My Encore Azaleas Are Not Blooming

Plant breeder Buddy Lee invented and manages the Encore azalea collection. Azaleas from the Encore collection have showy flowers ranging in color from white to the brightest and deepest red. Proper care of the azaleas from this collection is needed for the plants to flower.

Sometimes after planting new Encore azaleas in the ground, the plant suffers a shock and won't flower until the next growing season. As long as the plant is growing and looks healthy, it will adapt to its environment the first growing season and bloom the following year. These azaleas are known for skipping a flowering cycle when transplanted.

Encore azaleas bloom for three seasons because of how the azalea has been bred. Because the plant can bloom for so many seasons, it needs to have at least four to six hours of direct sunlight to bloom. Plants do the best in areas where there is some afternoon shade. If azaleas are planted in areas without any shade during the day, extra care is needed to keep the soil moist.

Long dry spells can reduce blooming if the soil dries out. Azaleas need moist soil to keep the plant healthy and blooming. Manually irrigate the soil during dry periods, giving the plants at least 1 inch of water once a week.

Encore azaleas that are not blooming or have few blooms will benefit from an application of fertilizer. Encore azaleas don't need fertilizer in the first year, but benefit with one application every two weeks after the first growing season. The best fertilizer is one that has a 1-3-1 nitrogen-phosphate-potassium ratio. Phosphates, the middle number, promote flowering, and nitrogen, the first number, promotes foliage growth, which you don't want if the plant is growing healthy green foliage.