Scruffy Satsuki Azalea

Ok so I know u guys are getting tired of me posting pics every weekend of a different tree the complete noob has went and picked up. But I'm having to learn patience since I can't work on em much this time of year so I'm reading alot on different trees and want a couple of them to learn.
I do have a few questions about these 2 guys picked em up yesterday. The one in the nursery pot the really lancky and scruffy one, seems to be in good health other than being leggy and scruffy. It has buds for next year's flowers has some fleshy branches showing signs of new growth. So spring I would like to repot for sure. I'm thinking of a hard cut back after flowers die off cause I haven't seen the flowers and I want to see what they look like. My questions for it is when should I repot before flowers or after and after flowers can I repot then and do a hard cut back at the same time. Or if I had repotted before flowers can I still do a hard cut back after flower die off.
Ok the second one, the one in the clay pot does not have any buds for next year's flowers that I can see. I did see one maybe two small fleshy branches showing signs of grow. I would like to get it healthy and layer it maybe. I'm thinking trying to feed it up for a repot. I'm sure it's in need of repot, but not sure if I need to get it a little stronger before hand. Any advice is welcome. Also are there some good links, or threads for azaleas. Like the ones u guys showed us for the JBP to help me with these guys.
I'm a gluten for punishment btw getting this plants on the ruff side. But I think taking a plant that is not perfect, get it nice and healthy, then keep it healthy will go further than taking a healthy plant and killing it. Hehe

Rick Walden said:

I do have a few questions about these 2 guys picked em up yesterday.

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What types of Azalea are they meaning what does it say on the labels. Depending on that they get slightly different treatment down there. There are some damn good ones down South and I am certain once known we can good advice in relation to your climate

Grimmy

GrimLore said:

What types of Azalea are they meaning what does it say on the labels. Depending on that they get slightly different treatment down there. There are some damn good ones down South and I am certain once known we can good advice in relation to your climate

Grimmy

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Bill at Bonsai Beginnings here in Savannah just said Satsuki they don't have any flowers I can get some closer pics if it will help

Call Bill and ask him if they are the Goko variety or e-mail him - (912) 660-9323 bill@bonsaibeginnings.com. Either way I am tagging @Mellow Mullet for his advice with him being closer to you in Mobile. Keep in mind it is Christmas though so many will be slow to respond.

Grimmy

Go to YouTube and search for Joh Geangle’s azalea
videos. He demonstrates doing severe cut backs. And your trees need a severe cutback!

Azalea will backbud very easily! Forget about the flowers, if you wait for flowers, and then cut back, you’ll lose half your growing season! Do the cutback early spring, late winter. Dont repot.

You HAVE to do the severe cutback. You are taking a bush, a shrub, and trying to transform it into a tree-like form!

Go watch several of JohnG’s videos. You will be amazed!

Adair M said:

Go to YouTube and search for Joh Geangle’s azalea
videos. He demonstrates doing severe cut backs. And your trees need a severe cutback!

Azalea will backbud very easily! Forget about the flowers, if you wait for flowers, and then cut back, you’ll lose half your growing season! Do the cutback early spring, late winter. Dont repot.

You HAVE to do the severe cutback. You are taking a bush, a shrub, and trying to transform it into a tree-like form!

Go watch several of JohnG’s videos. You will be amazed!

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. I think I have a bigger problem with potting and roots ATM. If I don't take care of the pot and the roots 1st. I want have to worry about how long of a growing season I have left after I cut em back. That was the reason behind the question on a hard cut with a repotting and if I need to feed em up a bit before the repotting.

I am not worried about seeing flowers if I can't it is ok. But if I can get the plant healthy and see how it flowers that's a bonus. But I think the roots are my main concern at this time. The taller one not budding for next year's flowers and having hardly any fleshy branches from a long growing season we have down here tells me REPOT. At least I think that's what I'm taking from my research . But I've only been reading to learn, no hands on to back up my research so that's why Im checking with you guys

I watched several of his videos last night. He's from SC right up the road from me it was cool

Do not feed now, its too late to start. Feeding may cause buds to break out or shoots to emerge and a freeze may damage/kill any new growth. Feed in spring with a 5-5-5 organic mix (others may choose to differ of course). Your whips can be wired with aluminum though very loosely. Make subtle bends on the smaller branches near the interior where you want buds to break in the spring. Repot in March(early spring) with pure kanuma (others may choose to differ as well). Also watch your watering with that nursery soil. Azalea hate being saturated and their thin roots are very prone to rootrot. Your soil looks very damp. Also, no major cuts until spring
Heres a pic of what I mean by the wiring. buds will break where the apexes of bends are:

Wasn't gonna start feeding till spring, if I used any feed at all before repot. Wasn't sure if I feed it for a couple of weeks to strengthen it up a bit then waited a bit then with a happier plant hit it with a repot and maybe a hard cut back for the leggy one and a Air layer for the taller one in the Clay pot. I'm pretty sure the most important thing is to repot. Not sure if the one with NO Flower buds for next year need an emergency repot as in now. I know the one leggy one with budding for next years flowers and some fleshy growth can wait till spring and maybe get a repot and hard cut back.
Yeah they were wet I had just watered them. They were both dry to the touch so, I wet em down really well should be good for a few days to a week will keep my eye on em for water. TY

I'm sure you can wait until early spring. The tree overall still looks healthy enough to wait for a better time to repot. Do you have a plan for the trees? Are you trying to get thicker trunks or are you going more for the flowering display aspect.

808bonsaiSF said:

I'm sure you can wait until early spring. The tree overall still looks healthy enough to wait for a better time to repot. Do you have a plan for the trees? Are you trying to get thicker trunks or are you going more for the flowering display aspect.

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Right now healthy and keeping them alive is my main concern till I get some knowledge and experience. Then we will build from there. I think that's what I'm suppose to say. But I'm trying to be patient which is not one of my better suits. I'm thinking this year is growing from seed things I want and repotting most everything I bought. which with the Shimpaku, Chinese Elms, JBP, and these guys after repotting not gonna be able to style or anything till next year. Still a learning Game all I have been doing is reading and spending money which Im good at, ask my wife. LMAO

Here are a couple of threads showing a severe chop and what to expect concerning growth.

https://bonsainut.com/threads/another-nursery-azalea-gets-a-chop.19187/

https://bonsainut.com/threads/three-months-in-the-life-of-a-chopped-nursery-azalea.19256/

I would wait to repot until early spring if it is indeed a satsuki. It is only a couple of months until repotting and if you monitor how damp it stays you will make it until then. After it blooms, cut it back. It really won't hurt to see it bloom, you are not wasting time, in your climate an azalea will grow like a weed most of the year. A little time for flowers won't hurt at thing. Also flowering won't waste energy either, enjoy the show and then get to work.

John

Mellow Mullet said:

Here are a couple of threads showing a severe chop and what to expect concerning growth.

https://bonsainut.com/threads/another-nursery-azalea-gets-a-chop.19187/

https://bonsainut.com/threads/three-months-in-the-life-of-a-chopped-nursery-azalea.19256/

I would wait to repot until early spring if it is indeed a satsuki. It is only a couple of months until repotting and if you monitor how damp it stays you will make it until then. After it blooms, cut it back. It really won't hurt to see it bloom, you are not wasting time, in your climate an azalea will grow like a weed most of the year. A little time for flowers won't hurt at thing. Also flowering won't waste energy either, enjoy the show and then get to work.

John

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Thanks for replying John. I visited your website the other day, and read a few articles there about soil, and homemade tools. Like your spinning table and the screen you buy from Hobby Lobby please send any other advise my way that can save me money, and keep me in the Game. Also thank you for the links I will definitely check em out.
Kinda thought I could wait and see the flowers on the leggy one it seems to be in decent shape with buds and signs of new growth from last season. Can I repot, and do a hard cut back on it after the flowers die off? Or should I repot and wait on the cut back till next year? Like I was saying the others, the taller one in clay pot, I really cant see any flower buds or maybe they don't look like buds on the other two azalea here with me. I'm gonna go ahead and repot it as early as I can if its not gonna flower. The question I have on it is how long after repotting can I get a good air layer started? or is it not worth air layering in your opinion?

Oh guess I should have checked out your thread before reasking my questions nvm thank you looks like u repotted and chopped it deep all in one fell swoop. What about layering or do I just need to read further

I dont really see anything to air layer on your azaleas. What I do is make cuttings with what I trim off if I like the cultivator. My personal opinion is if you do any cutbacks, do it early in spring (before bud break/and flower break) so the tree has the entire season to heal over the scar,you can repot as well same time. Make the cuts as smooth as possible with trunk line because azalea scars are really thin compared to pines, maple junies etc. Do not concave or you will forever have a divit where you cut(in most cases). also use top jin with putty over it to speed up healing. If you do any cutbacks before flowering, keep a couple buds so you can at least see what the flowers look like. Since you are impatient (like myself), get some movement in the branches with loose wire, only light bends to not cause too much stress. get the slight bends as close to the trunk as possible so buds will break and your main branches will develop taper and inner ramification early.

808bonsaiSF said:

I dont really see anything to air layer on your azaleas. What I do is make cuttings with what I trim off if I like the cultivator. My personal opinion is if you do any cutbacks, do it early in spring (before bud break/and flower break) so the tree has the entire season to heal over the scar,you can repot as well same time. Make the cuts as smooth as possible with trunk line because azalea scars are really thin compared to pines, maple junies etc. Do not concave or you will forever have a divit where you cut(in most cases). also use top jin with putty over it to speed up healing. If you do any cutbacks before flowering, keep a couple buds so you can at least see what the flowers look like. Since you are impatient (like myself), get some movement in the branches with loose wire, only light bends to not cause too much stress. get the slight bends as close to the trunk as possible so buds will break and your main branches will develop taper and inner ramification early.

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I wasn't sure I thought the one in the clay pot was tall enough I could layer it below the apex and get another plant out of it but I guess cutting would be better and I could get maybe a Formal and Informal Upright from the cutting if I train em early. That way I can have more than just broom styles

I have never air layered an azalea, I have heard that they will, but never tried. The apex on the clay potted one is not that thick and you can grow one from a cutting to that thickness in two seasons, so I don't think you would be getting anywhere by air layering; unless, you just want to try it out for an experiment. I, like 808 mentioned above, strike all of the cuttings when I trim, you would be surprised how many of them take. The only one that I have not had success with is chojuho.

Concerning the repot, not trying to be snarky, but what is it that makes you think it needs repotting? Just curious. It looks healthy, is the soil draining (when watering, does the water flow through or pool on top?) I see at least one flower bud in the pictures of it (the rest are not close up enough), the picture with your finger in it, the top right, there is a bud.

Instead of a full blown repot, why not take it and plant it in a larger container and let it stretch its legs a bit. You could use a cut down nursery container, an oil drain pan ( I like these), or a terracotta orchid or azalea pot. Just take yours out of its pot, loosen up the roots, put in the larger container and back fill with good soil. Thin out the branches some and wire the ones left to get some movement in them. You will be surprised how much growth it will throw out. After a year or so put it back in a bonsai pot.

I know you are anxious to just in on it, but I think going a bit slower with it and seeing how it responds to different techniques would be better, I would hate for you to loose it by doing too much at once.

John

Rick Walden said:

Still a learning Game all I have been doing is reading and spending money which Im good at, ask my wife. LMAO

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Don't move to fast, it is Bonsai

Mellow Mullet said:

I know you are anxious to just in on it, but I think going a bit slower with it and seeing how it responds to different techniques would be better, I would hate for you to loose it by doing too much at once.

John

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As John said, I have an example of Satsuki I brought up from his place this past April. I merely lifted it in the original nursery pot soil the soil was level at the top... It had a rust problem, rotting buds, etc... As it was received from MBG. I treated it for 5 months, cured it, it grew a lot, and has a lot of buds set for next Summer Had I done more it more then that it likely would have died...

Grimmy