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| Careful pruning now will ensure abundant bloom next season |
July 4th is an important date for our country and independence. It is also important from a horticultural perspective relating to azaleas growing in the landscape. If you have not pruned your azaleas, now is your last chance before next year's buds are put on by the plant. If you wait too long to prune, you will remove the buds and be very disappointed next spring when you have little or no blooms.
You also need to be checking your azaleas for the azalea lace bug, which feeds on the underside of the foliage. These insects suck sap from the leaves and leave their droppings on the underside of the foliage. The adults are winged and reach ¼ inch in length. High populations will cause the upper leaves to appear gray in color. New growth will have white spots where the insects have fed on the foliage. Look under the leaves to see if they are present.
Once you have properly identified this pest, they can be controlled with ultra-fine oil, Malathion or a product containing 75% acephate such as Orthene 75S. Always read and follow label directions. Malathion is a contact insecticide that must come in contact with the insect. This is especially important since this pest is on the underside of the leaves. The acephate product is systemic and is translocated throughout the plant and will kill when the insect feeds on the plant. This product also stays in the plant for an extended period to kill future generations of the lace bugs. You can bring insect samples into any Extension Service office for proper identification