I usually hang out at the houseplants forum, but I think this question is better suited to the Balcony gardners.

This is my first time keeping plants on my balcony. I thought this summer I'd dabble, try my hand at wintering plants on the balcony, learn a few lessons and buckle down for next year, so when an outdoor azalea caught my eye (I'm a sucker for azaleas) I thought I'd give it a try.

The summer weather out here was terrible. I forgot to bring it in one night in May and it got hit with frost and just never prospered since. No buds got bigger, the leaves are half black. The potting medium it was in never meshed with the soil in the pot I planted in so it would dry out but the soil around would be soggy. My poor poor plant. By now I had resigned to cover it for the winter and if she makes it to spring great.

So, I go out there and I think I see some new leaf buds. I think I see flower buds. I think it wants to bloom. Since I bought it in bloom in the spring, I'm thinking it's just really confused by this nice warm fall weather. Now I'm not sure what to do. I'd feel so bad if it bloomed and then got hit with frost again and then saddled with a real canadian winter. I mean our summer was bad this year, but it pales in comparison to winter. If it thinks it's spring can I winter it indoors? Would it do okay if it didn't have 'winter' for 12 months? It's supposed to be an outdoors plant (rated up to 3B) and I thought most plants like that required a dormant period.

Thanks,

Mercedes

Basically, the late summer and into fall are usually the time when many azaleas set buds for next year. So if you are only seeing buds now and they really are flower buds, then chances are they won't open until next year.

Also, as a guide that many of us who container garden use - we usually look for plants that are one or two zones colder than where we live. That way there is a higher chance of survival during a brutal winter. In your case, you are growing something that would be marginal if in the ground and might get killed in a pot if not really really protected. Something to keep in mind. It will probably need some chill hours so if you had a place where it stays in the 40° F, that might be helpful.