cascade azalea possible with this?

Nybonsai12

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this is a piece of a rescued azalea. I'm hoping it backbuds and grows out a lot next year to see if something can be made of it. Do you see anything here or an I crazy?
 

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Nybonsai12

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Stick in a pot
 

Leo in N E Illinois

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If you are not in a hurry, plunk this pot out where you leave starters to 'trunk up'. In early spring, look at it hard, look at the first 4 inches of trunk, if that first 4 inches is not interesting, do something to the tree to make it interesting, then put it back out in the grow area and forget about it for another year. Next spring repeat, maybe do something different.

things you could do,
-definitely encourage low escape branches to thicken the trunk and add taper. Do this in addition to anything else you do.
-wire and put radical bends in, give it interesting curves. Don't worry about branches, right now you are growing the first few inches of trunk.

do this only once every several years, not every year.

- pull a 1/8th to 1/4 inch wide strip of bark and cambium off the trunk, treat with cut paste. It should be thin enough that it will close over in less than 2 years, but deep enough to disrupt that smooth cylinder shape you have.

Another option is the radical trunk chop, to maybe 4 inches and start over.

I hope others may have ideas too on how to add interest to early development trunk.

If you have enough trees to work on that you can forget about this, continue the process. If you want to do more to it before it develops an interesting trunk, go out an buy another tree to work on, don't do anything to this one. Save the energy and time for material that is more ready for technique. If at any time you feel the little time you are putting into this tree isn't worth it. Compost it.

The solution to letting something grow out and develop character is to have so many trees you can't keep up with the more important ones that need attention. When you have too many trees, you will be able to put something out in the 'grow lot' and forget about it.

I have lots of 'Sticks in Pots', but I don't spend hardly any time on them. They just sit there neglected, and growing. Maybe someday they will earn my attention, or become kindling for the fall bonfire. :rolleyes:
 
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Martin Sweeney

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NYbonsai12,

The third picture shows a plant with some promise. It is going to come down to the roots. If there is, or if you can develop, a decent base then this tree will be worth training. Cascade may or may not be the ultimate form, but for now give it a chance to grow next year and maybe the following year as well.

Leo's made some good points in his post.

Regards,
Martin
 

edprocoat

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NYBonsai its already a cascade and looks pretty nice to me. It has some backbudding right now by the pot lip. If it were mine I would cut off the last segment of the cascade trunk, just past the second branch from the pot lip and let it grow out some. It would make what you have more compact and the trunk would seem thicker with less length overall. It should backbud more after being shortened and then in a year get it in a decent casacde pot.

ed
 

Nybonsai12

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Thanks all for reading this thread and giving me some great advice. I will get better pics up in the spring. Hopefully it does ok this winter.
 

bunjin

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I do not think there is enough bend at the base of the trunk for a cascade. It may be a little too old to change this radically now. The current shape indicates that it would make an adequate semi-cascade, however. Hopefully it will strongly bud out in the spring.
 

Nybonsai12

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Well it made it through the winter. it was knocked over in early spring and a bud by the base broke off and the pot cracked. I threw it in this pot, my only cascade style pot. Is at a terrible angle and planted way off center but I figure with time I can fix it or at least try.

It think it did ok this season considering how weak it was before. Started trying to crank the arm down. Big straight sections in the middle are in your face, maybe try cover as foliage grows?

Anyway, comments are appreciated.
 

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amcoffeegirl

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Let it grow and if it lives then let it grow some more. Apparently it wants to be a bonsai. Even if it turns out to be a semi cascade those are my favorite. It's good practice to overwinter a species. Best wishes. Post updates in spring.
 
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Cadillactaste

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I am so green...but what I see looks like a great start in the right direction! Looking forward to see what this develops into as well. But...I see a cascade. Semi or full cascade I can't say...just googled the differences last night. But am to green to be specific.
 

drew33998

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I would think that it should have put on more growth this year than what it did. I would let it grow out for a good while to gain strength without touching it.
 

Nybonsai12

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I would think that it should have put on more growth this year than what it did. I would let it grow out for a good while to gain strength without touching it.

In comparison with some others I have, it didn't put on nearly as much growth. But there were so few roots on it to begin with when I rescued it that I am just pleased it's alive.

The plan next year is just like you said, feed it and let it grow. And although I would like to see it flower, i will likely remove all the buds when they appear in spring.
 

Cadillactaste

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Well it made it through the winter. it was knocked over in early spring and a bud by the base broke off and the pot cracked. I threw it in this pot, my only cascade style pot. Is at a terrible angle and planted way off center but I figure with time I can fix it or at least try.

It think it did ok this season considering how weak it was before. Started trying to crank the arm down. Big straight sections in the middle are in your face, maybe try cover as foliage grows?

Anyway, comments are appreciated.


I am still coming back and seeing how much you were able to manipulate this and draw it into a more defined cascade!!! Love the cascades myself... Can't wait to see the Shohin Dwarf Bougainvillea I got the other day...not sure even if I look at it...I'll know exactly what to do with it...but posts like yours gives me hopes that one day I may have something just as special. I know it was suggested to get a larger pot and focus on the top branches I believe. I'll have to go back and see what exactly was said...but...as long as it stays green...and lives I have high hopes. I have a bit of creative ability. But seeing how much yours has taken shape...is pretty cool!
 

drew33998

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In comparison with some others I have, it didn't put on nearly as much growth. But there were so few roots on it to begin with when I rescued it that I am just pleased it's alive.

The plan next year is just like you said, feed it and let it grow. And although I would like to see it flower, i will likely remove all the buds when they appear in spring.

Yea I have several azaleas that are at the same state yours are. Its a pain nipping the buds off because you want to see them flower, but you have to get the tree to put all its energy into making necessary branches until you get some sort of desirable shape. Then at that point you can leave a couple buds untouched.
 

lordy

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Sometimes a lame tree looks better when it lays down. Think about the pot too.

pics082.jpg
 

Nybonsai12

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I am still coming back and seeing how much you were able to manipulate this and draw it into a more defined cascade!!! Love the cascades myself... Can't wait to see the Shohin Dwarf Bougainvillea I got the other day...not sure even if I look at it...I'll know exactly what to do with it...but posts like yours gives me hopes that one day I may have something just as special. I know it was suggested to get a larger pot and focus on the top branches I believe. I'll have to go back and see what exactly was said...but...as long as it stays green...and lives I have high hopes. I have a bit of creative ability. But seeing how much yours has taken shape...is pretty cool!

I appreciate the compliment but will say honestly it's nothing special in comparison with the works of the much much more experienced folks on this site. There is a great deal of knowledge here if you know where to look and who to speak to.

Since you are a newbie I'd recommend searching the threads of some of these users: Brian Van Fleet, October, Vance Wood, Mach5, Dav4.. There are others I can't remember right now but these folks have some excellent progression threads that will really make the beginning of my progression thread here seem like childs play. Aside from the progressions, you will get to see some fantastic looking trees. No question is too stupid and expect trees to die even if you think you are doing everything right. I saw your bougie, i like it. Good luck with it.


Oh and Lordy, thanks for the pic, gorgeous tree. It will def get my wheels turning when the time comes.
 

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Hello ny.. Do you know how big the root ball is. I mean, does it fill most of the pot?

Rob
 

Nybonsai12

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Ya know I am really not sure. I know when i first potted it in the first pic of this thread there was not a lot of roots. After it had been knocked over and placed into the cascade pot some roots had grown but I don't really think it was too much. I want to say there was still a good amount of room in this pot.
 

october

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Ya know I am really not sure. I know when i first potted it in the first pic of this thread there was not a lot of roots. After it had been knocked over and placed into the cascade pot some roots had grown but I don't really think it was too much. I want to say there was still a good amount of room in this pot.

Exactly what I wanted to hear. Not so concerned about the room in this pot, but more that the size of the root ball is small.

Here is my idea. The problem is that you have what could be a decent cascade. However, you only have the cascading branch. First, if you could wire some movement into it, that would be good. However, even if you can't that is fine. Seeing as how you have your cascade branch. I think a good plan might be to plant this with another azalea. If you can find one at a regular nursery or wherever with similar bark and leaves, you are set. All you would have to do is plant your tree, very close on the side of the other tree. You will need to wire the other tree to form the the whole left side of the cascade. Basically creating a bonsai without the cascade branch. Raising the soil level a bit when both are planted together will make the 2 trees look like one tree. Think of this as a twin trunk cascade that is just 2 trees made to look like one. You would not need to graft anything. You might need to stabilize your tree with wire somehow so it stays in place. Also, in time, the 2 trees will grow even closer together. I do not think there will be root issue. Azalea roots are so fine, that there shouldn't be a problem and in time the root balls will merge and so will the trees.

The key to this is picking an azalea that matches and also picking one with long enough branches that you can wire towards the right to fill in the whole beginning of your tree.

Something like this.

Rob

 

Nybonsai12

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Interesting thought Rob! This tree was part of a larger azalea that I had dug up on my property. The prior owners went nuts with planting things and them just forgot about them. Most were barely alive and had ivy growing over them. I have another two in pots that Aren't the same plant but bloom pink like this one. Who know maybe one could work. I'll have to get some pics.

As for bending the arm, I think it is doubtful, this wood is hard.
 
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