Growing Azaleas

Question: Although I feed and water my azaleas well, they do not grow. They get plenty of shade from large shrubs that grow just behind them.

Answer: The trouble, no doubt, is caused by the roots of the neighboring shrubs, which use most of the food and moisture available in the soil, leaving little for the azaleas. I would suggest that you create some type of root barrier vertically in a narrow, 20-inch-deep trench in front of the shrubs. This will keep the roots of the shrubs from reaching into the azalea bed.