Encore Azaleas?

Dublin, CA(Zone 9a)

Sometimes things take a little while to get established--I have tons of shrubs that haven't bloomed the year I planted them (or sometimes even the year after that). So I wouldn't worry too much, they are probably focused on getting their roots going first.

Jacksonville, FL(Zone 8b)

Hi, jerry22! Always nice to meet a new Jacksonville neighbor on DG! Depending on the location where you planted the Encore azaleas (amount of available light or shade), they will probably bloom for you sometime late summer/early fall. They may not produce a very profuse show of flowers the first year, but you should see a few blooms later on. They tend to bloom more with bright filtered light and even short bursts of direct sun. I keep a fairly heavy mulch of oak leaves under all my azalea and add Starbucks free coffee grounds around the base of the azaleas as often as I remember to stop at Starbucks and haul away the coffee grounds. You will need to water the newly planted azaleas every few days to try to keep them consistently moist without being soggy until they show signs that new roots have been established (new green leaves are usually a good indicator that the roots growing out past the original root ball). Watering them every few days (or lightly watering every day) is especially important now in the drought conditions we are temporarily having. Once you see new leaves forming, you can toss on some azalea fertilizer, but if the growers you got them from are like most growers, they probably already have an excess of slow release fertilizer granules and won't really need fertilizing for a year or more. I don't do much pruning on my Encore azaleas, but I prune hard on my other azaleas, cutting them back about a foot or more and pruning off almost all of the leaves. They rebound with lush new growth and lots of flowers. I think the reason for not pruning Encore azaleas as much is that they are constantly setting flower buds. The other azaleas growing in our area set their flower buds for next year beginning around July 4, so don't prune after that date or you will cut off some of the flowers of next spring.

Jeremy

Hurst, TX(Zone 7b)

Don't worry about blooms on the first year, Jeremy. The plants are undergoing transplant shock and getting established into your garden so it is best if they work on the root system during the next 12 months or so. If you get some blooms, great but do not worry until next year. I noticed you picked two that are very similar in bloom color (but not height), Belle and Chiffon. What are your plans for those?

Jacksonville, FL(Zone 8b)

I think we have a teensy bit of confusion -- jerry22 in Jacksonville asked the question and Jeremy (JaxFlaGardener) provided yet another overblown answer. LOL

Jeremy

Hurst, TX(Zone 7b)

Hee hee hee! I guess yesterday was another Monday too. I wonder what else can I confuse today and make it three Mondays in a row. Jeeez. Sorry about that!

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