Garden Care Guide

Azarole Hawthorn Care

Crataegus azarolus

A thorny, deciduous small tree native to Turkey. It is known for its white flowers in spring and its edible, medlar-like yellow-red fruits that ripen in autumn; it is extremely tolerant of heat, drought and calcareous soils.

Hardy · -30 °C / -22 °F

Monthly care calendar

Timings are for a temperate Northern Hemisphere climate. In warmer areas tasks start earlier, in colder areas later; in the Southern Hemisphere shift them by six months.

January
  • Watering: Water a newly planted specimen more often than established plants during its first year, as its root system is still shallow.
  • Pruning: Not needed. The best time for pruning is the end of the month.
  • Plant protection: Against overwintering pests, dormant oil and/or a copper-based preparation (Bordeaux mixture) can be applied at the end of the month.
  • General care: Good time for planting and transplanting.
  • Pests & diseases: Check the trunk and branches for canker or scale insects.
February
  • Watering: Water a newly planted specimen more often than established plants during its first year, as its root system is still shallow.
  • Pruning: While dormant, remove dry, broken, crossing and inward-growing branches so that air and light reach the inside of the crown. Dead, diseased and crossing branches are removed during dormancy. Thick gloves should be used because of its thorny structure. Thinning cuts are preferred to give it a small tree shape.
  • Plant protection: After pruning, apply Bordeaux mixture as a protective treatment.
  • General care: Good time for planting and transplanting.
  • Pests & diseases: Disinfecting pruning tools prevents the spread of diseases such as fire blight.
March
  • Watering: Water a newly planted specimen more often than established plants during its first year, as its root system is still shallow.
  • Fertilizing: At the start of the month, apply well-rotted farmyard manure or compost over the tree's crown projection.
  • Pruning: Pruning should be finished by the beginning of this month.
  • Plant protection: If symptoms spread and treatment is needed, consult a licensed plant-protection supplier or an agronomist. Plant protection products are regulated; follow local rules.
  • General care: Good time for planting and transplanting.
  • Pests & diseases: Check the branches and trunk for brown, fixed bumps (scale insects).
April
  • Watering: If there is no rainfall, water young seedlings every 15 days.
  • Pruning: Not needed. Flowering begins.
  • Plant protection: If symptoms spread and treatment is needed, consult a licensed plant-protection supplier or an agronomist. Plant protection products are regulated; follow local rules.
  • General care: Flowering begins.
  • Pests & diseases: Look for aphids (green or black clusters of small insects) on fresh shoot tips. If there are only a few, you can knock them off with a strong jet of water.
May
  • Watering: Not needed for mature plants. Water new seedlings every 15 days.
  • Plant protection: If symptoms spread and treatment is needed, consult a licensed plant-protection supplier or an agronomist. Plant protection products are regulated; follow local rules.
  • General care: Flowering continues. Drainage is vital for this plant. In heavy soil that holds water, plant it on a raised mound or berm 20-30 cm high, so the root collar stays above the surrounding soil level.
  • Pests & diseases: If you see black spots with yellow halos on the leaves (black spot), collect the diseased leaves and remove them from the garden; the disease overwinters in fallen leaves. Check the fresh shoot tips for aphids (small clusters of green or black insects). If there are few, you can knock them off with a strong spray of water. Check the branches and trunk for brown, immobile bumps (scale insects). Check the undersides of the leaves for orange-brown pustules (rust).
June
  • Watering: In a long drought, water deeply once a month.
  • Plant protection: If symptoms spread and treatment is needed, consult a licensed plant-protection supplier or an agronomist. Plant protection products are regulated; follow local rules.
  • General care: Green fruits begin to form and grow.
  • Pests & diseases: If you see black spots with yellow halos on the leaves (black spot), collect the diseased leaves and remove them from the garden; the disease overwinters in fallen leaves. Check the fresh shoot tips for aphids (small clusters of green or black insects). If there are few, you can knock them off with a strong spray of water. Check the undersides of the leaves for orange-brown pustules (rust).
July
  • Watering: In midsummer, deep watering every 15-20 days is enough. Established plants (over 2 years old) do not need watering in most years. Water the area around the roots to a depth of 15-20 cm.
  • General care: The fruits continue to grow.
August
  • Watering: In midsummer, deep watering every 15-20 days is enough. Established plants (over 2 years old) do not need watering in most years. Water the area around the roots to a depth of 15-20 cm.
  • General care: The fruits begin to turn from green to yellow-orange-red.
September
  • Watering: In a long drought, water deeply once a month.
  • Plant protection: If symptoms spread and treatment is needed, consult a licensed plant-protection supplier or an agronomist. Plant protection products are regulated; follow local rules.
  • General care: Harvest begins at the end of the month. Fruits are picked when they color and soften slightly. It is the best time of the year to plant a new hawthorn sapling.
  • Pests & diseases: If you see black spots with yellow halos on the leaves (black spot), collect the diseased leaves and remove them from the garden; the disease overwinters in fallen leaves. Check the undersides of the leaves for orange-brown pustules (rust).
October
  • Watering: Not required; autumn precipitation is sufficient.
  • General care: Finish the harvest. The leaves begin to yellow and drop.
  • Pests & diseases: Prevent the spread of diseases by collecting the rotten fruit that has fallen to the ground.
November
  • Watering: Water a newly planted specimen more often than established plants during its first year, as its root system is still shallow.
  • General care: Suitable period for planting and transplanting. Make sure water does not pool in the root zone during winter rains; for this plant, drainage is more critical than irrigation. Collect fallen leaves; many disease agents and pests overwinter under them.
December
  • Watering: Water a newly planted specimen more often than established plants during its first year, as its root system is still shallow.
  • General care: Good time for planting and transplanting.

The care advice on this page is general and for information only; it is not professional advice. Plant age, soil and your garden’s microclimate can change the outcome. Plant protection products are mentioned only as general information; they are regulated, and the choice, dose and timing must be decided by a qualified professional under local rules. Consult a landscape architect or agronomist before applying.

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