bud & bloom & GreenAll F.S.T.(iron, sulfur, manganese, and zinc supplement) monthly October through December. Gardenias may benefit from more frequent fertilizing. Fertilize monthly from March thru September. Use Master Bloom 0-10-10 & F.S.T. once in November, and then once again in January.
Pruning: Generally, you should prune azaleas, camellias, and rhododendrons only after your plants bloom. Early pruning can result in loss of future blooms for the season. Remove spent flowers to keep plants and surrounding area clean and free from disease. Common Insect Problems: Some of the more common insects are aphids, scales, thrips, mites, and lace bug. If you see a trail of ants going up your shrub, you probably have aphids or scale as well. Another indication of these insects is a sticky residue on the leaves. Most of the insects will be found on the backside of the leaves. Scales may be found along the branches as well and will look like bumps along the limbs. Scale can be white, black, or brown. These insects are seen most often in the Spring and Fall, but can be a problem at any time of the year. For control of these insects, you can use Master Nursery Horticultural Oil, Malathion, or Monterey Take Down.
Yellowing Leaves: Yellow leaves can be a result of several things. It could be a result of lack of fertilizer and minerals, a watering problem, or insect damage. When diagnosing a problem, take into account how often you water, when and how often you fertilize, and when the last time you inspected your plant for insects. If the older leaves are turning yellow and the other leaves are a pale green, then you may need to add nitrogen. If the leaves are yellowing, but the veins on the leaves are green, then your shrub most likely needs iron. If the outer leaves are yellowing and some of the branches are dying back, the shrub may be getting too much water. Inspect the soil to see how moist the soil is. Leaves that are being damaged by insects will also turn yellow. Inspect the leaves, especially the backside of the leaves to look for insects. Lace bugs are hard to detect, the damage they cause can turn the leaf white.

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Mid City Nursery, Inc
3635 Broadway
American Canyon, CA 94503