Every time I have seen a great looking Azalea bush here in the Cleveland area it is direct sunlight but when I read the tags on the bushes I'm thinking about buying it reads "Part Shade". How many hours of sun is needed to produce a full flowered Azalea bush? My bushes are thin and do produce a nice cropping of flowers but they never get any bigger or bushier. What am I doing wrong? I do fertilize with acidic solutions at certain times during the spring and fall. I'm wondering if these bushes I have are not getting the proper amount of sun. HELP
Just Getting Started
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Just Getting Started
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In general, they like morning sun. I would say about 4 hours wroth, although they can probably survive with less, and certainly can survive with more.
Azaleas can take more sun than most rhododendrons. I have one that gets sun from dawn until about 2 p.m. It's doing very nicely. I also had some that grew along my fence line, and they got sun almost all day. If they're out in the afternoon heat, though, they do need more water, since the roots are shallow.
I wouldn't fertilize later than the end of August, or maybe very early in September. If new growth starts too late in the year, it will be killed by winter weather.
Azaleas can take more sun than most rhododendrons. I have one that gets sun from dawn until about 2 p.m. It's doing very nicely. I also had some that grew along my fence line, and they got sun almost all day. If they're out in the afternoon heat, though, they do need more water, since the roots are shallow.
I wouldn't fertilize later than the end of August, or maybe very early in September. If new growth starts too late in the year, it will be killed by winter weather.
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Just Getting Started
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