Azaela Spring Development Question

[Randy]

Since I cannot find the thread that has the answer I will ask for the answer, or the path to the answer about deflowering Azaleas in development. I remember that someone shared some wisdom about training techniques of azaleas before but I can't find it!

Since I see flower buds starting to push, and quickly I might add, on my azaleas this week should I pinch them out as soon as I see them? Should I try and get the flowers from branches lowest on the trunk to help thicken lower on the trunk? Perhaps leave flower from the highest branches so there is less growth? Let me know if I am way off, please.

This is for four bushes I plan to train as shohin size once I feel they are really thick and strong enough to chop. I will try and throw up a picture of the flowers because I really like them and the flowers are fairly small, as well as the leaves. Right now they are all about 1.25" to 1.75" at the trunk above the base.

 

[Harunobu]

The flowers grow in late summer. Removing them now will lower the need for water. The 'growth energy' was already spend. Removing them may cause it to stop 'flowering mode' and go into 'grow mode' sooner.

 

[Martin Sweeney]

Randy,

I agree with Harunobu. Let the flowers bloom and enjoy them. As the flowering peaks or starts to pass peak, you will want to start removing the flowers and the remaining ovaries. This would also be a good time to remove some of the whorled growth. Azalea tend to send out 3-5 shoots from the base of the old flower bud/ovary. You will want to try to keep only 2 shoots and remove the rest. Also, please remember that azalea are basal dominant species, the branches and shoots at the bottom of the plant are stronger than those at the top of the pant. Try to keep more leaves at the top of the plant to keep it strong.

Regards,
Martin

 

[Randy]

Fair enough. Now I am tempted to fertilize(org) and just prune mercilessly. Appreciate your guidance.

 

[Harunobu]

The common pruning princple with azalea is called 'futame futaba'. Futatsu means 2. Me means shoot. Ba means leaf.

You reduce those new shoots that grow from the base of the flowers to 2 shoots with 2 leaves each.
http://satsukimania.net/index.php/tips/pruning.html

Nokoru is the verb for 'to remain'. So it's called 'futame futaba nokoshi'. There are more styles of pruning. But this is the basic maintenance one. Depending on in what style of development you are, there are a few more. Since you are in development you probably want to grow sacrifical branches to fatten the trunk. You don't do trunk chops with azalea unless you want a sumo-style mame or shohin trunk.
There is some difference between different azalea hybrids/cultivar. The satsuki are amongst the most basally dominant. Often if these are nursery grown they will have multiple branches growing straight from the roots. But kaempferi hybrids often have real trunks. These aren't anywhere near as basally dominant.

If you have a satsuki type of kiusianum type azalea then you will find these are very basally dominant. With most other bonsai subjects getting low sacrificial branches is a problem. With azalea the problem is often reverse. If your azalea trunk needs a lot of thickening, all branches you have on your azalea right now have to go eventually. If you already grow what you think will be your final branches, this could lead to reverse raper.
Grow trunk first. When finished, grow the branches.