Azalea Graft

[ml_work]

I dug this azalea last year as the first picture shows. All I had was regular potting soil to put it in at the time. It got a few shoots but not much more. I plan to get it into some better soil this spring and still looking at it to see what can be done. At a quick look from some angles it looks like something is growing from the top part of dead limb. So I was thinking about trying to graft the small limb to the dead truck. Maybe sphagnum moss wrapped with plastic would keep it moist enough to allow roots?
If it did take root, would I have to keep the top wet/moist all the time or would the root grow through the dead wood seeking water?
Any change of this working?

Thanks,
Michael

 

[Harunobu]

If the wood you graft it in is dead, then it's dead. Right? There is no more sap stream and grafting something into place won't change that.

But the branch as a whole has new growth so it's not entirely dead, obviously. But the exposed tissue does seem dead. I don't think new growth will appear there spontaneously.

Deadwood and grafting is some pretty high tech for me bonsai and I have no experience with that. If you drill a hole towards the live tissue and graft a new branch into that, it can work I guess. But what about having it put out as much new growth as possible and then later on carve away all the dead wood in a way that looks good? Maybe that is an idea too. When all the dead wood is gone and the wounds scar over maybe it can put out new growth then.

But I have no real clue. I do know azalea are strong vigorous plants and if you like their flowers they are always worth keeping no matter how flawed they would be as more 'true' bonsai.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Any change of this working?

Sorry, no chance...better off carving the dead portion and growing something from lower down that you can pull around to get the visual look you're going for.

 

[ml_work]

"Deadwood and grafting is some pretty high tech for me bonsai and I have no experience with that" "But I have no real clue"
Thanks for the encouragement Harunobu, but as you say it would did not sound like my plan would work.

"Sorry, no chance" - straight to the point (even if I did misspell "chance/change")
Thanks Brain, I did not think it would work but thought maybe the dead wood, would be like my "soil". But I will get this into some better soil this spring and let it grow for the year and see where it goes.
Thanks!
Michael

 

[jk_lewis]

There's not much promise in this plant, as is, from what I can see. I'd recommend that you cut it down to a 2-3 inch stub, then plant it in a 10-12-inch azalea pot and let it grow unchecked for several years.

 

[ml_work]

Had a few blooms come out today on these collected azalea. I know they have a long way to go, but the flowers are nice.

Have a Great Day!
Michael

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Nice! Looks like a 'George Tabor' Southern Indica.

Enjoy!