Hino Azalea #1

[PowerTap]

Today I took a first cut (literally) at my Hino Chrimson Azalea. This is a $12 Costco find and my first azalea.

Where I started.


I only had a little time today, so my goal was take off the top soil and resolve some pinwheels/whols oh the trunk and primary branches.



I already had some reverse taper so I opted to select the outside primary branches so it hopefully looks like a branch line not a bulge.

As I moved up the primary branches there were more whols so I made more choices. Trying to favor branches that were thicker or had lower secondary branches.

This still needs to be wired, but I ran out of time, and I want to sit and look at it for a while. and ponder what is front

 

[Glaucus]

Yup, at least a pure single trunk at the base, but reverse taper just above that. This is how they roll, especially with the way these are pruned early on to become a more compact multibranched landscaping shrub.
I would probably have removed 2 or 3 more branches. Then tried to use that lowest branch and the main leader to inverse the reverse taper a little bit.

I would only wire to enhance the movement of these branches that will once day become trunks for the actual design.
But of course if you want to practice, you could wire up more than that. For the design, it wouldn't really matter because you'd probably prune it off.

Picking a trunk may be key. Usually these multibranched designs fan out when seen from the front. If they spiral outwards in all directions, also pointing away or towards the viewer, the effect is less strong.
So you want your multibranch design to fan out while you view this fanning out from the front, so you can see all branches.
Then, the challenge is to get some gradual taper and ramification on those branches. Because as you see now, they become bald and parallel like a pencil, until suddenly all foliage emerges.
That would probably require a harder pruning back of these branches in 2 or 3 years or so. Getting backbudding without pruning on bald branch is pretty unusual for a Hino Crimson style azalea.

 

[PowerTap]

Yup, at least a pure single trunk at the base, but reverse taper just above that. This is how they roll, especially with the way these are pruned early on to become a more compact multibranched landscaping shrub.
I would probably have removed 2 or 3 more branches. Then tried to use that lowest branch and the main leader to inverse the reverse taper a little bit.

I would only wire to enhance the movement of these branches that will once day become trunks for the actual design.
But of course if you want to practice, you could wire up more than that. For the design, it wouldn't really matter because you'd probably prune it off.

Picking a trunk may be key. Usually these multibranched designs fan out when seen from the front. If they spiral outwards in all directions, also pointing away or towards the viewer, the effect is less strong.
So you want your multibranch design to fan out while you view this fanning out from the front, so you can see all branches.
Then, the challenge is to get some gradual taper and ramification on those branches. Because as you see now, they become bald and parallel like a pencil, until suddenly all foliage emerges.
That would probably require a harder pruning back of these branches in 2 or 3 years or so. Getting backbudding without pruning on bald branch is pretty unusual for a Hino Crimson style azalea.

After looking at it for a while, I think this might be my best trunk like and I might be best served do chop below that bulge and start with a clean leader.

But I'm not sure if that is to much folliage to take off all at once or not.

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

Wow…. That’s a lot of cutting. Usually I take a couple years to get things to this point down below.

You might consider putting the pruners down and stepping back.

Apex and reverse taper and even finding the perfect line isn’t all that important at this stage. What is important imho is maintaining a process where one properly balances the health of the tree with the desire to style as a bonsai.

Usually first prune here goes: Prune off half of what needs to be removed down below. Then go up the trunk and prune every cluster down to two if possible. Cut paste. That is all.

Maybe prune more, but maybe not all the rest, in the winter if the azalea recovered well.

No repotting this year, repot next spring.

Please keep in mind bonsai styling guidelines don’t apply to azaleas. That’s what makes these trees fun to work with. If the tree has grown to be easy to move into one of the ‘prescribed styles’, that’s great, otherwise use what the tree wants to do and your knowledge of different styling techniques and work with the tree to develop a style that creates a pleasing image to an observer.

btw: Hino Crimson is one of my favorite early spring azaleas… likely that’s why they have been in our landscape for many years.

Cheers
DSD sends

 

[Glaucus]

You don't need to go single trunked at all. Take a look here for some inspiration:


Low quality scan, but you can buy the magazine here:

Amazon.co.jp: 令和版皐月盆栽の作り方 (別冊さつき研究) : 株式会社栃の葉書房, 株式会社栃の葉書房, 株式会社栃の葉書房: Japanese Books

Amazon.co.jp: 令和版皐月盆栽の作り方 (別冊さつき研究) : 株式会社栃の葉書房, 株式会社栃の葉書房, 株式会社栃の葉書房: Japanese Books

www.amazon.co.jp

When cutting a branch to prevent reverse taper, you only need to make sure it doesn't get more leaf area than it has now.
If you prune back a branch to a few leaves, it won't thicken significantly. While those branches you did not prune, will.
Which will change their thickness ratios, and hopefully in your favour.

You can always remove a branch completely later on.

In care you wonder what I think I would have pruned back, see the red lines:


Note, I would have pruned them flush, I put the red line further up to indicate them more clearly. These are problems with reverse taper or dominant very straight branches.
Also, for the branch on the right where I put a red bar, removing the branch indicated would leave you with a Y-shape. I probably would also do a hard cut on one of them, leaving about an inch and a half, and to induce some backbudding there.

If you do this very hard prune back to only 1 trunk line, you get very large scars and a bit of a stub, as in your picture. Not sure what is pruned there and what is brushed out with paint/photoshop.

If you do want to go for a single trunk line, the best bet is to make that specific trunk line grow more dominant by not pruning at all the apex of that trunk line, while keeping short the branches that now compete with your selected trunk line.
Eventually, which may be 10 years, your desired trunk line will actually become an obvious single trunk. And it will add some girth and age.
Once your main trunk line is already dominant, the branches you want to remove will be weaker branches and they will be more natural to remove. Additionally, there will be other candidate side-branches that you can allow to thicken to help heal the scar and help gain correct taper, if that is what your design needs.

 

[PowerTap]

Wow…. That’s a lot of cutting. Usually I take a couple years to get things to this point down below.

You might consider putting the pruners down and stepping back.

Apex and reverse taper and even finding the perfect line isn’t all that important at this stage. What is important imho is maintaining a process where one properly balances the health of the tree with the desire to style as a bonsai.

Usually first prune here goes: Prune off half of what needs to be removed down below. Then go up the trunk and prune every cluster down to two if possible. Cut paste. That is all.

Maybe prune more, but maybe not all the rest, in the winter if the azalea recovered well.

No repotting this year, repot next spring.

Please keep in mind bonsai styling guidelines don’t apply to azaleas. That’s what makes these trees fun to work with. If the tree has grown to be easy to move into one of the ‘prescribed styles’, that’s great, otherwise use what the tree wants to do and your knowledge of different styling techniques and work with the tree to develop a style that creates a pleasing image to an observer.

btw: Hino Crimson is one of my favorite early spring azaleas… likely that’s why they have been in our landscape for many years.

Cheers
DSD sends

To be clear, I didn't actually take the rest off. No actual cuts since the first post. I used a photo editor on the phone to visualize where I think I want to go.

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

Now that’s really funny!

Cheers
DSD sends

 

[PowerTap]

Today this went into some kanuma and a tokename pot.

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

Nice! Still a couple weeks early for ours, but this tree is in a warmer zone.

One might want to cover up;those roots right away with a thick layer of yamagoke or long fiber spagnum (chopped a bit) or a mix of both. This helps one build the tree and nebari much faster. Also keeps media moist and once moss holds done kanuma.

Also a good way to deal with the hanging root without reporting is to run two ends of a 1.0 - 1.5 mm wire through the center drain hole. One end on either side of root. Place foam piece top of root and under wire to be tied down. Tighten gently and bring the root down until mostly below Knumb level.

Just a thought
DSD sends

 

[PowerTap]

Nice! Still a couple weeks early for ours, but this tree is in a warmer zone.

One might want to cover up;those roots right away with a thick layer of yamagoke or long fiber spagnum (chopped a bit) or a mix of both. This helps one build the tree and nebari much faster. Also keeps media moist and once moss holds done kanuma.

Also a good way to deal with the hanging root without reporting is to run two ends of a 1.0 - 1.5 mm wire through the center drain hole. One end on either side of root. Place foam piece top of root and under wire to be tied down. Tighten gently and bring the root down until mostly below Knumb level.

Just a thought
DSD sends

Appreciated. I know it's borderline temperature wise, but I have few enough trees that I can just bring them into my shop if we get a cold snap.

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

Certainly. This last couple month average is running 1.9F warmer then last.
Been waiting for the other shoe to drop… hasn’t happened yet.

2022-23 40.5F Avg.

2023-24 42.4F avg


Been waiting to see the tops of our azaleas begin to push. Usually begins in later February In our yard. Earlier in the Greenhouses. Hino Crimson tops here.


Until this begins we continue to wire, mostly whips right now. It’s a bit harder to do in winter on some cultivars, others are still relatively pliable.

cheers
DSD sends

 

[PowerTap]

I did a lot of cleaning on this last year mostly opening up the inside and clearing out whorls. My plan for this year is let it adapt to a smaller pot and let some of the growth low on the tree start to get some strength then start shortening the branches so it is more compact.