Bulbs
Flower Basics
Flower Beds & Specialty Gardens
Flower Garden
Garden Furniture
Garden Gnomes
Garden Seeds
Garden Sheds
Garden Statues
Garden Tools & Supplies
Gardening Basics
Green & Organic
Groundcovers & Vines
Growing Annuals
Growing Basil
Growing Beans
Growing Berries
Growing Blueberries
Growing Cactus
Growing Corn
Growing Cotton
Growing Edibles
Growing Flowers
Growing Garlic
Growing Grapes
Growing Grass
Growing Herbs
Growing Jasmine
Growing Mint
Growing Mushrooms
Orchids
Growing Peanuts
Growing Perennials
Growing Plants
Growing Rosemary
Growing Roses
Growing Strawberries
Growing Sunflowers
Growing Thyme
Growing Tomatoes
Growing Tulips
Growing Vegetables
Herb Basics
Herb Garden
Indoor Growing
Landscaping Basics
Landscaping Patios
Landscaping Plants
Landscaping Shrubs
Landscaping Trees
Landscaping Walks & Pathways
Lawn Basics
Lawn Maintenance
Lawn Mowers
Lawn Ornaments
Lawn Planting
Lawn Tools
Outdoor Growing
Overall Landscape Planning
Pests, Weeds & Problems
Plant Basics
Rock Garden
Rose Garden
Shrubs
Soil
Specialty Gardens
Trees
Vegetable Garden
Yard Maintenance
How Do I Get My White Azalea Plant to Bloom Blue Flowers Again?
How Do I Get My White Azalea Plant to Bloom Blue Flowers Again?. Azaleas belong to the Rhododendron family, and grow with a variety of sizes, colors and blooming times. Growing conditions affect the color of azalea blooms. Many azaleas bloom with brighter colored flowers when they are planted in exposed areas rather than shade. Lower night...
Azaleas belong to the Rhododendron family, and grow with a variety of sizes, colors and blooming times. Growing conditions affect the color of azalea blooms. Many azaleas bloom with brighter colored flowers when they are planted in exposed areas rather than shade. Lower night temperatures and the soil pH also affect the color of azaleas. Azaleas go through a color change with age and get lighter with the years. To get your white azalea flowers to bloom blue flowers again, review the plant's growing conditions and soil.
Use of Fast-Growing Methods
Azaleas are often subjected to fast-growth methods, which causes them to lose their color. Unless they are grown in a typical garden environment to their specifications, azaleas will not bloom in their natural color. These fast-growing methods include daily watering, an excess of liquid acid fertilizer and growing in plastic containers. Such an environment is foreign to azaleas and causes the darker colors to get light. For this reason pink or blue flowers turn white and red flowers turn orange and yellow.
Soil Fertility
Azaleas flower colors are sensitive to soil fertility as well. The plants require a high level of organic matter in their soil. If the soil has a high clay content, use a mixture of 50 percent ground pink bark or a leaf mold of oak or pine leaves, 25 percent of coarse sand and 25 percent of topsoil to amend the soil. Do not use too much peat, since this holds in excessive moisture during spring and winter. In soil that is naturally sandy, use a mixture of 50 percent organic matter and 50 percent soil to amend the soil.
Soil pH
Azaleas need an acidic soil for optimal blooms. The flowers react quickly to poor soil composition by fading in color. Azaleas thrive in a pH level between 5.0 and 5.5. If the soil is alkaline, add lime to increase the acidity. Amend overly acidic soils with organic matter in the top 6 inches and sulfur or ferrous sulfate. A lack of iron in the soil combined with an inappropriate pH also lowers the color-forming chlorophyll in the plants and may cause blue azaleas to fade.
