Question
Good Day - I received an Azalea as a gift.  It is done blooming.  I live in Illinois & we have cold winters.  What do I do with it now?  When/how will it bloom again?  Thank you!

Answer
Hi Kim,

I assume that the gift Azalea was in a 6 or 8 inch pot and was intended for use indoors as a houseplant. These "indoor" Azaleas are hybrids that have been forced to bloom on a particular schedule. They rarely bloom well again.

If you are satisfied to keep it as a green plant, then you can keep it outside in light shade in the warmer months.  In the fall bring your azalea indoors just prior to the first frost. If you can provide 50 to 60 degree temps for about a month indoors to promote new buds and for another month to get the buds to open, you might get some additioonal flowers. If you can't provide these conditions, it is best to keep the plant as a green plant because it is unlikely to bloom.

Either way, keep it potbound and never allow more than the surface of the soil to dry out.

Please let me know if any of this is unclear or if you have any additional questions.

Regards,
Will Creed, Interior Landscaper
Horticultural Help, NYC

You can E-mail me directly at: [email protected]

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