All about Azaleas!!!

[Brian Van Fleet]

Attila I use a very loose mix on my trees and most times just straight lava, do you see this as a issue with azaleas?

I love using Lava rock, but always as a component of my soil rather than straight. I do use straight Kanuma with azaleas, but I could see lava and kanuma as a very effective mix, as much as 1/3 to 1/2 kanuma. Both components are retentive, and the lava will keep you from blowing the kanuma off the pot every time you water it...it's kind of like spraying a box of packing peanuts ;-).

I use cakes and liquid fish emulsion, great results.

Also, my approach to azalea annual care is at: http://www.nebaribonsai.com/Nebari_Bonsai_112109/Blog/Entries/2010/1/29_February_bonsai_care.html

 

[irene_b]

Anything on american soil to use instead of kanuma?

 

[milehigh_7]

Irene,

These are rambling thoughts concerning how I grow Satsuki.

Azaleas like acidic soil, so watch your soil ingredients for pH.

I use my basic soil mix and 50% Kanuma. It works well for me in North Carolina. Echoing what Bill S said, they like to be consistently moist. That is my main reason for using Kanuma, it retains moisture and seems to help distribute it thoughout the soil mass.

I fertilize them with regular old miracle grow, just like everything else I grow. I have seen no ill effects.

They are basally dominant. Leave more leaves to the top of the tree than you would with other species. Prune harder on the lower branches than you would with other species.

I repot as blooming reaches it's peak, or just after. I also prune at the same time. I understand this may be old fashioned technique, but it works here for me. (I have a long growing season and mild winter. That might help make this successful for me.) My understanding is that there is a halt in new root development during flowering, and then sort of a second spring of increased root growth soon after flowering that helps the tree recover from repotting.

During post flowering pruning, I remove all ovaries and selectively prune excess branching as azalea tend to form whorled growth with 3-5 branches commonly emerging just behind the spent flower buds. After new growth emerges post pruning, you will probably want to go back over the tree to eliminate new whorled growth.

I try to remove blooms as they form over the summer on trees I am growing out. Hurts to do it, but helps to increase the amount of energy spent on growth.

Healthy satsuki bud agressively after hard pruning (remembering basal dominance). They bud from old wood readily as well.

Satsuki bloom off of last years growth, although in milder climates, buds can develop late winter and bloom that spring. Typically, the later you prune this year, the less flowers nest year.

Satsuki can tolerate more sun than other azalea.

Keeping open flowers out of rain and limiting wetting flowers during watering will help the flowers last longer.

I like to use a slightly larger, deeper pot than I might for other species. Helps with the even moisture thing.

They have very fine roots, but typically throw out lot's of them, so I agressively prune roots as needed. You might want to go easy at first. They develop excellent nebari even though they produce fine roots.

Watch for lacebug. It is the main pest I have. They live and breed under azalea leaves, sucking the leaf juices out, leaving lot's of small areas with out green. Leaf looks kind of bleached. If you turn the leaf over, you will see small black dots. This is sometimes eggs, young or turds. Systemic insecticides work well.

I do not have any experience growing the Encore varieties. I don't know that the above will work with Encore (especially the repotting due to repeat blooming) azaleas. I only own 2, one is being grown out in a container for the third year before heading to the landscape and the second is probably headed for bonsai training come spring (purchased last fall and no work done on it yet). Enjoy learning on them.

I find them easier to grow than many other species, but North Carolina is an excellent place to grow azalea in the landscape, and that seems to translate to them growing well as bonsai. I don't know how azalea do where you live, but I find them incredibly rewarding to grow as bonsai and wish you great success with yours!

I am sure there is more to say, but that is what I could think of.

Regards,
Martin

Now that's what I need Martin!!! Keep on teaching everyone!

 

[irene_b]

Now that's what I need Martin!!! Keep on teaching everyone!

I agree!!
I am so lovin those who have these trees posting info on them!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Anything on american soil to use instead of kanuma?

I've used bark, lava, and Turface, 2:1:1 with pretty good results, then relied on fertilizers with higher acidity to lower the pH. I've also steeped fallen oak leaves in a bucket of water for a few days, which is supposed to lower the pH, but I never tested the effects...just had healthy azaleas.

 

[irene_b]

I've used bark, lava, and Turface, 2:1:1 with pretty good results, then relied on fertilizers with higher acidity to lower the pH. I've also steeped fallen oak leaves in a bucket of water for a few days, which is supposed to lower the pH, but I never tested the effects...just had healthy azaleas.

Pine Bark?

 

[Tink32]

Yes, pine bark is good, it has acidic qualities, I use pine bark and turface myself, and I use Miracid or the miracle grow thats formulated for Azaelas and other acid loving plants. hope this helps you to some degree

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Pine Bark?

Yup...and it's actually better if it's been used once with healthy trees and recycled. It's mellow and not so "hot".

 

[irene_b]

Yup...and it's actually better if it's been used once with healthy trees and recycled. It's mellow and not so "hot".

Sweet deal!!

 

[Si Nguyen]

Hi all, this is a great thread! I just got a few ideas:

1. I don't think it is a good idea to reuse old potting soil (or barks) for established bonsai. One can transfer bad fungus or verticilium wilt to the newly repotted bonsai. Old potting soil is ok for a mix to use in garden or pre-bonsai material in larger containers. For established bonsai, it is safer to use new, clean potting medium when repotting. I prepare my soil mix months in advance and keep it moist. For pre-bonsai in larger containers, I use mostly off-the-shelf cactus mix with a little added akadama and lava and pumice and turface. Basically whatever. For most trees, a good cactus mix right out of the bag is perfectly ok. Don't use the HomeDepot or Lowe's brand of cactus mix.

2. About satsuki, one of the trick I learned from Nuccio's Nursery many years ago is the sequence of using fertilisers and iron supplements. This is crucial. When the tree is chlorotic, one must treat with iron first, for at least 1-2 months for the leaves to turn green again, before one can fertilise with nitrogen. Fertilising with nitrogen before the iron will actually weakens the tree. This also applies to most acid loving plants like camellias and maples and sago palms, and even larches.

3. Another trick is to put rusted iron nails in the bottom of the pot.

4. In my experience, the safest, and cheapest fertiliser to use is cottonseed meal. It is a bit messy. Satsukis are light feeders, so don't push too much chemical fertilisers, because it will create too much unbalanced foliage or root growth, like a boom and bust cycle, and will weaken the tree in the long run. With chemical fertilisers, one has to replace old soil and roots on a regular basis, maybe even once every 2 years. With organic fertilisers, one can repot less often.

5. Watering is crucial in satsukis. In my hot Southern California zone, I water mine once every 2 days in the summer, at the most, and once a week in the winter at the least. The peat moss in some mix can dry out and become a water repellent, so don't let it dry out if you have peat in your mix. In bonsai pots, the center of the root ball can dry out gradually, and again, can actually repel water. If it is dried out, like if you had missed watering for a few days, then you need to soak the pot in a tub of water for an hour or two, or spray it repeatedly for a few hours if it still drains well through the center.

Si