Azalea raft trunk

Hi,

yesterday I went to a club meeting/auction and found two Azalea's.
The first one is this weird big azalea raft/trunk nobody else seem to want so I picked it up for €25.

I don't even really know how to describe it properly so pictures included Apart from the fact that I liked the way it looked I don't really know what I'm going to do with it or have a plan for it yet.
The old leaves don't look very good but I saw lots of new growth so I have hope. I was told it's currently sitting in full Akadama and that I could remove about half of the soil.
I don't have any experience with Azalea in Akadama so I was thinking I could repot it in Kanuma after flowering and remove all the old foilage/branches?
Or would you cut it back really hard?



The other Azalea is somewhat more a 'regular' bonsai which also has it's flaws (like the inverse taper) but I couldn't leave it there for €15.
I think its currently sitting in a mixture of broken down Akadama or kanuma and organic soil but as you can see the foilage doesn't look very healthy so I was thinking of repotting it in new Kanuma and let it recover for this year.

Any other hints or tips on how to handle and let these two recover would be very welcome

If azalea didn't Hate me....no no...I have yet to repot one in summer and be successful.
I'll do that this year!

Now that I love Azalea again!....

Those are nice!

I don't know anything except....

DON'T LET ANYONE CONVINCE YOU TO REMOVE THAT BIG TRUNK IF IT IS DEAD.

Ugly and dead as hell will contrast beautifully against the flowers.

Good Fun Material.

@Mellow Mullet Happy Easter!

Sorce

sorce said:

If azalea didn't Hate me....no no...I have yet to repot one in summer and be successful.
I'll do that this year!

Now that I love Azalea again!....

Those are nice!

I don't know anything except....

DON'T LET ANYONE CONVINCE YOU TO REMOVE THAT BIG TRUNK IF IT IS DEAD.

Ugly and dead as hell will contrast beautifully against the flowers.

Good Fun Material.

@Mellow Mullet Happy Easter!

Sorce

Click to expand...

That is your problem, you are repotting in summer. You got to get them when it is still cool.

Happy Easter or Beautiful Resurrection, whichever side of the fence you are on...

baron said:

Hi,

yesterday I went to a club meeting/auction and found two Azalea's.
The first one is this weird big azalea raft/trunk nobody else seem to want so I picked it up for €25.

I don't even really know how to describe it properly so pictures included Apart from the fact that I liked the way it looked I don't really know what I'm going to do with it or have a plan for it yet.
The old leaves don't look very good but I saw lots of new growth so I have hope. I was told it's currently sitting in full Akadama and that I could remove about half of the soil.
I don't have any experience with Azalea in Akadama so I was thinking I could repot it in Kanuma after flowering and remove all the old foilage/branches?
Or would you cut it back really hard?



The other Azalea is somewhat more a 'regular' bonsai which also has it's flaws (like the inverse taper) but I couldn't leave it there for €15.
I think its currently sitting in a mixture of broken down Akadama or kanuma and organic soil but as you can see the foilage doesn't look very healthy so I was thinking of repotting it in new Kanuma and let it recover for this year.

Any other hints or tips on how to handle and let these two recover would be very welcome

Click to expand...

I don't know anything about the climate in Belgium or growing in akadama or kanuma, I grow all of my azaleas in lava, pumice/ diatomaceous earth, and fir/ bark, I have found that fancy the Japanese stuff is not necessary at all. All of that being said, if you think the soil is no good and it is the right time (late winter/early spring) I would repot them, they look health enough. The rough looking leaves are just last year's leaves showing winter wear. Maybe then just thin out some of the unwanted growth and let them recover and gain vigor. Then style next year. You can always prune and wire some this summer working toward your vision for the tree.

Even though I'm @sorce guru of summer repotting, I repot my azalea in spring, either before flowering, and remove all but one or two of the flower buds, or I repot just after flowering. Sorry Sorce, Azalea and Larch are two I only spring repot

Not saying summer repot is impossible, but so far after a couple attempts, has not worked out well for me so I stick with spring repot.

@baron - cool trunk on the raft, I'd love to have that on my bench, I'd probably just let it grow a year or two while I tried to figure out what to do. It is interesting.

If media drains well, you don't have to repot immediately. Otherwise repot in spring as Mellow Mullet suggests.

Mellow Mullet said:

That is your problem, you are repotting in summer. You got to get them when it is still cool.

Happy Easter or Beautiful Resurrection, whichever side of the fence you are on...

Click to expand...

No, I HAVEN'T repotted in summer...

HAVE killed 3-4 in spring.
No less healthy plants than I've seen hacked worse and live.

So when I successfully repot an azalea in summer this year, I will have certainly Identified how crooked my Great Lakes eff zone is!

I already know it will work!

Bloody hell!

Sorce

Dude...that raft is sweet wicked!

sorce said:

No, I HAVEN'T repotted in summer...

HAVE killed 3-4 in spring.
No less healthy plants than I've seen hacked worse and live.

So when I successfully repot an azalea in summer this year, I will have certainly Identified how crooked my Great Lakes eff zone is!

I already know it will work!

Bloody hell!

Sorce

Click to expand...

Well, Ok then, must've misread. You could always send it to me and I'll repot it for you, lol.

Mellow Mullet said:

Well, Ok then, must've misread. You cold always send it to me and I'll repot it for you, lol.

Click to expand...

Dont steal my lines.

Mellow Mullet said:

Well, Ok then, must've misread. You could always send it to me and I'll repot it for you, lol.

Click to expand...

I've passed up many trunks that could have become excellent in your hands.

I would really like to keep at least one Azalea.

I'm excited to try again!

Sorce

sorce said:

If azalea didn't Hate me....no no...I have yet to repot one in summer and be successful.
I'll do that this year!
I don't know anything except....
DON'T LET ANYONE CONVINCE YOU TO REMOVE THAT BIG TRUNK IF IT IS DEAD.
Ugly and dead as hell will contrast beautifully against the flowers.
Sorce

Click to expand...

Thnx Sorce!
I won't remove it for sure, thats the main reason I got it.

What's the reason they keep diying on you? Is it shortly after repotting? during winter? or next spring?

Mellow Mullet said:

I don't know anything about the climate in Belgium or growing in akadama or kanuma, I grow all of my azaleas in lava, pumice/ diatomaceous earth, and fir/ bark, I have found that fancy the Japanese stuff is not necessary at all. All of that being said, if you think the soil is no good and it is the right time (late winter/early spring) I would repot them, they look health enough. The rough looking leaves are just last year's leaves showing winter wear. Maybe then just thin out some of the unwanted growth and let them recover and gain vigor. Then style next year. You can always prune and wire some this summer working toward your vision for the tree.

Click to expand...

I didn't do any pruning, but cleaned it up a little . I removed some of the dead/rough looking leaves and flower buds that didn't belong. Did a little bit of wiring to give everything some more room and light and removed some of the top soil and added spagnum moss as I saw a lot of surface roots.
Also seems to give me a better look @ at what I'm working with. I will let it recover and grow freely for now.

The other one I repotted into fresh Kanuma and removed must of the buds.
Just curious to see what color they are.

Leo in N E Illinois said:

@baron - cool trunk on the raft, I'd love to have that on my bench, I'd probably just let it grow a year or two while I tried to figure out what to do. It is interesting.

If media drains well, you don't have to repot immediately. Otherwise repot in spring as Mellow Mullet suggests.

Click to expand...

Thnx! Yep, will do!
No, it's in pure Akadama so it should drain fine I think.

I saw this three part lecture by P. Eslinger a few times by now. He seems to know how to treat these very well.
He also talks about repotting earlier to make sure the new root growth can harden off/ get strong enough for winter.

baron said:

What's the reason they keep diying on you? Is it shortly after repotting? during winter? or next spring?

Click to expand...

I like to think its universal help at limiting my collection!

Hmmm. Very important to note these are Nursery trees

None were the same scenario and only one ever made it to a repot.

The only thing left is the fact that these, Boxwood, burning Bush, anything with thin bark that gets ruined if kept too moist....
I just can't keep them in Nursery soil and Nursery pots without blocking rain, or paying attention to watering closer than I will.

Because these are available in Spring (when repotting is too risky for me), and fall when it is too late.....

My only real shot is to somehow get them from Nursery Soil to Bonsai Soil where they will be safe from our wet and cold springs and falls .

Hell, its so wet that even if I built a roof, by the time I actually succeeded in keeping wet out of anywhere I would be indoors!

So I'm looking for an invisible window in which to repot!

By early summer and in fall, almost every piece of Azalea around here only stands a chance if planted in the ground. 90% of the root bark has lifted away.

One more shot in summer if I find anything good......if it doesn't work it will never be worth the effort!

Sorry and thank you! ..

Sorce

sorce said:

The only thing left is the fact that these, Boxwood, burning Bush, anything with thin bark that gets ruined if kept too moist....
I just can't keep them in Nursery soil and Nursery pots without blocking rain, or paying attention to watering closer than I will.
Sorce

Click to expand...

Thanks for the tip.
My boxes and burning bushes will be happier if they don't get wet.

(Cue snarky sexual innuendo)

sorce said:

I like to think its universal help at limiting my collection!

Hmmm. Very important to note these are Nursery trees

None were the same scenario and only one ever made it to a repot.

The only thing left is the fact that these, Boxwood, burning Bush, anything with thin bark that gets ruined if kept too moist....
I just can't keep them in Nursery soil and Nursery pots without blocking rain, or paying attention to watering closer than I will.

Because these are available in Spring (when repotting is too risky for me), and fall when it is too late.....

My only real shot is to somehow get them from Nursery Soil to Bonsai Soil where they will be safe from our wet and cold springs and falls .

Hell, its so wet that even if I built a roof, by the time I actually succeeded in keeping wet out of anywhere I would be indoors!

So I'm looking for an invisible window in which to repot!

By early summer and in fall, almost every piece of Azalea around here only stands a chance if planted in the ground. 90% of the root bark has lifted away.

One more shot in summer if I find anything good......if it doesn't work it will never be worth the effort!

Sorry and thank you! ..

Sorce

Click to expand...

Oh, very sorry to hear that @sorce! Too bad I don't have any advice
We are heaving a very wet/cold spring this year aswell here so I'm hoping everything pulls trough myself.

baron said:

advice

Click to expand...

None needed! Simply allowing me to brainstorm on your thread is plenty useful to me!

Thanks for entertaining the conversation!

Sorce

sorce said:

None needed! Simply allowing me to brainstorm on your thread is plenty useful to me!

Thanks for entertaining the conversation!

Sorce

Click to expand...

Glad I could provide

Although...now you are making me wonder too... so to recap; you can't repot in spring or fall because its to wet and cold. And to hot during summer?
Maybe its a stupid idea, but I was just reading in the thread about the colanders.. would you not be able to repot them during spring using one of those? and then slip pot in a normal container afterwards?
Perhaps I'm wrong here and I know they aren't intended to use them that way but in combination with a well draining medium they should provide more aeration then normal pot to deal with the rain, no?

The green has been replaced by red
Difficult color to capture on picture tho.. I'll try again with better light conditions.

I managed to repot this one too.
It wasn't what I expected to be and I wasn't prepared...

A lot of fine roots


Big chunk of wood. I tried to get some chunk's out or rather of with my knobcutter, but wasn't very successful.


I'll make sure to have some power tools available next time I repot.


Tried to fit it in as best as I could.


Looks ok, no? Mix of kanuma & pumice.


I removed about half of the flowers after the repot and it seems to be ready to pop soon

I could not keep azaleas at our last place. Every one just got a little smaller each year until they died. Nothing seemed to make a difference.
Since moving 10km to the new property I've tried again. Azaleas flourish here. Nothing seems to kill them.

I've collected quite a few from gardens where I do maintenance. I've dug them all times of the year and they recover well. Warmer months seem to be a little better than winter when recovery is slow. Even mid summer with temps above 40C is OK.
In the right conditions azaleas seem to be really tough. The first collected ones I got were from a builder friend doing renovations. He was going to dig and deliver them but arrived on Monday morning to find that the concreters had worked on Saturday and the azaleas had been pulled out and left on the kerb all weekend. They were planted that afternoon without much hope but all survived and flourished.
Azaleas can be pruned back very hard and sprout all over old, bare wood which is great for restyling or reducing long, leggy branches and trunks.

Some of the azaleas I've collected also have that heavy wood under the trunk - part of the old trunk buried for years. I've hacked some off with an ax to get them into pots - no problem.

re that 'raft' azalea above: Great job getting it into a pot. Looks nice and healthy. Have you thought about styling? As it is it will make an impressive flowering potted plant but there does not seem to be any flow or overall form to the tree - 2 main trunks pulling the eye in different directions. Any thoughts on getting some harmony?