AusBonsai

hi everyone
it has been a while since i been on i do apologize for that but i was just looking at one of my azalea's and i noticed
that the leaves are not opening they staying curled up,there is no grubs or insects on the tree but it still doing the curl thing
so any help would be appreciated.
cheers dean

well it seems nobody knows nothing about azalea's i am now going to work it out as noone on here is able to
cheers dean

Hi Dean,

You did say any help would be appreciated. So here is what I know.

Azaleas are susceptable to many insects and diseases as well as root and soil issues. Your picture is not great or very clear so its hard to say. Curled leaves might be a dificiencey of some sort, broad mite, thrips, leaf gall.

Theres a start but a better photo may help others on here help you better.

Good luck.

Squizz

thanks sqizzy
it hard for me to take photo's at moment as my back is still not healed from fusion
but i will try today to get you more pictures but i know it doesnt have any bugs on it
so i will put in bigger pot and renew the soil and pray that solves it with a good feed
cheers dean

No worries Dean,

Just so you know. Broad mite is even smaller than red spider mite or 2 spotted mite. It is impossible to see without magnification.

Cheers

Squizz

G,day Dean I was hoping one of the Azalea aficionados would answer, however it looks like us mere mortals will have to suffice.

Having read your pleas. I have been reading my book on pest and disease, there are a number of possibilities.
Going on what can be made out in the picture and your description, of the leaves staying curled up and not opening, could mean a possible leaf gall which occurs in certain cultivars.

There are many forms of diseases in the Azalea cultivars, some a very specific to the cultivar.

A good fungicide treatment usually will help with control.

Cheers I hope this of help Pup

thankyou PUP it was very helpfull i will hit it with a pesticide tommorrow but here are some more pictures which might help
cheers dean

that is weird and never seen anythign lik ethat before
Be interested to see if the fungicide does help

Ken

hi ken
i gave it a spray and tommorrow i will repot it in a plastic grow pot and let it recover also i will give it the big chop
cause it is one i dont want to lose
cheers dean

gday ken this is what it looked like 1 year ago
cheers dean

There is something wrong with the growing conditions or roots. Have you up ended it to look for curl grubs in the soil??? Or have you put lime on it or over fertilised it ???? If you are going to re-pot make sure you use a good Azalea pot mix or plenty of peat in the mix.
I would NOT be cutting it back at this time of year and in that condition, you would seal its fate as it would not have the strength to re shoot now and in that condition.

thanks hack
i will just repot it in the azalea mix i got the other week and not cut it thanks again hack,no lime at all and just fert it today thinking it needed it.
cheers dean

The only other option is that it is a Mollis Azalea which are deciduous. Do you have the cultivar name or the tag? If not where did you buy it?? Not up in the Blue Mountains? It doesn't really look like a Mollis as they are usually in shades of yellow or orange, but it could still be one. It sort of looks like a cultivar called "The Teacher".

gday hack
i got it from bonsai south nursery as you could see from last picture it was great but now i not so sure
cheers dean

Nice pic Dean, hope it recovers as they are real nice flowers

Ken