Re-Pot Azaleas Every Few Years To Maintain Healthy Conditions And Prevent Congestion
Elizabeth is a Permaculture Garden Designer, Sustainability Consultant and Professional Writer, working as an advocate for positive change. She graduated from the University of St. Andrews with an MA in English and Philosophy and obtained a Diploma in Applied Permaculture Design from the Permaculture Association.
Reviewed By COLIN SKELLY
Colin is a Horticulturist and Horticultural Consultant with experience in a range of practical and managerial roles across heritage, commercial and public horticulture. He holds the Royal Horticultural Society’s Master of Horticulture award and has a particular interest in horticultural ecology and naturalistic planting for habitat and climate resilience.
Azaleas of a range of different types and varieties are perfect for container cultivation.
Tender Azaleas are grown in pots as houseplants year-round, while many hardier types that are relatively compact and small can be great choices for an outdoor container garden.
Learning how and when to repot Azaleas is important if you plan to grow them in pots.
Fortunately, this is generally a very simple and straightforward process, as explained below.
| Difficulty | Easy |
| Equipment Required | Pot, growing medium, gloves, trowel |
When To Repot Azaleas
I’d typically recommend repotting Azaleas with a new growing medium every couple of years.
This is a good way of maintaining healthy growing conditions, with adequately acidic soil and sufficient fertility.
However, specifically how often you need to repot will depend on the stage of growth of Azaleas and on the particular type of cultivar you have chosen to grow.
Azaleas should not become too constrained, so make sure that the roots do not grow congested, or appear out of the holes at the base of the pot.
If an Azalea becomes pot-bound, its health and growth can suffer.
Choosing A New Pot
Azaleas should typically be potted up in a container that is just slightly larger than their previous pot.
The container should not be too large because when there is too much space around the roots it can lead to water-logging, and Azaleas need reasonably free-draining conditions.
Remember that the pot or container that you choose should have drainage holes at the base which will allow excess water to drain away freely.
Filling With A Compost Medium
Azaleas usually need an acidic potting medium with a pH of between 5 and 6.
A peat-free ericaceous compost is the right type to choose to provide the growing conditions that Azaleas need.
You can purchase your potting mix, or make your own at home.
How To Re-Pot
To re-pot an Azalea:
- Prepare a new pot or container and ready the growing medium.
- Gently ease the plant from its current pot.
- Place a little growing medium in the base of the new container and place the plant gently into the new pot.
- Add your potting mix around the edges of the root ball, firming it gently in place.
- Water the plant in and consider adding a layer of mulch on the surface of the container to aid in moisture retention.
- Place your pot in a suitable location, taking into account the growing conditions required by the particular Azalea you are trying to grow.
“Even if a plant likes a full sun position, I like top put newly potted or re-potted plants into a sheltered, part-shade position for a week or two before moving to their permanent position,” says Colin Skelly, a Master Horticulturist with 5 years of experience working at The Eden Project.
“This enables the plants to recover from root disturbance and reduces the stress that might occur from heat or wind stress before the roots have begun to grow into the new compost.”
