Is azalea afraid of freezing in winter? How to care for azalea in winter

Azalea is a very common flower in life. It is loved by people because of its bright flowers and easy survival. Now it is winter, and many people are wondering how to make azaleas spend the winter safely? Let's take a look at it together.

Is azalea afraid of freezing in winter?

Plant frost damage is caused by the freezing of water in the plant under low temperature, so the volume of water will increase rapidly, causing damage to the plant's cell wall. Because it can be seen that the amount of frost damage to the plant is proportional to the amount of water retained in the body. Azalea is a semi-deciduous shrub with dense and tough wood. Even in summer, there is not much water retained in its trunk. After autumn and winter, as the growth of azalea tends to converge, the water in the trunk will become less and less.

How to care for azalea in winter

1. Adequate lighting

Azalea is a semi-shade plant and needs shade in hot weather, but in winter, there is no need to worry about it being burned. Therefore, you can give it appropriate light so that it can grow vigorously in winter and survive the winter safely.

2. Water appropriately

No matter what kind of plant it is, watering should be combined with seasonal temperature changes, and the amount of water should be increased or decreased reasonably and scientifically. The same is true for azaleas. In winter, the amount of watering should be appropriately reduced, as long as the soil in the pot is not dry. It is not advisable to water too much, because azaleas are very afraid of water accumulation. If water accumulates at the bottom of the pot, the leaves may turn yellow and fall off in a period of time. Over time, the roots will rot and the plant will die.

3. Apply enough fertilizer for winter

In order to enhance the frost resistance of rhododendron, it is necessary to supplement the fertilizer of rhododendron in late autumn and early winter. You can apply some decomposed cake fertilizer as base fertilizer. Fertilization can be done by digging trenches and burying the fertilizer deep in the soil on the inner wall of the flowerpot, allowing the rhododendron to absorb it slowly. This can increase the photosynthesis of the plant and increase the temperature of the soil in the flowerpot. It is also a good way to let the rhododendron spend the winter safely.

Precautions for azalea cultivation

1. Pruning

Rhododendrons grow quickly and are prone to luxuriant branches and leaves, which can cause the inner branches and leaves to not see the light, resulting in deformed growth, so pruning is a daily task. Cutting off diseased branches, weak old branches, and overly dense branches can increase ventilation and light transmission, which is beneficial to the growth of the plant and can regulate its growth and development, making it grow more vigorously. After the flowers fade, the remaining flowers should also be cut off in time to avoid nutrient consumption and provide sufficient nutrients for the next flowering.

2. Turn the soil and change the pot

Long-term watering will cause the soil to become hardened, and the soil will have poor air permeability, which is not conducive to the growth of the plant, so the potted soil needs to be turned over every one or two months. Azaleas need to consume nutrients to grow, and the nutrients they need to grow come from the soil, so the potted soil needs to be replaced every one to two years, removing the old soil and replacing it with fertile new soil, so that it can grow healthily.