Martha Says Now Is the Best Time to Plant Azaleas—Here's How She Does It

In the spring, gardeners are busy planning and planting, whether it's a small backyard bed or acres of land. This week, Martha and her team planted over 100 azaleas, ferns, and trees on her farm.

She says spring is the best time to purchase azaleas because that's when they're in full bloom. "That way, one can see the flower colors and plan a garden design. Many of these are blooming so wonderfully now," Martha wrote in a recent blog post.

White's Nursery in Germantown, Maryland, which specializes in azaleas and rhododendrons, provided the azaleas for the area around Martha's pond. "Of all the shrubs that flower in spring, azaleas provide some of the most brilliant displays, so I wanted the area filled with shades of yellow, cream, and orange azaleas," she says. "Together with the bold greens of the other perennials and trees, this garden is sure to be amazing when it matures."

First, Martha's head gardener, Ryan McCallister, placed 70 orange-, yellow-, and cream-colored azaleas in the area they were to be planted. Once the potted plants were in their spots, the digging began. Each hole needed to be about two to three times the size of the plant's root ball and at least as deep as the root ball. Martha says digging the right-sized hole is crucial for proper root development and drainage.

When you remove a plant from its pot, tease the roots to stimulate growth. Martha's resident tree arborist, Pasang Sherpa, manually broke up the bottom of each root ball to loosen the roots and create "beneficial injuries" to help the plant establish itself more quickly in its new environment.

A handful of fertilizer was added to each hole and mixed with the existing soil to "aid transplant survival and increase water and nutrient absorption," Martha explains. After planting the azaleas in the ground at the same depth they were in the pot, Pasang backfilled the hole and used a shovel to level and tamp down the soil.

Martha says that azaleas have short root systems, so they can easily be transplanted in spring or early fall. Some azaleas, including native types, can reach towering heights of 20 feet or more. Many garden azaleas stay 4 to 6 feet tall, while dwarf azaleas grow 2 to 3 feet tall. Martha says to plant azaleas under 3 feet tall at least 2 feet apart. For plants 3 to 5 feet tall at maturity, leave at least 3 feet between plantings. For large azaleas that are 8 to 10 feet tall, plant them a minimum of 6 feet apart.

At the farm, the team planted Appalachian Gold azaleas, which produce sweetly scented flowers with bright golden-yellow petals. They also planted Red Pepper azaleas, which produce deep red buds in early spring that open into ruffled orange flowers. Great Balls of Fire azaleas, with their fiery red to deep orange petals and creamy yellow blooms, were also added to the area.

After planting, the azaleas are watered every day for a week, then once weekly until the roots are established, Martha explains. The soil should remain moist, but not overly saturated. Azaleas prefer morning sun and afternoon shade or filtered light. Hot all-day sun can stress the plants and make them more susceptible to pests.