$30 Satsuki

[roberthu]

Picked up this Satsuki at a local bonsai nursery. Base is 1.5” or more. Thickest branch is at least 1”. It is in a a 3 gallon nursery pot.
It was at the exit and the pot was filled with weeds. I kneeled down and stared looking at the trunk and thought it had some potential. To my surprise the owner said $30 and you can have it. So I took it home and cleaned the weeds and now it look a lot nicer. It doesn’t look very healthy but the roots seem to look fine. My guess is it had not been fertilized adequately and was put under too much sunlight. It was under full sun where I picked it up at the nursery...
My plan is once I get it back to full health in a year or two, I will air layer some of the branches/trunks for shohin and keep the base and one or two trunks as a medium size bonsai. Total height is going to be 12”- 18”

 

[roberthu]

After pulling the weeds out. Some surface roots were exposed so I added a layer of sphagnum moss on top. Then added 6 teabags of Holly Tone. Since it is in peat and bark based nursery mix, I am going to be careful about watering. Going with every other day for now.
When I picked it up yesterday, the 3 gallon pot felt like 50 pounds.... much lighter today when I put it on the table to work on the weeds. So the drainage is probably Okay.

 

[Harunobu]

Hmm, buying a plant, then waiting for 2 years, and then air layering the entire trunk? Seems a bit far-fetched to me. I only air layer when I have an azalea I want to propagate but that grows too slowly to take long cuttings.

What about finding a design in what you have right now?

I am wondering how much time it will take to wait 2 years, start air layering, wait for enough roots, separate a trunk with minimal foliage, then grow out the separated trunk so it has roots and foliage to match the trunk. Then grow the trunk some more so it looks better. 10+ years? I never tried this approach myself.

 

[roberthu]

Hmm, buying a plant, then waiting for 2 years, and then air layering the entire trunk? Seems a bit far-fetched to me. I only air layer when I have an azalea I want to propagate but that grows too slowly to take long cuttings.

What about finding a design in what you have right now?

I am wondering how much time it will take to wait 2 years, start air layering, wait for enough roots, separate a trunk with minimal foliage, then grow out the separated trunk so it has roots and foliage to match the trunk. Then grow the trunk some more so it looks better. 10+ years? I never tried this approach myself.

Haha you are right! It IS going to take a long time! But that is also where the fun is. I may change my mind on where this heads to down the raid but that 10 years won’t be all wasted. Getting a weak tree to full health is fun in itself. Working on a species and learn from it means more to me.
I am hoping to enjoy some flowers in a year or two though so there is that

 

[Harunobu]

Oh, you want to air layer the part you would otherwise throw away. That's fine. Does a trunk that mature need to be wounded for it to layer? I would guess maybe not. If that is the case, I would just put the sphagnum and the plastic around the trunk you want to lay off, right now.

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

Interesting. I looks like the spring leaves are dying back already with sparse upper growth and minimal lower growth for a Satsuki. Almost looks like a dug up landscape azalea, with the way it has grown out.

Any clue what type of Satsuki this is?

As I reviewed your write up I was wondering why you wouldn’t repot the tree as soon as the weather moderated? One might think that getting it into a decent media would help get the azalea healthy very much faster. I’ll bet with a root wash, decent media, mid to late winter prune and good care that your Satsuki will backbud like crazy starting late winter and early spring.

As far as design and air layering go. Given you get the Satsuki going well next spring, there’s no reason to wait. Theres lots of potential to airlayer all over. As far your final design thoughts go, you might want to cut it down to taper those huge non tapered branches whatever you do.

Btw: I’d be willing to bet a well placed chisel and good aftercare would allow you to spilt off the left branch as a separate azalea right off though.

Finally you might want to review this post when considering your airlayer technique. Check out @Osoyoung’s technique!

cheers
DSD sends

 

[roberthu]

Oh, you want to air layer the part you would otherwise throw away. That's fine. Does a trunk that mature need to be wounded for it to layer? I would guess maybe not. If that is the case, I would just put the sphagnum and the plastic around the trunk you want to lay off, right now.

Huh didn’t know you don’t always have to wound the trunk to do air layer! Thank you.

 

[roberthu]

Interesting. I looks like the spring leaves are dying back already with sparse upper growth and minimal lower growth for a Satsuki. Almost looks like a dug up landscape azalea, with the way it has grown out.

Any clue what type of Satsuki this is?

As I reviewed your write up I was wondering why you wouldn’t repot the tree as soon as the weather moderated? One might think that getting it into a decent media would help get the azalea healthy very much faster. I’ll bet with a root wash, decent media, mid to late winter prune and good care that your Satsuki will backbud like crazy starting late winter and early spring.

As far as design and air layering go. Given you get the Satsuki going well next spring, there’s no reason to wait. Theres lots of potential to airlayer all over. As far your final design thoughts go, you might want to cut it down to taper those huge non tapered branches whatever you do.

Btw: I’d be willing to bet a well placed chisel and good aftercare would allow you to spilt off the left branch as a separate azalea right off though.

Finally you might want to review this post when considering your airlayer technique. Check out @Osoyoung’s technique!

cheers
DSD sends

Thank you! I am new to Satsuki so I want to get this guy back strong before doing any root work. I am going to wash the roots next spring or even earlier.
Splitting the side branch off is a good idea. I may do that. I did read the post you linked and that was actually got me thinking air layering this azalea.

 

[coachspinks]

Picked up this Satsuki at a local bonsai nursery. Base is 1.5” or more. Thickest branch is at least 1”. It is in a a 3 gallon nursery pot.
It was at the exit and the pot was filled with weeds. I kneeled down and stared looking at the trunk and thought it had some potential. To my surprise the owner said $30 and you can have it. So I took it home and cleaned the weeds and now it look a lot nicer. It doesn’t look very healthy but the roots seem to look fine. My guess is it had not been fertilized adequately and was put under too much sunlight. It was under full sun where I picked it up at the nursery...
My plan is once I get it back to full health in a year or two, I will air layer some of the branches/trunks for shohin and keep the base and one or two trunks as a medium size bonsai. Total height is going to be 12”- 18”

August/September are good times to buy from that nursery. I think DSD is right, there is no reason to wait 2 years to air layer. Do it next spring, to all the branches, and you will have several trees by mid-summer. It will be just like cutting it back hard. A lot of new growth will push. The following spring you can take it out of the pot and assess what you have left and start building a tree.

 

[Harunobu]

Azalea layer their own branches. Especially with creeping or prostate cultivar, they will naturally ground layer themselves as they creep. But with a trunk, that may be very different, so that it would require wounding and a normal air layer protocol.

I also don't think there is a a reason to wait 2 years. Either prune off what you don't need right now, or start layering it now if you want to create a second plant out of that part. I don't think there is a point in buying a nursery plant and then waiting for 2 years. You would be doing better by not having bought this one and waiting two years, and then buying something.

 

[roberthu]

August/September are good times to buy from that nursery. I think DSD is right, there is no reason to wait 2 years to air layer. Do it next spring, to all the branches, and you will have several trees by mid-summer. It will be just like cutting it back hard. A lot of new growth will push. The following spring you can take it out of the pot and assess what you have left and start building a tree.

That's my plan. Hope the tree recovers well!

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

Just to be contrary.

Nameless Satsuki cultivars are a dime a dozen. Most of the time, they are generic pink flowers. No reason to air layer off trunks you are not going to use. Just do the pruning needed to get the styling underway. Don't waste time with layering.

Or wait until spring, see what the flowers are like. If it turns out to be the "common pink" no name that Brussel's had been selling by the thousands, don't bother air layering. If it is unique, then by all means, do the air layer.

 

[shinmai]

Yeah, what Leo said. Air layering an azalea branch is a big pain in the ass to [maybe] end up with a weakened tree with a skinny trun.
That looks like a lot of fertilizer for a tree that size. This close to the autumnal equinox you should be slowing a normal fert routine, and if anything going to a low-nitrogen product.

 

[roberthu]

I am not just after the flower with azalea. I also enjoy the small leaves and compact structure. So flower color isn’t a big factor in my decision to air layer.
As for fertilizer, I am in Atlanta and we are in late summer right now. We still have a good two months of growing season left. With an evergreen I thought it would be fine. These teabags will be exhausted in 40-45 days so I am not too concerned.

 

[Harunobu]

If you want to go ahead, I just came across this videos (not sure which are the same tree):

Either way, I agree with Shinmai and Leo. You can do this if you really want. But there are other ways to achieve the same or similar goals that are faster and more direct.

Oh, maybe this is a compilation of all of them, with all steps:

 

[roberthu]

If you want to go ahead, I just came across this videos (not sure which are the same tree):

Either way, I agree with Shinmai and Leo. You can do this if you really want. But there are other ways to achieve the same or similar goals that are faster and more direct.

Oh, maybe this is a compilation of all of them, with all steps:

Awesome! Thank you for sharing these videos. I will definitely learn from them.

 

[hinmo24t]

Nice. Banyon (sp?) To the right possibly for that, nice for what you paid. I just scored a thuja occidentalis for $12 with like 1" trunk. Lowes has better big box store trees like yours and gardenia near me $25 than home depot

 

[roberthu]

Nice. Banyon (sp?) To the right possibly for that, nice for what you paid. I just scored a thuja occidentalis for $12 with like 1" trunk. Lowes has better big box store trees like yours and gardenia near me $25 than home depot

I need to check Lowes out then. I have been shopping at Home depot for the last 10 years.
Do Lowes already have their fall shipments in?

 

[hinmo24t]

I need to check Lowes out then. I have been shopping at Home depot for the last 10 years.
Do Lowes already have their fall shipments in?

Im seeing sales at both now and pumpkins full swing

 

[roberthu]

Im seeing sales at both now and pumpkins full swing

Haha forgot about pumpkins with the COVID thing.
Thank you!