If you are concern about how to care for your potted Azaleas indoor, here is the complete process. Despite the growing condition, they need care like other houseplants. However, when the Azaleas plants are blooming there are few tips that can ensure healthy plants.
Azaleas can live up to 50 years, if cared properly. Moreover, if you provide proper care to them you can avoid some common problems like fades, yellow or brown leaves, root rot, etc.
Learn the basic and advance caring-
How to Care For Potted Azaleas?
Every aristocrat flower growers fall in love with Azaleas at first sight. Many of them collect indoor azaleas to enhance the visual beauty of their rooms.
But it is difficult for some plant enthusiasts to bloom flowers and keep them for a long time. Even some plant enthusiasts fail to keep them alive. The azalea plants die because of improper care and it becomes a nightmare for them.
This plant is not like other indoor plants. It needs very good care. If you have an indoor azalea plant you must know how to care for indoor azaleas. In this post, I will share how you can care for them. So, keep reading.
Remove wrappers from the pot
If you have bought the azalea plant from the market or got it as a gift, you will find that the pot is covered with paper, plastic, or foil. This wrapper beautifies the appearance of the plant and makes you like them.
But, they can hinder the watering and drainage system. You should remove the cover with optimum care. You can use a knife or scissors to cut the cover without irritating the roots of the plant.
Don’t hurry up to repot the plant
You need not report a blooming plant that you have collected from the nursery. If you repot a blooming azalea plant, it will drop the flowers. So, don’t irritate the roots and keep them in the current pot.
Intentionally the diameter of the pot of the indoor azalea plant is kept small. A small diameter restricts the roots and helps to get an optimum bloom.
You may have a desire to place the plant into a luxurious and big pot. Don’t worry. If you want so, you should-
- Choose a decorative container that has a larger diameter than that of the current pot of the plant.
- Keep some pebbles inside the container to ease the drainage system.
- Now, just place the plant with a small pot directly into the large container.
So, when should you repot the plant?
You should report the plant when the flowering season has left. Besides, if the plant is not bloomy and the condition of the soil is not good then you can report the azalea plant.
How to prepare the soil for reporting indoor azaleas?
Acidic soil is suitable for this type of plant. In Non-acidic or high pH soil they cannot grow. You can mix soil and pine moss in a 1:1 ratio to make acidic soil. You also can use compost bark, pine needle, lime-free sands, and other lime-free materials.
Select a perfect place to keep the pot of indoor azaleas
Azaleas are very sensitive to direct heat and sunlight. They also hate to be in darkness all day. That means, like other indoor plants, you cannot keep azaleas in the darkest corner of your room or any place where there is direct sunlight all day.
Where indoor azaleas should be kept?
Don’t be baffled. There are too many suitable places inside your house. You should choose a place where direct sunlight and heat do not appear. In the morning there appears sunshine and in noon and afternoon, there are shades. Some suitable places are –
- Near the window
- Inside a Hallway
- The balcony of the north side (Not suitable in winter)
- Stairwell
Keep azaleas away from the children and pets. The leaves, flowers and honey from these plants are toxic.
Radiation and excessive heat are the foes of the azalea plants. They cause drying out the foliage, buds and flowers of the plant. So, don’t keep them near a room heater, fireplace, and radiator.
If you have the practice to bring your indoor plants outside for allowing them to absorb sunshine, you may have another question in your mind-
Can Indoor azaleas go outside?
Yes, they can if you have the convenience. But, keep in mind that you must ensure a shade to protect them from direct sunlight. It can’t be practiced in winter in a frozen prompt area. But, after the flowering season, it is recommended to keep them outside to prepare them for re-blooming.
Avoid hard water and be careful when watering
The major task of taking care of an indoor plant is to water it in an appropriate way. That’s why even an expert plant enthusiast has some questions about watering indoor azaleas. I am figuring out insights about them.
Can you water azaleas with tap water?
Generally, tap water is hard water. Azaleas love acidic or low pH water and cannot tolerate excessive hard water. So, avoid hard water. Water below pH 6.5 is low pH water. If you are in a zone of hard water following sources can be a good option for you.
- Rainwater
- Low PH bottled water
Do azaleas like lots of water?
No, they love only an adequate amount of water. Like every plant, azaleas also need water to live in. But, keep in mind that water stagnation ruins the roots of the azalea plants. On the other hand, the lack of water will wilt the flower.
So, you should give water only when the plant and soil need water. You should only ensure that the soil of the pot is moisturized. You can feel the moisture level with your fingertips. If soils feel dry give water. It is better to sprinkle water to the leaves and foliage of the plant.
How often do I need to water azaleas?
It depends on the condition of your environment. If it is dry weather and you have a small pot you may need to give water daily. In normal conditions, you can put water after every two or three days.
Keep eyes on temperature and humidity
Indoor azaleas are not hard to tolerate too much heat and too much cold. A temperature level of 50 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit is good for them. They can tolerate as cool as 4-degree Celsius. But, if you let them freeze, it will be a problem for their buds. So, keep them in a suitable place in the wintertime to get flowers.
Azaleas need high humidity. If the surrounding environment is too much dry the flowers will dry soon. The fluctuation of temperature and humidity level also harms the quality of blooming of azalea plants.
If the humidity level is low try to increase it at least 40% relative humidity. Keeping a water tray near the plants is an easy solution. You can fill the tray with pebbles and water and put the azalea pot on the Peebles bed. I can bet it will seem more aesthetic. When water is dried fill the tray with water.
Remove pests, insects and dust
Do you confirm that insects are not ruining your lovely plants? Some pests and insects lead a happy life under the leaves of plants. As they stay below leaves, the planter doesn’t notice at all. Ice bugs, azalea bark scales, spider mites, and so on. You can use an approved insecticide to control them.
Dust, even micro conductive dust is harmful to your azalea. Spraying compressed air can be a good option for removing dust.
Cut off faded flowers and dry leaves
You should cut off dead or faded flowers and leaves from your plant. That will provide you with a beautiful appearance. Besides, the plant will be healthy as it doesn’t need to struggle to care for the faded flowers. It also prevents diseases.
You should use a pruner to do this job without harming the plant. You will need to trim off any part of the stem that isn’t green.
Apply fertilizer to ensure healthy plant and bloom
Azaleas are acid-loving plants, need frequent nutrient supplements to keep growing and thrive faster. We have reviewed the Best Fertilizer for Azaleas, you can read it to learn more about this fertilization process.
Care for Reblooming Indoor Azaleas
Most people find it difficult to rebloom azaleas. That’s why they threw away the plant when the flowers dried up and fell off.
It is a little bit hard, but reblooming plants will give you worthless happiness. If you are interested in reblooming you should follow some tips.
- Trim all dead leaves, flowers, and branches of the plants.
- Properly prepare the soil for repotting. Then change the pot and choose a slightly larger one.
- Keep the plants in an outdoor shade at fall season ensuring enough light but no direct sunlight. If you do not have an outdoor space at least keep them on the balcony.
- Mulch the soil to keep them moist.
- Regularly give water so that the soil becomes monstrous.
- In case irregular growth provides fertilizer once a week.
- Take them indoors in the winter season and ensure they never have frozen. The room should be cool and humid. Ensure the temperature of the room at nighttime is nearly 60-degree Fahrenheit in wintertime.
Troubleshoot the Common Problems
Faded blooms
Ensure more light and give slow-release fertilizer every two weeks. Learn more – What Types of Fertilizer is Recommended for Growing Azaleas?
Yellow leaves
Green leaves and healthy buds are the sign of a healthy plant. If the leaves are yellow the health condition of the plant is not on the right track. You should provide liquid fertilizers containing iron and sulfur.
Brown leaves
The most common cause is inadequate watering and the soil not being acidic enough. So be careful while watering.
However, It may is a symptom of a fungal infection of root rot. If any plant encounters this problem you should discard it as there is no remedy.
Summary
Good care will guarantee you a healthy and lucrative azalea plant inside your indoor area. So, keep them in indirect light and avoid providing unnecessary water that becomes stagnant.
At the same time, ensure that the moisture of soil, temperature, and humidity of the place is at the recommended level. Control pests, insects, and dust. Troubleshoot in case you face problems.
That’s enough, be happy with the fragrance and appearance of your indoor azaleas.
