Azaleas

[michellebebe]

There are new leaves on my azaleas
But bigger satsuki has some dark spots on inside of leaves. But only on few leaves and it still has new growth. Is that starting problem?

 

[Kendo]

There are new leaves on my azaleas
But bigger satsuki has some dark spots on inside of leaves. But only on few leaves and it still has new growth. Is that starting problem?

This is calling Physiological Leaf Spot, Hai The reason for is unknown, Hai He ok. Hai Hai

 

[michellebebe]

Thank you. I was worried.

 

[Stef Bonsai]

Yes for organic fertilizer. No for chemical fertilizer, It makes the branch brittle.

We have local Aikokai care sheet. Azalea Satsuki easy to care for.

http://satsukiazaleabonsai.org/satsuki-azalea-bonsai-care/

Due to the current 'sad state of affairs', I will use this care sheet as my guideline. Thank you !

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

I and many others regularly use chemical fertilizers. There's nothing wrong with them. Organic fertilizer has the issue of poor control of concentration of nutrients and attracting vermin to your bonsai. Dogs, cats, racoons are all attracted to organics and can be very destructive.

Chemical fertilizer avoids attracting animals. And work very well.

 

[michellebebe]

So, my smaller satsuki azalea did not survive winter I was hoping it would wake up in spring but it died. Bigger satsuki is alive.
My 2 azaleas japonica are dong well.
Here is one of them blooming. Azalea japonica arabesk.

 

[roberthu]

Nuthin' but MVP works just fine also.

Really?! This is a shocker to me because Peter Warren kept saying azalea roots are super fine and Kanuma is ideal because it breaks down easily thus letting the roots penetrate. Turface is almost the opposite in the sense it never breaks down. I have two bags of turface I mostly use for seedlings but if it work well on Satsuki I would love to stop buying Kanuma for sure!

 

[0soyoung]

Really?! This is a shocker to me because Peter Warren kept saying azalea roots are super fine and Kanuma is ideal because it breaks down easily thus letting the roots penetrate. Turface is almost the opposite in the sense it never breaks down. I have two bags of turface I mostly use for seedlings but if it work well on Satsuki I would love to stop buying Kanuma for sure!

really

• the most efficient part of the roots of every tree are the root hairs a few millimeters behind the growing tip. Each hair is the extension of the cell wall of a single epidermal cell (i.e., hair roots of all trees are microscopic).
• roots grow along the surfaces of clay particles
• air filled porosity decreases with decreasing particle size
  • roots must get oxygen (needed for cellular metabolism)
• moisture retention increases with decreasing particle size
  • roots must be kept damp; their function is to adsorb water and water soluble minerals
• for root ramification one wants hard particles that deflect root tips, not soft particles that roots easily penetrate
  • see "Root System Architecture from Coupling Cell Shape to Auxin Transport".

 

[Clicio]

Nuthin' but MVP works just fine also.

Sorry about my ignorance, but MVP means...?

 

[0soyoung]

Sorry about my ignorance, but MVP means...?

Turface MVP as opposed to Turface ProLeague and other field conditioners made by Turface. Their other products have smaller grain sizes. So rather than generically saying 'Turface', I say 'MVP'. Also I've read some posts that imply that 'Turface' is being used generically as any granular clay stuff that may or may not be high fired. yadda, yadda, yadda.

 

[Clicio]

So rather than generically saying 'Turface', I say 'MVP'. Also I've read some posts that imply that 'Turface' is being used generically as any granular clay stuff...

Ah, got it, thanks.
I thought any turface was high fired.

 

[Harunobu]

If that turface stuff isn't porous, roots cannot grow through it. Kanuma is porous. That it is soft is partially an advantage, partially a disadvantage. I have not observed this myself, but the common reasoning is that the thinnest roots can grow through kanuma (I have observed this). And then the roots getting fatter can crush the kanuma (so I have not observed this part). If kanuma were harder, the pore size would prevent the roots from getting thicker. So in that sense, kanuma being soft is good. The downside is that it crushes kanuma into dust over time, and (kanuma) dust drains and aerates badly. Hard porous materials are fine, and the mix will last for longer without a fresh repot.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

@Clicio - Turface is a brand name of a group of products, MVP is one of several similar products. They are officially defined as "Heat Treated Montmorillonite Clay Mineral" and Montmorillonite is hydrated sodium calcium aluminium magnesium silicate hydroxide (Na,Ca)0.33(Al,Mg)2(Si4O10)(OH)2·nH2O. It has a moderately high CEC, cation exchange capacity, and it is relatively soft, can hold water, and swells as it does hold water. It will also hold fertilizer due to its CEC. This can be good, or can be bad, depending on the quality of your irrigation water.

Azalea are calcifuges or calciphobes, they dislike excess calcium in their water and environment. The CEC capacity of Turface and related products means that if your irrigation water is high in calcium Turface can cause you problems. If you have water that is over 400 ppm total dissolved solids or 350 mg/liter as calcium carbonate, I would avoid using Turface. If your irrigation water is low in dissolved calcium, Turface may be good. I dislike the product. I have had issues with the product. 0soyoung uses Turface and grows beautiful plants. I suspect he has relatively pure irrigation water or frequent enough rain that the constant flushing with low calcium water avoids the problems with Turface.