Azaleas are one the most common and popular flowering plants. With abundant, colorful flowers which remain fresh for long make them ideal for gifting. These flowering plants can be grown outdoors but can be kept indoors as long as the flowers are colorful. You can place the plants in a location which is bright but not receiving the sunlight directly. Keep the soil evenly moist but the pot should never be waterlogged. Azalea plants which are grown in pots are present in a root-bound condition, may require frequent watering. But do not allow the plants to sit in a water-filled saucer as it will irreversibly damage the roots. You can spray the plant with water to increase the humidity. This will reduce the chances of invasion of spider mites which can plague in the bush if the atmosphere is too dry. The first and foremost important rule for Azalea Plant care is to choose the right location. You can plant Azaleas at any spot that is cooled by partial shade. Protection from strong midday sun is important; otherwise the leaves can dry out or burn. Northern exposures are best for the Azaleas.
It is also important to provide protection from winds. The soil should be acidic and well-drained and should not retain excess water entrapped in them. Some varieties may tolerate full sun if you water the plant properly. The ideal soil pH should be around 5.5. Test for the soil in your garden and if you find that to be alkaline, apply specialty fertilizers that contain ammonium-N, which will lower soil pH. This quality can be improved with decomposed sawdust or pine barks which are acidic in nature. The soil should have good tactic for providing the necessary drainage. The ideal season for planting Azalea is either late fall or early spring. You should not apply fertilizer at the time of planting as the new foliage and roots are not ready to handle the high salt content of fertilizer. Since Azalea prefers indirect sunlight, you can choose a good shade tree to grow near the plant. You should pick up a tree which is comfortable with acidic soil, and will not have shallow roots. Red oak is one of the ideal choices as the shade tree for Azalea. An average minimum winter temperature of 0 to -10 degrees F can helps the growth of Azalea plant. In colder areas they can grow only in Green houses.