Pitoon
Imperial Masterpiece
Do you plan to continue with the contest?
Bonsainoob88 5 year azalea competition entry
- Thread starter Bonsainoob88
- Start date
Bonsainoob88
Mame
Pitoon
Imperial Masterpiece
Enter this one if the other is dead and post pics of what it looked like before you potted it up (if you have them)...............and keep this one alive.
Bonsainoob88
Mame
The original plant is pictured at the start of this thread I don't think I have the original anymore on my phone . Hope that's OK. And I'll tryEnter this one if the other is dead and post pics of what it looked like before you potted it up (if you have them)...............and keep this one alive.
Pitoon
Imperial Masterpiece
You're good, just document whatever you do to this one and post it.
Bonsainoob88
Mame
Bonsainoob88
Mame
Deep Sea Diver
Imperial Masterpiece
Looks like you have a heathy azalea there!
Hope this helps!
cheers
DSD sends
- Decide a style.
- Find a line you like to be the central trunk if it is a single trunk style, and a couple branches if possible. Then wire these to create movement. If the central branch comes off on an angle to give you lower trunk movement, create movement to complement from there on up.
- Prune back the rest (If you do this in the morning you can make cuttings of some of the parts pruned. (50% peat 50% perlite.)
- Be sure to leave growth on the end of any branch you plan to keep. Especially this time of the year. It will speed growth by keeping the sap flowing through the branch.
- When new growth occurs, keep that growth yo think will fit your plan and let this grow out.
Hope this helps!
cheers
DSD sends
bunjin
Mame
If it has been in this pot for 1+ years, you need to repot in at least a 2" larger pot. And repeat this again in another 2 years. Looks like you are using a similar potting media to what I use, but hard to judge from half a world away. The condition of the azalea leaves show that it is a good media for you. Until you gain experience, I do not recommend a "bare root" repot. Tie down the rootball securely and use your equivalent of "Superthrive" or B-1 to the first watering can. This is a five year contest and I assure you that in, well, four years time, you may not have a show plant, but you can have something to be proud of. I would only do minor shaping at this point and decide which shoot is going to be the main trunk.
Deep Sea Diver
Imperial Masterpiece
A couple observations.
For me, in our environment which is similar to yours or even a tad cooler, I’d get to styling soon. You don’t have the extended growing season as they do in the Santa Barbara area of California
Upping the size of pots when repotting is excellent advice. Yet I’d recommend you wait until next spring if you choose to do so. However, please be sure your core soil is the same as the new media you intend to use.
Otherwise wash all of the soil off before putting in different media. It’s actually not that hard. We just root washed over 35 Satsuki this spring. PM me if you need info.
As a further development example, in the photo I posted above, the multiple terminal extensions will either be removed for cuttings, or cut back to twos next week ( if it’s cooler here ). This will ‘push’ the energy inward and encourage more back budding. Next spring the roots will be root washed and repotted in a larger, ceramic container in 95% kanuma and 5% pumice. ( my media of choice - use whatever works best for you. ).
Just my thoughts. It is your tree.
Cheers
DSD sends
For me, in our environment which is similar to yours or even a tad cooler, I’d get to styling soon. You don’t have the extended growing season as they do in the Santa Barbara area of California
Upping the size of pots when repotting is excellent advice. Yet I’d recommend you wait until next spring if you choose to do so. However, please be sure your core soil is the same as the new media you intend to use.
Otherwise wash all of the soil off before putting in different media. It’s actually not that hard. We just root washed over 35 Satsuki this spring. PM me if you need info.
As a further development example, in the photo I posted above, the multiple terminal extensions will either be removed for cuttings, or cut back to twos next week ( if it’s cooler here ). This will ‘push’ the energy inward and encourage more back budding. Next spring the roots will be root washed and repotted in a larger, ceramic container in 95% kanuma and 5% pumice. ( my media of choice - use whatever works best for you. ).
Just my thoughts. It is your tree.
Cheers
DSD sends
Bonsainoob88
Mame
OK thanks for the advice . 
I'll keep in the pot I have it in at the moment and im gonna slip pot into exact same media after next seasons bloom
when pruning after I've picked my trunk branch . EVERY OTHER branch gets snipped back tight up to the base of the plant and I'll be left with one of these scrawny little sticks with a few leaves on
???
Obviously I'll need to wire around the leaves on the remaining branch to give movement , do I defoliate the branch first in order to wire ?
I will take some cuttings when I do it definitely. When I do that should I cut under the very bottom node or does it not matter which node ?
When you say you'll cut the terminal extensions to "twos" so that you get back budding inside the plant instead of at the ends . Do you snip it back so that each one is left with 2 nodes?
I'll keep in the pot I have it in at the moment and im gonna slip pot into exact same media after next seasons bloom
when pruning after I've picked my trunk branch . EVERY OTHER branch gets snipped back tight up to the base of the plant and I'll be left with one of these scrawny little sticks with a few leaves on
??? Obviously I'll need to wire around the leaves on the remaining branch to give movement , do I defoliate the branch first in order to wire ?
I will take some cuttings when I do it definitely. When I do that should I cut under the very bottom node or does it not matter which node ?
When you say you'll cut the terminal extensions to "twos" so that you get back budding inside the plant instead of at the ends . Do you snip it back so that each one is left with 2 nodes?
Deep Sea Diver
Imperial Masterpiece
Okey dokeyOK thanks for the advice .
I'll keep in the pot I have it in at the moment and im gonna slip pot into exact same media after next seasons bloom
You can. I don’t if its possible not to. Just take your time and wire slowly and under any leashes you come to. Usually the leaves push out branches between the top base of the leaf and the trunk. (Also there are buds you can’t see all over the branches)
btw: The example photo above is of a second year azalea. All it had was mostly a low halo of first year branches, which had extended a with huge bare intervals between the halo junction of branches. I cut off all but a couple branches and wired the lot. What you see now is all the backbudding.
That would depend on if you have a couple side branches worth keeping. If you do, lightly wire these in an approximation of the position they will be in.
There is nothing to stop you from keeping 1-2 branches as sacrifices until early next spring. They will help fatten up the trunk a bit. However they will also divert energy, which will slow trunk growth.
Whew, that’s a lot to answer in writing. Here’s a quick and dirty pictorial.
Note: The technique illustrated is only one of the variations that can be done when cutting back.
Also, remember, do not take the leaves on the end of the trunk of the main line to twos. You want it uncut so as to extend until it gets to your desired height.
Lets start with this Momo no Haru, which really needs a serious cut back.
Let’s focus on one terminal halo, which was a flowering site. You will notice there are 6 extensions. I removed the flowers a couple weeks ago so all the branch energy could go to extending the new branches that were forming at the base of the flower buds.
Next we see that all but two branches of about equal energy, facing outward and spread apart remain. I tore off the others for cuttings. These are in the background.
So now we see I’ve cut the branches that remain to two leaves, to push energy back up the branch… and possibly to get two new branches from each leaf. So we have taken the branches to two and then two leaves. “Cutting back to twos”
If your trunk is extending from a halo, cut one branch to twos and leave the other branch tip uncut. The trunk branch gets wired up, the other branch is wired to become a side branch. (Save this hint for later if it doesn’t apply now. It will be usefull later on down the line.)
Now here are 4 of the the cuttings I tore off. btw, you can either cut these off square or tear these down and off. I’ve done both and struck cuttings successfully.
To get these ready to “stick” one should tear off all but 3-4 leaves. That’s because too many leaves will draw too much fluids from the non rooted stem and it will wither and die.
Shown are two methods of doing this. I have mostly used the second method. Both are reported to be equally successful. These are:
a. Tearing off the young leaves and some of the bottom so 3-4 remain
b. Tearing off the older leaves so 3-4 younger leaves remain.
Finally here are some cuttings I’ve recently struck. These are in 50/50 peat/perlite, in a covered tray with vents, under LED lights and on heat mats set to 72F. I’ve done cuttings with halved soda bottles on top as the cover, no heat mat and placed in a window that gets 1/2 days sun too. There are plenty of ways to incubate cuttings. But since I do at least a 2-3 hundred, I’ve gotten a more refined set up now a days
In about 4 months the cuttings should look like these!
cheers
DSD sends
Bonsainoob88
Mame
Thanks for taking the time out of your day to write this up for me it's very kind of you 
It's 6 am right now and I'm going to work , I will have a good read up at some point today and I'll read it a few times before I ask any questions. Thanks again
It's 6 am right now and I'm going to work , I will have a good read up at some point today and I'll read it a few times before I ask any questions. Thanks again
bunjin
Mame
Sorry I totally missed that your cultivar is a deciduous azalea. Maybe this thread will help: https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/deciduous-azalea-techniques.39336/
Bonsainoob88
Mame
I thought it was an evergreen azalea ?
Bonsainoob88
Mame
Deep Sea Diver
Imperial Masterpiece
That’s great, more practice! Practice makes better.
When I work on styling a young commercially grown azalea I always have to remind myself to take time to create a decent plan and that I don’t have to cut everything at once.
It used to be hard to hold off a bit and to cut the most obnoxious branches first and leave others until there is a solid positive response. Now it’s a little easier.
Good luck!
DSD sends
When I work on styling a young commercially grown azalea I always have to remind myself to take time to create a decent plan and that I don’t have to cut everything at once.
It used to be hard to hold off a bit and to cut the most obnoxious branches first and leave others until there is a solid positive response. Now it’s a little easier.
Good luck!
DSD sends
Bonsainoob88
Mame
Good morning DSD , I've left the azalea for a while because I haven't had time on a morning over weekend recently to take the steps in quoted post . Will it be too late now to do it or will I still be OK?
Thanks
Deep Sea Diver
Imperial Masterpiece
Greetings!
It’s pushing the window for a big cutback of older growth, but from what I can see you already had a line started and the mess of foliage that grew just after your blooming post is all first year growth. So you can try this idea if you desire.
Find the mainline. It will likely have a rosette of branches off the flowering point. Keep two, one as your leader and one as a side branch. Cut just the tip off the chosen side branch. This can very lightly wired to a horizontal position Remove the others at their base.
Next. Do the same at any other flowering points, except cut back to one branch and stop the tip growth.
Selectively remove the remainder of the branches. Any that fit the design you’re forming should be kept, stopping the very tip growth. Remove the others at the base.
Please send a couple side views when done.
Cheers
DSD sends
Cheers
It’s pushing the window for a big cutback of older growth, but from what I can see you already had a line started and the mess of foliage that grew just after your blooming post is all first year growth. So you can try this idea if you desire.
Find the mainline. It will likely have a rosette of branches off the flowering point. Keep two, one as your leader and one as a side branch. Cut just the tip off the chosen side branch. This can very lightly wired to a horizontal position Remove the others at their base.
Next. Do the same at any other flowering points, except cut back to one branch and stop the tip growth.
Selectively remove the remainder of the branches. Any that fit the design you’re forming should be kept, stopping the very tip growth. Remove the others at the base.
Please send a couple side views when done.
Cheers
DSD sends
Cheers
Bonsainoob88
Mame
Hi DSD again,
So should I cut the rest of the new growth back to base of plant and propagate them as cuttings ? So basically I'll be left with one trunk , which will be where it bloomed from this year , with a couple of side branches what have sprouted from the flowering site ?
I feel a bit daft asking all these questions to be honest.
