Why do the leaves of the newly bought azalea fall off when touched?
Here I would like to share some related knowledge about the azalea leaves falling off when touched, and I welcome any corrections if there are any mistakes!
The azalea is very beautiful, has a long flowering period, produces a large number of flowers, and is very easy to bloom in abundance, making it deeply loved by flower enthusiasts. It's azalea planting season again, are you preparing to buy one too?
Some flower enthusiasts might say: I bought an azalea last year and it died, it kept shedding leaves after I brought it home, it's impossible to keep it alive, I've lost confidence in taking care of it anymore.
In fact, it's not that difficult to raise an azalea, it just requires the soil to be acidic, and other requirements are quite negotiable.
Let's talk about why azalea leaves fall off easily and how to deal with the shedding of azalea leaves.
Proper acclimatization for the newly bought azalea, the lack of vitality and leaves falling off when touched are greatly related to the sudden change in environment.
Generally, we buy azaleas from the Fujian area, where the temperature and humidity of the breeding environment are quite different from those in our homes.
Moreover, during transportation, it's unavoidable that the root system will be damaged due to the bumps, it's just a matter of how much damage.
Why do the leaves of the newly bought azalea fall off when touched?
So after receiving the seedlings, I suggest flower enthusiasts not to repot immediately, as this will cause secondary damage. The correct approach is to care for them in their original nutrient pot or flower pot, acclimatize for about 5 days, and then repot according to the condition of the seedlings.
Acclimatizing in the original pot is good for the plant to adapt because the soil environment has not changed. It's like when we travel and stay in a hotel; many people might have trouble sleeping because of the unfamiliar bed, but if the bed is the same as the one at home but just moved to the hotel, wouldn't it be much easier to sleep?
Azaleas prefer a humid environment, so after arriving home, during the acclimatization period, it is necessary to spray the surrounding environment to increase air humidity. Note: spray the surrounding environment, not the azalea leaves directly.
During the acclimatization period, the azalea should be placed in a bright area with scattered light and kept well-ventilated. When the seedlings have recovered well, you can repot.
There are some tips for repotting azaleas
Many flower enthusiasts repot azaleas by placing the original soil clump in a flower pot and adding new soil. However, due to the significant difference in soil mixture and many of the roots around the original soil clump of the azalea being old or dead, it is difficult to generate new roots.
So after keeping the azalea for a while and finding that all the leaves have fallen off, when taking it out of the pot, there are no new roots at all, this is the issue.