why my azaleas plant does not have much leaves ? (fertilizer, Butterfly Bush, grass)

[nc99]

why my azaleas plant does not have much leaves ? Its about 2 years old....these are the encore azaleas sold in lowes.

[Hemlock140]

Tall grass shading it isn't helping. It looks like it suffered from either a severe cold event or lack of water at some point that killed off the ends of many branches. Note that all of the leaves are near the bottom. Cut them all off starting an inch from the ends and inspect the cut, stop when you see green just under the bark. Then create a watering "bowl" in the soil around it and make sure it gets watered in summer. Also it should be fed with a fertilizer for acid loving plants such as Miracid starting in spring.

[no kudzu]

We had some pretty long spells of cold here in N.C. and many of us suffered losses. I lost several established butterfly bushes as well as some perennials.
Cut off the dead branches till you get to green like the above poster said. use only azalea fertilizer according to directions. do not use turf grass or vegetable fertilizer. keep it mulched and watered during the hot summer and it should recover..

[beachmel]

Not only would I give that bush a good tip pruning, to get rid of all growth beyond your last leaves, but I'd carefully lift the plant so to get a good look at the root system. You could have something going on below ground level. You might want to pop it into a large pot, with some good, acidic, loose, well-draining soil and let it recover. You could also simply amend the soil where it was planted, and put it back in the ground. Hit it with plenty of transplant solution and you should be fine.

[oregonwoodsmoke]

That looks like winter die back to me. Did you have some freezing weather?

It also looks like the plant isn't getting the correct amount of water. Check soil moisture about an inch down with your finger. Don't let the soil get completely dry, but don't add water if the soil is already wet.

I'd prune off the dead ends of the branches, weed around the plant so it doesn't have to compete with grass roots.

Leaf color is not quite right so pH of the soil might be off. I'd test pH and probably add some acid loving plant food, or if pH is really off, add a bit of sulfur.

[nc99]

thank you all....will do all the great suggestions.

[psach50]

The stems on my pink "Encore" azaleas are not dead but the only leaves are at the stem tips. Also, they are not blooming this Fall as they usually do? We had a cold winter here in TN but my other red "Encore" azaleas are doing fine and are blooming.