azaleas

Question

I have two pink indoor azaleas, which in summer I put outdoors in their pots (North of Scotland). Indoors they spend all winter in my living room, circa 21 degrees, on a sunny ledge. They have been doing amazingly well, have been flowering abundantly for about four years now, surprisingly, almost non-stop! How is that possible? Nobody mentions this possibility.

Alas, now I have overwatered badly the biggest, most beautiful one, and 2/3 of its leaves have been dropping. How can I still save my beloved plant?

Thank you kindly for any advice.
Beatrix Descamps.

Answer 1

To save an overwatered plant, it may be necessary to remove the plant with its soil from the pot and let the soil dry out overnight or so. If the roots are visibly rotten, you can prune some of them away. Also replace the soil if you see root rot:

http://www.extension.umn.edu/garden/yard-garden/houseplants/root-rot-of-houseplants/

Also prune the aboveground parts by a similar amount to help the plant recover. Then place it back in the pot.

Then, while the plant is recovering, be very careful not to overwater it, and do not fertilize it until it is growing on its own again.

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/environmental/overwatering-container-plants.htm