When is the best time to prepare soil for azaleas and bedding plants?
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not top soil,that is for lawns....start amending the soil with Gypsum and pelletized lime,add peat moss and garden soil mix in.It will take some time for the soil to break down
Azaleas are acid loving plants, so you can add some pine needles around them and/or coffee grounds.
work a lot of decomposed compost into the soil
Don't use top soil unless you are planting grass. Use potting soil or garden soil that has amendments already in it.. If you can, purchase or rent a tiller and use it to do the work for you when you are ready to get started. If you have all the garden areas already marked out, use the tiller to break the ground and have someone follow behind picking up the clumps of grass. Once that is gone, start tilling in as much of the garden or top soil and also some sterilized manure (it won't smell) to richen up the soil. Try to mix it in as deep as possible. Once you are done, even out the soil (level) start putting your plants where you want them to make sure they are placed properly before you plant them. Leave them in their new spots and start planting. Let the plants and shrubs settle for a couple of weeks before you think about fertilizing so you don't burn the roots as they are establishing.
Early Spring
Don't forget the pine straw for mulch. You can get that at your local Home Depot.
Azaleas like acidic soils... if your alter yours or bring in topsoil, don't go as far as neutral pH. Evergreen shrubs are likely to be similar in preference. The roots of new plantings need a loosened soil, slow-release fertilizer added to base of excavation, and pH in keeping with their species. Generally, the clay content is not a detriment to success as long as it is sufficiently loosened and blended with better soils. Too much clay won't kill, but will slow down a plant's recovery. Gypsum will help alleviate the compaction that clay causes.
I live in a Washington, but our property is all clay too! So I dig out large areas or trenches wherever I plan on planting and use the excess dirt other places to fill in on the property. Then I use garden soil from a landscape company where I buy several yards at a time to fill in my trenches with as I plant my plants where I want them. I also leave 3-6 inches of clearance to add bark nuggets to my flower garden that helps insulate my plants in the colder weather and also retains water to help my plants get more moisture longer when it’s hot outside. I can tell you my plants love it, Rhodies. Azeala, you name it! I’ve even had plants that were supposed to die here in our cold weather that survive and came back stronger then ever in spring that I believe survived due to my extra 6” of bark nuggets! I use the bark nuggets instead of bark dust being the dust promotes weed growth too quickly! The nuggets last longer and hold water better! Some people say bark dust draws fleas, but I have 2 dogs and 5 acres with flower beds all over covered in bark nuggets and my dogs never have any fleas. I keep our fields cut short at all times that also helps keep fleas away! So the flea attraction seem to be a myth!