How to Care for a White Blossom Satsuki Azalea

Select a planting site for a Satsuki azalea with year-round, moderately filtered shade. Avoid areas with full sun or shade for best development.

Find a location with well-draining, acidic soil for ultimate growth, such as under pine trees. Allow enough room for the expected mature size. Find this information on the Satsuki azalea’s plant marker.

Plant the Satsuki azalea at the same depth or a little shallower to allow for settling. Dig the hole two or three times the width of the container to encourage root development.

Backfill the hole, and then create a watering basin from the remaining soil. Pile the soil up 3 inches in a circle two feet from the Satsuki azalea’s stem.

Fill the basin with water to settle the plant. Continue to water the Satsuki azalea as needed throughout the first growing season to establish the roots. Water well to dampen the soil to a depth of 8 inches whenever the soil looks dry. The amount of water needed will vary, dependent on rainfall and soil conditions.

Add a 2- to 3-inch layer of mulch around the base of the Satsuki azalea. Keep the mulch away from the trunk and extend the mulch out as far as the canopy. Maintain the depth, but expand the diameter every year as the shrub’s canopy widens.

Feed an acid fertilizer to the Satsuki azalea after the bloom period. Follow the instructions on the packaging, and water the plant well after applying the fertilizer.

Prune the Satsuki azalea throughout the year to remove dead or diseased branches. Do any major pruning after blossoming, but only as needed.