Azaleas are begging for help

[JoyousFaith]

I live on a military base, and landscaping is taken care of by the housing company that built the house- except when it's not. They THREW 4 azaleas in last year and have not kept them up at all. I've never had any real experience with azaleas, but these poor plants have been begging for help since they were planted- and I can't stand to see plants being neglected. They are alive- but not really growing at all. Leaves keep falling off. There are two new flower buds this week, but they are half pink, half brown. I have NO idea what to do to help. If you all have advice, PLEASE share!

[Kisal]

Are they in containers or in the ground? Azaleas like an acid soil, so if yours tends more toward the alkaline side, that would be a problem for the azaleas. The soil should have a pH of 5.5 to 6, I think, to make azaleas happy.

If the shrubs are in containers, it's much easier to control the pH of the soil, which is why I asked about that.

[bullthistle]

Okay if the buds are brown that means little water. To turn soil acidic cheaply if you drink coffee turn under the grounds into the soil or buy sphagnum peat moss and turn that under. You can also buy alumium sulphate but too much and that can burn the roots. The odds are great they were planted facing south which is a no no so dig a trench around the plant and soak it with water in the evening and buy a small bag/box of acidic fertilizer at Wally World.

[JoyousFaith]

They are NOT in containers, but I appreciate the advice about the soil. I am a coffee drinker, so I will try the coffee grounds and see what happens. Thanks so much!