The Garden Club May 13, 2005

June 3, 2005

Two Beautiful, Fragrant and Hardy Azalea Hybrids.

- Azaleas 'Lemon Lights' & 'Northern Hi-Lights'
- Garden Q&A

Azaleas 'Lemon Lights' & 'Northern Hi-Lights'

Hardy, Fragrant Azalea Hybrids
Gardeners, especially those in colder areas, can now also enjoy Azaleas in their gardens with a new hardy series - Northern Lights. Developed at the University of Minnesota beginning in 1984, these new hybrids are hardy to -30 F. Northern Lights hybrids are also known for being extremely floriferous, putting on a stunning floral show in late spring to early summer. Coincidentally, a few cultivars in the series turned out to be quite fragrant and foliar fungus resistant. This week we are featuring two of these new Azalea Hybrids, 'Lemon Lights' and 'Northern Hi-Lights.'

'Lemon Lights'
'Lemon Lights' has striking two-toned yellow flowers which are lighter at the outer edges of the petals and more gold-toned at the throats. The flowers emit a sweet fragrance. The dark, glossy foliage has an excellent resistance to powdery mildew and provides a beautiful contrast to the clear, yellow blooms. Fall foliage color is maroon bronze. Expect 'Lemon Lights' to reach 6-10 feet tall and 5-8 feet wide.

'Northern Hi-Lights'
'Northern Hi-Lights' was first introduced in 1994. It has creamy white flowers with splashes of yellow. As with 'Lemon Lights,' 'Northern Hi-Lights' also has a sweet fragrance. The deep green, mildew-resistant foliage will turn burgundy in the autumn, adding to your fall landscape. Expect 'Northern Hi-Lights' to reach 6-10 feet tall and 5-8 feet wide.

Planting and Care

Deciduous azaleas prefer more sun than evergreen azaleas, although they do best with some protection from the hottest afternoon sun. When planting 'Lemon Lights' or 'Northern Hi-Lights,' select a site with almost full sun to light shade that has well-drained, acid soil. Azaleas have a very shallow, fibrous root system and can dry out rapidly. For that reason, be sure to water during dry periods and hot summer days.

For best results plant in spring to early summer.

Does best in an area with full sun to light shade.

Do not plant your Azalea too deep. Dig a shallow hole and backfill around the plant with a mixture of an organic compost and the existing soil.

Fertilizer with Cottonseed Meal in early spring and late fall.

Hardy in zones 4-7.
$28.85 each less 20%, from 2 gallon pots.

Our Garden Worthy Certification means that your satisfaction is guaranteed.

Azalea 'Lemon Lights'

Azalea 'Northern Hi-Lights'

Garden Club Frequently Asked Questions

Question: We have a Mr. Lauder's Walking Stick (Contorted Filbert) that is about 3 1/2 feet high. All the new growth has straight branches rather than twisted and curvy like they should be. Can you tell me if there is something I should be doing to the new growth?

Answer: A close examination of your filbert should reveal contorted branches in the center surrounded by straight branches coming from the base. Almost all Harry Lauder's Walking Sticks are grafted on non-contorted filbert and tend to sucker up from the base. These suckers must be pruned away every year.

Question: I live in an area with roaming deer. Would you recommend planting Hydrangeas? If so, would there be a variety more "resistant" to the deer than others? Thank you.

Answer: Deer love Hydrangeas. The varieties that I have found to be the most resistant are the paniculata (Pee Gee) varieties. In addition, eventually these grow tall enough that the deer can't reach the top where the blooms are. In heavily deer infested areas, Pee Gee Hydrangeas should be placed and trimmed as small trees, rather than shrubs.

Question: Alan, Can you help us identify the strange growths on the tips of our Azaleas? There are many of them and they're light green, soft and rubbery. It appears to be a fungus of some sort. Our Azaleas look ok now, but they bloomed very sparingly this spring. Thank you for your help.

Answer: You are correct. Your Azaleas have a fungus called Leaf Gall. This disease is most troublesome in moist seasons and on Azaleas grown in heavy shade. It is too late to spray this year. Pull off the infected leaves to help reduce the incidence of the disease next year. Even so, you should spray next year, before the flowers appear, with Mancozeb or Bordeaux Mix (preferred, but a little harder to find.

As for lack of flowering, part of the problem may have been the Leaf Gall. Are you feeding in early spring and late fall with Cottonseed Meal and Kelp Meal? Have the trees grown, so that there is too much shade? Azaleas do best in bright dappled shade or in full morning sun with afternoon shade. In any event, they do require at least some sun to bloom well. Filtered shade is ok; dense shade is not.

Question: I just planted my tomatoes outside and the leaves have turned all white on the top. What should I do?

Answer: Your tomatoes turned white from sun scorch. They must have been grown in a shady place or indoors and then placed directly outdoors in the full sun. Next year transition your tomatoes to the full sun gradually. I am reasonably certain it is too late for partial shading. I suspect that your tomatoes will be fine and that they will make new leaves that will withstand the full sun.

Question: I have grown many of the roses you recommend. I have all 3 colors of Knockout and Carefree Beauty. Can you recommend a low-maintenance yellow shrub rose? All of my low-maintenance roses are pink and red and I would like to add some variety. I have heard you say on the radio show that because of their breeding yellow, roses are less hardy and more subject to disease.

Answer: Until recently I would have told you that a yellow-flowered low-maintenance rose was an impossibility. With the release of Carefree Sunshine, that is no longer true. Carefree Sunshine is not quite as disease resistant as the other roses you are growing, but it is a major step forward in terms of disease resistance, very little spraying, if any, should be required. Carefree Sunshine is a prolific bloomer with lemon yellow flowers.

Question: I know I am supposed to cut my mums on Memorial Day, but I didn't get to it. Is it too late? When is the next cutting? How far should I cut them back? Some of my mums are Montauk daisies. Do I treat them the same as regular chrysanthemums?

Answer: There is still time to do the first cutting on chrysanthemums. Cut them back about half way or even a little more. The second and last cutting is around the 4th of July and it is a light pinching. Treat your Montauk daisies (Chrysanthemum nipponicum) the same as garden mums. Just be sure not to cut them back too far the first time. Also, check that the buds haven't formed before the second cutting. If they have, omit the second cutting.

►Garden Club Newsletter Index