Satsuki Azalea Notes, December:
By this time your
azaleas are or should
be slumbering in
their winter quarters.
Care this month is,
as with all bonsai,
keeping a check on
moisture and checking
for pests. With azaleas
we must also keep an
eye on the temperature.
It should not go much
below 25 degrees. Keep
in mind that azaleas
are evergreen and therefore
need light during the
winter months.
Once again I have been receiving the regular winter question “the leaves on my azaleas are turning yellow and dropping off”.
To those that are new to azaleas and to those that need to be reminded, this a natural process. Some varieties of azaleas have “diomorphic” leaves (2 sets) i.e. spring and summer leaves. The spring leaves that unfold at flowering, drop off in fall and winter. Some drop only a few, while others seem to lose almost all their leaves. Also, the colder the winter, the heavier the leaf drop. Keep them cleaned up so they do not get moldy.
