A freind writes to me and is asking about azaleas I bought 2 for my wife just before Mother's Day. They are putting out green shoots and I've been watering them when they get on the dry side and gave them some chelated iron and micro-nutrients to ensure they keep healthy. Not sure how long they'll last. They were outstanding in bloom when I bought them now the blooms are dying as expected. I am just wondering if they will ever bloom again here in Barbados in our climate. I am not sure if the shrubs need cold to set buds like hydrangeas. I hope not but I don't know much about them.

The variety I have is Azalaea 'Dogwood' a nice pink and white variety and my wife adores them

thanks for any advise
mike

Sorry, I don't know much about them except they only bloom for a couple of weeks in the spring and just a green shrub the rest of the year. For me, the short bloom time, pretty as they are, aren't worth the space they take up the rest of the year unless you want a nice hedge. I'm a color addict.

yea i love them for that sort time to i just wounder if they need the light cycle or cold for them to bloom anyway thanks and im 99% poz that no where and no kind blooms for longer.

thanks Jan

have not seen you around on the threads i visit hope things are good with you and yours

mike

Yep still here. Just been busy this month with work and my son's college graduation stuff and all.

Mike I agree with Jan. I have a couple on a side of the house. I do not do anything for them do not water, do not fertilize and they bloom every year. The bushes are 12 years old. I do not think they will like a full FL sun. My bushes get sun from 4 PM . I do love them when they bloom. Just got one bush recently somebody put in trash @ work, all roots got rotten, I do not know if it survives.

Azaleas need mostly shade and acidic soil in Florida (and most places). They do well under oak trees here because the dropping leaves acidify the soil. A little acid fertilizer doesn't hurt either.

I have one out under my mango tree that seems to bloom in both spring and fall. This (warm) winter it bloomed in December, too. They're stimulated to bloom by the change in temperature. Warm days and cool nights will do it either way, I think. There are two types, from different parts of the world and one type re-blooms where the other doesn't. Sorry, can't remember which is which but one type is from Japan.

Did you say you're in Barbados? Your profile says Clermont FL. I'd say not a great chance of an azalea re-blooming in Barbados unless you bring it indoors and let it get cool for a few weeks in the a/c.

In NE Florida I've had really good luck with azaleas. They're over 20 yrs. old, surround my yard like a hedge, grow in full sun and are drop dead gorgeous for 2-3 weeks every spring. I treasure them for the ocean of pink every March. They do need a haircut now and then; this year for the first time they're being drastically pruned back with all the dead wood being removed from their centers. If for some reason I lose one, I'll make sure it's quickly replaced.

Mike, a little late jumping on the bandwagon here but your friend is fighting a losing battle with azaleas in Barbados. They just aren't going to make it there. For one thing they can't take the salt air they encounter there. For another, there is no winter for them there & they do require some cool time. I'm surprised your friend even found them for sale in Barbados!