Plant azaleas now, you'll be thankful later

At the end of the year I am always wishing I had planted lots of things that would have provided color to this dull landscape. So, I want to get a jump on spring and am wondering if I can plant flowers that will bloom in the spring right now.

Oh yes! Let’s start planting azaleas, part of the Rhododendron family. They love North Florida and brighten our early spring landscape as if touched by Claude Monet’s brush. Up and down streets the blooms bring the resting land to life. While their blooms are delicate, the plants are sturdy and bloom year to year with just a little love and care. Just imagine what will be just ahead of you, if you plant now. While you see the biggest number of azalea plants for sale in the early spring, now is actually a better time to transplant them because it gives them a better chance to establish. Multiplying these blooming beauties in the winter months is an advantage. For detailed information see: http://www.lsuagcenter.com/topics/lawn_garden/home_gardening/trees_shrubs/azaleas--louisianas-most-ppular-landscape-shrub.

Healthy transplants should be placed in a hole that is about 12 inches wider than the root mass. You might find a tangle of roots when you take the plant out of the pot. That is OK; gently break up the root ball before placing it in your already prepared bed or pot. Place them in the soil just even with, or a tiny bit above the level they sat at in the container.

Amendments to the soil? If this is a brand-new space for azaleas, you will want to plant these beauties in slightly acidic, and well-draining soil. While establishing your new plants in sandy soil they need frequent watering (2-3 times a week) and an acid-forming fertilizer as needed. For more information see: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/mg019.

How far apart should I plant them? Consider how big they will be when mature, not how big they are now. Three to five feet is just about right. These delicate blossoms love to bloom in dappled light, but not heavy shade. One of the best things about azaleas is the array of color.

The Florida Flame blooms even before the leaves unfurl! They are a yellow-orange bloom that has a bit of a scent. For more information go to: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fp503. Your yard can become your painting palate as long as you pay attention to the soil and sun requirements of these heralds of spring.

My gardenia bush is suddenly looking stricken. Its leaves are yellowing and some of the green leaves are coated with something that looks like soot. What is happening?

It sounds like your Gardenia jasminoides may have a couple of problems. Gardenias naturally turn some of their shiny dark green leaves to yellow in the spring or fall. Since it is fall, this one is a little harder to diagnose. It could be part of the natural cycle, or the stress of Irma’s wrath. It could be lacking a high enough pH to produce healthy green leaves. (Your local UF/IFAS Extension office can provide information on how to take a soil sample and have it analyzed for pH.) It could also be a root problem with nematodes, or diseases which are very difficult to correct. Try supplying the nutrient in an acid-forming fertilizer, or as a foliar spray, but not before March. For more information go to: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ep338.

The black on the leaves is likely sooty mold. It is most often caused by an infestation of insects. Whiteflies (as well as soft scales, mealybugs, and aphids) excrete a sugary substance called honeydew, and an unsightly black fungus called sooty mold grows on the honeydew. Besides being unattractive, sooty mold may interfere with photosynthesis, reduce plant growth, and cause early leaf drop. These little pests are hard to identify, so if you find insects (most likely on the back of the leaf) you can snip off that leaf, put it in a sealed bag and bring take it to your local extension office to be properly identified.

You could head straight to the insecticide aisle at a gardening store for a strong insecticide, but foliar applications of low-impact insecticides like insecticidal soaps or horticultural oils are effective and much safer. Spray the leaves three times at 5-7 day intervals. That should break the life cycle of the insect and turn your leaves shiny green again. Make sure you cover the underside. (That is where the culprits lay their eggs.)

Also make sure there are no surrogate parents nearby; like thistles, spurges, and white clover. Whiteflies lay their eggs on these weeds, multiply, and fly right to your gardenias.

This may sound like a little work and investigation, but all the time you are looking for culprits just remember the fragrance of these beauties when they bloom. For more information: http://www.clemson.edu/extension/hgic/pests/plant_pests/shrubs/hgic2059.html.

Connie Timpson is a master gardener with the Duval County Extension Service and the University of Florida/IFAS. If you have gardening questions, you can speak to a master gardener from 9:30 a.m. to noon and 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday at the Duval extension office at (904) 255-7450.