Buddy” Lee crossed ‘Fourth Of July’ with 'Double Beauty', a strong purplish red, hose-in-hose variety from the 1960s, to create Encore Autumn Rouge (‘Conlea’) although this variety is not available in Britain. All the other varieties in the series are descendants of this original cross. Evergreens are the easiest to propagate from cuttings, while deciduous varieties typically give the best results when layered. From Stem Cuttings When the tiny seedlings have developed two sets of true leaves, transplant them into small individual pots. Nothing is more beautiful than an azalea shrub in spring bloom. These easy-care shrubs come in so many colors it’s hard to find one that doesn’t suit your needs. Azaleas can be grown in nearly any garden, instantly adding interest and color to drab areas. How to Grow and Care for Azaleas Suttons strives to ensure that all its plants are delivered to you in the perfect condition for planting. While the majority of our nursery plants cope well with slight delays in intransit, sadly, the time it takes to deliver to certain locations in the UK means that we can't guarantee this for some of our smaller plug products and tender bedding and vegetable lines, which do not respond well to the extra journey time. So regretfully while we offer the majority of our live plant offering nationwide, we are unable to ship plugs, begging plants and tender vegetable plants to the following areas: HS, IV41-IV49, IV51, IV55-56, KW15-KW17, PA34, PA41-48, PA60-PA78, PA80, PH40-PH44, TR21-TR24, ZE1-ZE3.

Petal blight, leaf spots, powdery mildew, rust, and root rot are the most common azalea diseases. Planting in areas with good drainage and conserving water by applying mulch usually helps reduce the chances of fungal diseases and plant damage due to these problems. Choosing Azalea Plants Softwood cuttings: Commercial propagation is by means of softwood cuttings taken in early spring and rooted under mist propagation. Cuttings needa good level of warmth at the base toroot successfully. The amateur gardener is more likely to be successful if using a small electric propagator with bottom heat. If your azalea is growing in the right place, you won’t need to worry much about pests and disease problems. The best time to layer is in early spring before leaves have emerged, but early fall works as well.

Alternatively, try inserting four or five cuttings in a small pot covered with a polythene bag. Flimsy opaque polythene bags with one or two holes perforated in them are suitable as long as they transmit a good level of light, and cuttings under them may suffer less stress than under clear polythene. Alabamense, albiflorum, arborescens, atlanticum, austrinum, calendulaceum, kiusianum, mucronatum, yedoense There are several species of azalea, and also many cultivars. The choices can seem overwhelming. Start by choosing a basic type:

If your soil conditions are less than ideal, consider building a raised bed or plant them in containers instead. There has been quite a lot of consumer interest in Encore Azaleas since they were seen on TV in 2015 at the Augusta National Golf Club in America for the Golf Masters,” David told me. “Unfortunately, the first plants introduced to Europe were not hardy enough, with our cooler summers the wood didn't harden enough for winter. More recent selections have been trialled for Northern European conditions and seem more suitable. Azalea Standards in Assorted colours Azaleas are evergreen, medium shrubs with oval, light green leaves with a profusion of large, single or double flowers ranging in colours of white, pink, salmon, lilac, purple and red. Azalea Standards in assorted colours, are best grown in a sheltered position in moist, well-drained soils. Will not grow in clay or alkaline soils. Use in general landscaping under trees or as a low hedge. Azaleas have moderate once established, but it is best to keep them moist during the hot and dry periods. Prune after flowering to keep the plant lush and healthy. Position: Part shade Azaleas are among the most popular flowering shrubs in the world, and are a feature of many spring gardens. There are thousands of varieties and most of them do well when grown in pots. However, when planted in the garden some azalea varieties are much better than others. The best tall growing varieties with single flowers include ‘Alba Magna’ (large white), ‘Alphonse Anderson’ (light pink, edged white, rosy blotch in throat) ‘Magnifica’ (purple) and ‘Splendens’ (salmon pink with magenta spots). There is also a sport of Alphonse Anderson called ‘Kalimna Pearl’, which has soft lavender pink double flowers.

9cm Potted Plugs

Layering is an easy process that involves encouraging root development on a stem that’s still attached to the parent plant.