Azaleas bloom at the end of winter and the beginning of spring, and then a period of rest begins in the life of the plant.
Therefore, like any plant after flowering, azalea needs additional care. At the same time, it is worth remembering that this is not the most unpretentious plant and has its own quirks.
What to do after flowers have dried
It is possible that the leaves will dry up along with the flowers. Much depends on the variety, and in each specific case it should be considered as a symptom.
1. First, you need to cut off dried flowers, as well as overgrown shoots, leaving three or four leaves.
2. Then the azalea is placed in a dark and cool place. Here it will spend the next 2 months in a dormant period to restore its strength. Temperature 12-16 degrees. Air humidity 70%.
3. Don't forget about pinching. The procedure is carried out 3 times a year so that the azalea grows as a bush.
4. Water the azalea with cool water, you can spray it periodically, use rain or settled water at a temperature of 16-17 degrees for watering.
5. Fertilize the azalea once a week. Use ammonium sulfate, superphosphate, potassium sulfide or the fertilizer "Uniflor-micro".
6. Around this time, you can transplant. You can buy the soil, or make it yourself by mixing soil from deciduous and coniferous plants, heather and peat soil (1:2:1:1). It is imperative to provide drainage.
During transplantation, the old soil should be washed off the roots and inspected. If present, rotten, diseased and darkened roots are cut off, after which the azalea is placed in fresh soil.
