Alan Titchmarsh shows off his blooming Indian Azalea plant
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In a video posted on his Instagram in January, Alan Titchmarsh showed off the current state of his Indian azalea houseplant which he purchased the month prior. He said that this plant “tops” his list when it comes to best buys for indoor plants. The gardening guru shared the “secret to success” for achieving “beautiful blooms”, as he has for over six weeks with the plant still thriving.
Alan said: “When it comes to best buys, this Indian azalea tops my list. I paid £8.99 for it very early in December. I bought it home, kept it on the kitchen window sill and now it is still flowering.
“It has been going for a good six weeks with these beautiful blooms which are pink edged with white, evergreen leaves.”
Few plants can match the fantastic flower power that azaleas are loved for.
Reliable, vivid colours, masses of blooms, and easy-care maintenance make them a favourite among flowering shrubs.
Gardeners can grow azalea indoors much like any other houseplant, but as with other blooming plants, there are a few tricks they need to know about the care of indoor azalea if they want to keep them blooming year after year.
According to Alan, the most important thing to get right is their watering schedule, as this is what the plant “loves”.
Moisture should be the greatest concern in the care of indoor azaleas. Never allow the plant to dry out.
While watering from the top may provide sufficient care, indoor azaleas enjoy the occasional dunk, pot and all, in a larger container of water.
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When the bubbles stop, pull it out, and let it drain. Whatever gardeners do, they should never let these plants dry out. Keep them damp, not soggy, and don’t fertilise until flowering is complete.
The expert said: “They’re not really hardy outside, but the secret of success with azalea Indica, the Indian azalea, is that you water it on that spongey compost every single day.
“It is the only houseplant I would ever water daily, just a little bit to keep that compost moist. That’s what it loves.”
When the houseplant has finished flowering, the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) advised gardeners mist them daily and water as needed to “encourage new root and shoot growth”.
While the RHS argues that indoor azalea indica should be kept in a “warm greenhouse or conservatory”, Alan noted that he has managed to keep the plant thriving on his kitchen window sill.
He said: “It’s had a spot on the kitchen window sill in front of the sink, Mrs Titchmarsh loves it and I just wanted to share with you the fact that this Indian azalea has still got lots of flowering to come.
“You’ll probably find them being so cheap now in your local garden centre. Go and get one. Azalea Indica, I’m a real fan.”
The Instagram video received over 3,200 likes and many comments from inspired gardening lovers sharing their thoughts. @the_ninja_neko said: “So that’s why mine kept dying – not watering enough. Azaleas are very common here in Belgium.”
@gaymaclaran commented: “I’ve got one too Alan, and it has been flowering for months and months. This is the second time in the last year that it has done this.”
@sibley_maggie wrote: “Ooh will look out for one. Lovely bit of winter flowers.”
@pritchard7752 replied: “Had lots of them over the year, can’t really overwater them like other houseplants.”
@Satoyamakin added: “How beautiful, I’ll definitely add that to my new list of houseplants this year. Thank you for posting the video.”
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