Wakaebisu nursery find

drew33998

Masterpiece
Messages
2,033
Reaction score
1,286
Location
Jacksonville, Fl
USDA Zone
8-9
Stopped by one of my fav nurseries for lunch just to stroll and relax. Noticed two azaleas in the mark down area. $10 each. No tag. Yellowing foliage with spots. One of them had a decent trunk above soil line. I treated them with 3 in 1 spray heavily yesterday yo try to help knock out whatever is ailing the tree. Hoping it is lack of water, fungus, or bugs. Not azalea nematoads. Either way i was cleaning one up today trying to unclutter the branch structure and i found and old tag handwritten and barely legible "wakaebisu". A nice find if they live as i have never seen any of them around here as nursery stock. 20171221_162817.jpg 20171221_162834.jpg
 

drew33998

Masterpiece
Messages
2,033
Reaction score
1,286
Location
Jacksonville, Fl
USDA Zone
8-9
Got carried away with the pruning but i decided since i am opening it up so light and air can get to the interior i might as well make a trunk selection. I left two possible main trunk lines. One large one may be uses as the first branch. Took the larger two you see that are unusable back to the lowest buds. Hoping i can gradually cut them off eventually. I learnes my lesson about cutting off all the main trunks on an azalea last time. They will just die back all the way to the roots. Hopefully if i can slowly take it off half at a time then i can see if it is going to calus over and if the roots have fully merged with the roots beside them. If not i might just have to deal with the die back and move on.20171221_170131.jpg 20171221_170146.jpg
 

JudyB

Queen of the Nuts
Messages
13,750
Reaction score
23,250
Location
South East of Cols. OH
USDA Zone
6a
This is one of my favorite varieties, I've never had one, but have admired the color on these, and the ability that they have to bloom more than once. Nice find!
 

drew33998

Masterpiece
Messages
2,033
Reaction score
1,286
Location
Jacksonville, Fl
USDA Zone
8-9
Ive always admired them from the photos people have posted of theirs on this site. Like the color and shape of the blooms.
 

drew33998

Masterpiece
Messages
2,033
Reaction score
1,286
Location
Jacksonville, Fl
USDA Zone
8-9
So i started working on the second one and decided to take a closer look at the roots. Turns out that the soil is more than likely the issue. So i went full on repot mode. The second tree yielded two "freebies". Two of the shoots had rooted themselves so i seperated them. The soil mix is from american bonsai. Lava, pumice, calcined clay (turface), hort charcoal. I would have loved to have some kanuma. The soil it was in was horribly compacted and the roots were staying soggy.
 

drew33998

Masterpiece
Messages
2,033
Reaction score
1,286
Location
Jacksonville, Fl
USDA Zone
8-9
1st one that i showed is on the far side. Its roots were lousy due to the poor soil also so it was repotted too. The other two in the foreground were the ones i separated from the 2nd tree. 20171222_155620.jpg
 

drew33998

Masterpiece
Messages
2,033
Reaction score
1,286
Location
Jacksonville, Fl
USDA Zone
8-9
Update. Been in the heated greenhouse since repotting. New shoots. Not sure if you can see the new growth from my photos. Not sure of putting it in a heated greenhouse was the best. If i had a heating mat i would have put it in a cpvered locaton on that20180205_170349.jpg20180205_170356.jpg20180205_170400.jpg
 

Leo in N E Illinois

The Professor
Messages
11,337
Reaction score
23,251
Location
on the IL-WI border, a mile from ''da Lake''
USDA Zone
5b
Wakaebisu - a great Satsuki cultivar, very vigorous and reasonably hardy. Nice find.

I mostly like what you have done. If I did not have Kanuma, I would have gone with a pumice, or perlite, and pine bark or fir bark mix. The bark as it decomposes brings pH down. Turface has been a problem for my azaleas in my location. Any mix with significan turface my azaleas have had poor roots or just plain died.

I usually use a equal parts Kanuma, fir bark (as for seedling orchids) and pumice. This has worked the best for me.

IF you can water with rain water or RO water instead of municipal water I think you will have better success. If you are able to use rain or RO water 75% of the time or more, all year, then you might not have trouble with the turface. Hard water & turface in combination seems to be a problem. At least from my observations, I know someone will swear turface is not an issue, if it works for you fine. Just offering my experience.
 
Top Bottom