Fossiliferous 2020-2025 Azalea Entry

[fossiliferous]

Hi all, I am obscenely new to bonsai, but this contest inspired me to turn from lurker into an account-haver. I discovered all of this a bit lat in the year to get something in flower locally except Encore. I literally don’t even have tools yet. I’ve just been researching for a few months and decided this would be the month I give in and go for it.

I’m going to be doing very well not to mess this up straight out of the gate as such an extreme newbie. Forget winning anything; I just hope this thing is alive in five years! But I’m still enthusiastic and glad to be here.

I purchased this at the beginning of August but I’ve been too hesitant to start cutting at it. I’ve been consuming material about bonsai to try to educate myself before I do anything drastic. However, at this point there’s not a lot more warm weather this year so maybe I shouldn’t cut it at all.
Last year in Tennessee had super hot weather until the very first week of October.

The azalea was small and pretty cheap as you can see. The main challenge was to find something with just one trunk so I would be following the rules! Most of the pots had multiple plants in them.
Just think of me as somebody here to make your efforts look better by comparison because I have no idea what I’m doing. I am excited to see what everyone does with their azaleas.

Anyway. What say you? Shall I give it its first haircut or wait? At least I’m thinking of cutting off all of the long strands of new growth. It would be helpful to cut a little foliage back to get a better idea of what I’m working with.
It was small and pretty cheap as you can see. The main challenge was to find something with just one trunk so I would be following the rules! Most of the pots had multiple plants in them.

I am so excited about the whole idea of following everybody’s progress and sharing my own for the next five years. It’ll be interesting to see how this azalea looks in five years in the hands of a slightly less new newbie!
And in this heinous year of 2020, may all of our azaleas be something that brings us joy now and carries beauty and brightness into the future.

 

[fossiliferous]

I read the rules and purchased this thing before I even made an account. Ridiculous, right? I need to get on with it! The growing season is a-wasting!

 

[fossiliferous]

I decided to give it a little trim. First frost here is October 18 on average. Probably wouldn’t have hurt it to be totally left alone but a small trim can’t hurt. I guess it is common to cut back the new growth in the late summer or autumn if you’re not worried about spring blooming. I did not attempt the aggressive cutting back that I see a lot of other people did much earlier in the year. First of all, I don’t want to kill it, and second of all, I feel like I’m kind of on my own trying to do anything so late in the season, as a newbie. I just wanted to see what I’m working with for now. So here’s what I did today. Tentative, I know!

It has a nice little trunk; not a total slingshot but I’m not sure yet how to style it.

Here is another view. The nebari on this has nice potential.

I do have a potential trouble zone where I’m afraid a reverse taper could occur. I counted no less than eight branches emanating from this one spot. Check it out!

And I think I might put it in the ground here for now. It doesn’t hurt to keep a close eye on it near my front door. The spot is shaded, regularly watered, and does not get swampy.
I’m also seriously considering going back for a second one from the same spot, same variety. Just as a back up! Maybe after next payday.

in the background you see a few boxwood that have been there since before we moved in.

 

[Harunobu]

I think I would have pruned away the stuff to prevent reverse taper. You aren't pruning for backbudding, so it doesn't matter it is late in the season.

And then I would have kept the long shoots on the branches you want to fatten up, to help undo reverse taper. For example, the long shoots that are on your main trunk line. You want that part fat and dominant, even when it isn't now. And even though those longs shoots is not what you want long term. you are molding the main trunk line first. Then at some point you do a hard prune for backbudding. And that backbudding will become your branches.

It is just hard to pick what the main trunk line should be. But once you decide, you can reduce every node to two branches. Once you know what the best main trunk line is, you select the best sidebranch for that trunkline. And you can prune back everything else. You could leave 2cm shoots for some of them, just so you can change your mine later if you are in doubt about two potential sidebranches.

 

[fossiliferous]

I think I would have pruned away the stuff to prevent reverse taper. You aren't pruning for backbudding, so it doesn't matter it is late in the season.

And then I would have kept the long shoots on the branches you want to fatten up, to help undo reverse taper. For example, the long shoots that are on your main trunk line. You want that part fat and dominant, even when it isn't now. And even though those longs shoots is not what you want long term. you are molding the main trunk line first. Then at some point you do a hard prune for backbudding. And that backbudding will become your branches.

It is just hard to pick what the main trunk line should be. But once you decide, you can reduce every node to two branches. Once you know what the best main trunk line is, you select the best sidebranch for that trunkline. And you can prune back everything else. You could leave 2cm shoots for some of them, just so you can change your mine later if you are in doubt about two potential sidebranches.

Thank you so much for your feedback! It is very helpful. Hopefully I didn’t do too much harm to the main line with this trim. I see what you were talking about though. It’s definitely challenging to figure out where the main trunk should be going at this point. I will keep that in mind about potentially leaving some small shoots. It is certainly easier to prune a little bit more later than to undo too aggressive a cut!

 

[Harunobu]

You didn't do any harm at all. Just saying that if you want to use some of the 5 years of the competition to make the trunk line you select a bit more dominant, then you want to keep the long shoots at the end of that trunk line. That until you have a node where you are also at risk of getting reverse taper. And then you prune away everything, but two shoots. And you shorten one of the shoots, so it is thinner/a branch, while the shoot you keep completely intact is fatter/the trunkline.

Since there is not much time to grow out and fatten up in the 5 years of the competition, I would have kept long shoots. And I would have removed some branches that do harm to your nodes, For an example of what I would have removed (judging from the limited info in the pictures). The second last picture, the node on the left branch where there is 7 or 8 branches from that node. I would have pruned off the two upward-facing branches (the thick one, and the thin twin). And probably also the branch pointing towards the viewer.

Out of all those branches, I like the two that are pointing almost horizontally to the right. And I think the first inward pointing one is fine to keep for now. It is also slightly below the node, so it may actually help alleviate the reverse taper at the node itself a bit.

(I hope that is clear in words, I could make a picture)

And since you aren't pruning to induce backbudding but to limit further fattening up of certain branches, it doesn't really matter how much time is left in the growing season.

 

[JudyB]

You have a good grip on taking photos well to show the tree correctly. I agree with Harunobu about going ahead and taking off the problem branches. I would keep both trunks at the Y for now, but take the branches back to two from there. You want to create movement, so always take the straight parts off and keep the angled ones.

 

[Pitoon]

Welcome to the contest!

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

Yes, Welcome Aboard!

We actually planted three Purple Splendors in the landscape, planted in the afternoon (12- sunset) sun as an experiment... well really because my wife liked how they matched the colors of all the nearby Rhodies and azaleas to be honest. (Wouldn’t recommend this siting in Tennessee. They all came through summer like gang busters. Only glitch was at the tail end when the entire area came down with Lace Bugs in late August which were attended to promptly. I fertilized them with Osmocote Plus and then weak Miracid every month and a half.

I pruned all three back to twos after flowering and they promptly punched out new growth. So a good selection for you!

At this time waiting until later winter, yet before budding, would be my choice to prune. My parents live in Oak Ridge and around there that would be around late Jan Early Feb.

I actually think there may be a possible trunk on the left fork of your first photo after pruning, zig zagging upwards from the left fork right, left, right, then chop the final branch short at the last visible right Y to be 1/2 less length than the last bend.

Can’t be totally sure as you have the tree!

Anyways good luck! We will be looking forward this seeing your future posts!

Cheers
DSD sends

 

[Pitoon]

Spring is here and your azalea could be blooming (depending on your location) or starting to leaf out with this season’s flush……it’s time for updates!

I would also like to add at this time we have 3 prizes to award. Many thanks to @Forsoothe! and @Deep Sea Diver for donating. I am also donating a prize as well.

If you are no longer interested in continuing in the Azalea Contest, please let me know so we can close your thread, thanks.

 

[fossiliferous]

Hi there! It looks like we have some buds getting ready for their debut! I’ve moved and luckily this little thing survived the move and overwintering in a pot. Despite the general chaos of life over the past few months, I took care to protect its roots during freezes.
Looking at the structure, I think that the right side of that Y shaped junction probably needs to go.
edit: Terribly slow internet and cell service at the new place and some of my photos did not successfully upload the first time. Will try again!

 

[Jimmy Pete]

Looking good!

 

[fossiliferous]

Hi! Checking in with survived-multiple-moves, lucky-to-be-alive-and-kicking azalea!
Thriving? No. But alive? Yes.
Hopefully not going to move again for a good few years. Totally missed taking a picture of it when it was blooming this year, poor thing. It needs some TLC. But 2022 is almost over and 2023 approaches and at least it hasn’t perished!

 

[0soyoung]

survived-multiple-moves, lucky-to-be-alive-and-kicking ...

You're both just developing character.
You two will shine, in the end.


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