mail order azaleas Sept 2020

[Leo in N E Illinois]

I went nuts, blame it on being cooped up avoiding Covid19. So far so good for myself.

I was shopping on line at Singing Tree, a mail order nursery that I've dealt with in the past. Prices are fairly good, not "cheap" but not overly expensive. I picked up 4 azaleas, #1 size, roughly about a 5 inch diameter pot size, or a "small" one gallon size. I'm just going to up pot them into gallon nursery pots. I'll worry about working the roots next spring, or even the following spring. All in all the azaleas were only $17 each, which while more than the discount rack at the big box store, these were named varieties, with labels, and single trunks.

Key pick up was 'Issho-no-haru' which is a particularly nice Satsuki. It was this being listed as "back in stock" that was the reason I placed an order. It was $25 rather than the $17 of the others, but it is the one I wanted. The others were more impulse buys I could have done without. 'Polo' is a Nuccio's cultivar of some fame, has a good reputation for bonsai too. I liked 'Ripples' because it has double flowers, I've always been fond of doubles. I believe the 'Issho-no-haru' is the only one of the 4 that is a full Satsuki, the 'Polo' and 'Ripples' are listed as Tsutsusi hybrids and 'Kinpai' is listed as simply an azalea hybrid.
I believe the tsutsusi hybrids include Kurume type hybrids.

Fresh from the box, all in a row.


I also ended up picking up a grafted Pinus strobus 'Niagara Falls' - I know, I am one of the first to "dog" the use of strobus as bonsai. I am going to "play" with this one. The description on a Conifer Kingdom website originally described it in terms that made it sound like a yatsubusa budding pattern. And indeed, it does have a much more dense bud pattern than P. strobus 'Pendula' that was in the landscape of my folks home. It is a weeping cultivar, so probably not going to become bonsai any time soon. But it caught my eye. Graft is pretty ugly, another reason this may end up being only a landscape plant. But I wanted it around to experiment with.

Below are Singing tree photos of the flowers for the azaleas I picked up.

Picked up 'Issho no haru'

'Kinpai'


'Ripples'


'Polo'

 

[Hack Yeah!]

New toys! Fun, the ripples is a very interesting flower, I'll be interested in seeing it develop.

 

[Pitoon]

Great buy! I just placed an order today for 15 satsuki's.........now we can trade some cuttings next spring

 

[Carol 83]

I went nuts, blame it on being cooped up avoiding Covid19. So far so good for myself.

I was shopping on line at Singing Tree, a mail order nursery that I've dealt with in the past. Prices are fairly good, not "cheap" but not overly expensive. I picked up 4 azaleas, #1 size, roughly about a 5 inch diameter pot size, or a "small" one gallon size. I'm just going to up pot them into gallon nursery pots. I'll worry about working the roots next spring, or even the following spring. All in all the azaleas were only $17 each, which while more than the discount rack at the big box store, these were named varieties, with labels, and single trunks.

Key pick up was 'Issho-no-haru' which is a particularly nice Satsuki. It was this being listed as "back in stock" that was the reason I placed an order. It was $25 rather than the $17 of the others, but it is the one I wanted. The others were more impulse buys I could have done without. 'Polo' is a Nuccio's cultivar of some fame, has a good reputation for bonsai too. I liked 'Ripples' because it has double flowers, I've always been fond of doubles. I believe the 'Issho-no-haru' is the only one of the 4 that is a full Satsuki, the 'Polo' and 'Ripples' are listed as Tsutsusi hybrids and 'Kinpai' is listed as simply an azalea hybrid.
I believe the tsutsusi hybrids include Kurume type hybrids.

Fresh from the box, all in a row.
View attachment 331309

I also ended up picking up a grafted Pinus strobus 'Niagara Falls' - I know, I am one of the first to "dog" the use of strobus as bonsai. I am going to "play" with this one. The description on a Conifer Kingdom website originally described it in terms that made it sound like a yatsubusa budding pattern. And indeed, it does have a much more dense bud pattern than P. strobus 'Pendula' that was in the landscape of my folks home. It is a weeping cultivar, so probably not going to become bonsai any time soon. But it caught my eye. Graft is pretty ugly, another reason this may end up being only a landscape plant. But I wanted it around to experiment with.

Below are Singing tree photos of the flowers for the azaleas I picked up.

Picked up 'Issho no haru' View attachment 331308

'Kinpai'
View attachment 331311

'Ripples'
View attachment 331310

'Polo'
View attachment 331312

Love the"Ripples". I almost ordered some, with all the talk of Nuccios but thought it better to wait until spring for me.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

I have more azaleas than I need. I really should not have ordered any, but the Issho no haru really caught my eye. I had bought one earlier, in 2019 when @shinmai turned me on to the clone, but I got carried away, over-did the initial work, and then left for the blueberry farm, so follow up care got neglected. Stuff happens. So I got replacement.

I'll make cuttings of everything. I have a tendency to forget about the cuttings, and loose track of them before they get established on their own. So we will see what I come up with. I'll be happy to trade down the road. Right now the back yard is too full.

 

[shinmai]

My ‘issho’ made only solid lavender-pink blossoms this year, but oh boy, were they pretty!



Watch for kusudama when it’s in stock again. I was thinking about ordering another five plants from them to make a group planting in the spring.

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

Nice, my Issho no Hara is one of my favorites.

I got carried away this fall also and am waiting for multiple satsuki etc to come in from Nuccios In October when things cool down south. Some oldies, some goodies, Beni Botan and Mansaku are a couple that come to mind. I almost forgot about these, but after seeing yours, I can’t wait for the delivery!

Enjoy your new azaleas!
cheers
DSD sends

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

'Beni Botan' has been on "my list" for years.

 

[Harunobu]

I think 'Issho no Haru' is one of the best azaleas. I can't really say it is one of my favourites, because it is kinda opposite to some of my tastes. It just appears very clearly as as perfect an azalea could realistically be. So good buy!
I bought mine as 'Haru no Sono', which is the two-colour sport of 'Issho no Haru'. But I have never seen the second colour. So maybe I should call mine 'Issho no Haru' as well, as it reverted. Probably I now only have the new second Haru no Sono colour and lost the original Issho no Haru coulor.

I thought it may be really tender among satsuki, but I see sites now say it is hardy to zone 6. And a Czech site that lists -21C. That's not too bad.

If you are lucky, you do get the paler pink flowers. The picture you showed is the fukurin/jewel border pattern, and the solid coloured ones.
This year, I had some quite intense variegation:


What I like the most is that as the base colour, the blotch is yellow on pale. But when you get a sector of colour, it makes the blotch darker violet. So you get 4 shades of colour.

The foliage is also exceptional.
It will take some time to grow it in a proper bonsai style. But is is nice in flower even with a awkward bonsai style.

 

[HorseloverFat]

I went nuts

This is Great to hear!!! And exciting for those of us who love to learn!

I am unfamiliar with some of these. (New Guy-itis).. so I am excited to see them grow....

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

This is Great to hear!!! And exciting for those of us who love to learn!

I am unfamiliar with some of these. (New Guy-itis).. so I am excited to see them grow....

Satsuki azaleas are a "whole universe" unto themselves. There is a cult like following, where getting a cultivar to show all the possible color variations on a single plant is the goal. Satsuki are unique in that many of the cultivars have the combo of genetic and epigenetic color breaks, that allow a mix of colors in the same flowers and across the flowers on a plant. @Harunobu could explain the color science better than myself. In short, for many of the multicolored satsuki, the dominant color is white or a light solid color. Then there are various streaks, which can become wider to be sectors, and occasional solid single colors. In addition, some cultivars have "jewel marks", flecks of colors, appearing at random, or in zones. Ideally, you want a plant to display all the possible variations at one time. The lighter color usually should dominate, and the other colors should be scattered or in zones through out. If possible the uppermost parts should be the light color, like sunlight on a tree, the darker colors below, like the shadows or the dark sides of clouds. Trying to get a tree to display in these sorts of patterns can lead to neurosis. LOL. A young plant, that shows only the light colors, usually retains the capability to express the full range of colors as it ages. A young plant that only shows the darkest colors, often has lost the chimera ability to show the full range of the lighter colors. But not always. They are confusing in their ability to surprise you.

You are in the Green Bay -Door County area, it is doubtful that any of the satsuki would be fully winter hardy in your area. So building a good location for them to winter would be problematic. They can be stored "in the cool and dark" if you can keep the temperature below 40F or 4 C for the winter. BUT they can easily be wintered in a cool greenhouse, as long as night temperatures drop below 60 F or below 16 C, they will get cool enough to "vernalize" set flower buds and bloom in spring. At temperatures above 40 F or 4 C they do need sun, or roughly part shade, about half sun, for the winter. So there are several wintering options. Generally, if you don't have specific cultivar information, to be safe we keep them above 23 F, or above -5C. Some of the florist's azalea hybrids are less cold tolerant than that, and need to be kept above freezing at all times. Florist's azaleas are often the "Belgium hybrids" as listed on Nuccio's website. They were bred to be easy to force into bloom out of season.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

The "best for bonsai" satsuki also have small leaves and small flowers. Once such cultivar is 'Hakurei', small white flowers, with occasional salmon for the color break, though the white is usually over 90% of the tree. Often you can go years without seeing the color variations.

 

[HorseloverFat]

Satsuki azaleas are a "whole universe" unto themselves. There is a cult like following, where getting a cultivar to show all the possible color variations on a single plant is the goal. Satsuki are unique in that many of the cultivars have the combo of genetic and epigenetic color breaks, that allow a mix of colors in the same flowers and across the flowers on a plant. @Harunobu could explain the color science better than myself. In short, for many of the multicolored satsuki, the dominant color is white or a light solid color. Then there are various streaks, which can become wider to be sectors, and occasional solid single colors. In addition, some cultivars have "jewel marks", flecks of colors, appearing at random, or in zones. Ideally, you want a plant to display all the possible variations at one time. The lighter color usually should dominate, and the other colors should be scattered or in zones through out. If possible the uppermost parts should be the light color, like sunlight on a tree, the darker colors below, like the shadows or the dark sides of clouds. Trying to get a tree to display in these sorts of patterns can lead to neurosis. LOL. A young plant, that shows only the light colors, usually retains the capability to express the full range of colors as it ages. A young plant that only shows the darkest colors, often has lost the chimera ability to show the full range of the lighter colors. But not always. They are confusing in their ability to surprise you.

You are in the Green Bay -Door County area, it is doubtful that any of the satsuki would be fully winter hardy in your area. So building a good location for them to winter would be problematic. They can be stored "in the cool and dark" if you can keep the temperature below 40F or 4 C for the winter. BUT they can easily be wintered in a cool greenhouse, as long as night temperatures drop below 60 F or below 16 C, they will get cool enough to "vernalize" set flower buds and bloom in spring. At temperatures above 40 F or 4 C they do need sun, or roughly part shade, about half sun, for the winter. So there are several wintering options. Generally, if you don't have specific cultivar information, to be safe we keep them above 23 F, or above -5C. Some of the florist's azalea hybrids are less cold tolerant than that, and need to be kept above freezing at all times. Florist's azaleas are often the "Belgium hybrids" as listed on Nuccio's website. They were bred to be easy to force into bloom out of season.

I’m VERY intrigued by this.. and will most definitely read further into it...The furthest I’ve been down the “genome Road” (not correct, just sounded better) is cross-pollination and generational “selection” in Peppers and MJ.

I have enough sqft of poorly insulated cement basement, a few fluoros (not sure if even necessary) and some fans for my slightly less hardy plants (zone 6 and up) and even my evergreen azaleas fall into this category.

 

[shinmai]

Thanks, Leo. With your provocation, I just went there and ordered Coral Bells and Kusudama. Both were available in the two gallon size, which is not usually the case with this nursery. I already had kusudama in the smaller size, but it did not do well at first, taking well into spring to begin to thrive. It did not bloom This year, but has really perked up and formed plenty of flower buds for next spring. Fortunately many things I would have gladly bought were out of stock, thus not incurring the ire of financial management.

 

[Harunobu]

Kusadama is a sport of Shinnyo no Tsuki, arguably a more famous cultivar. The plants should behave the same.

 

[shinmai]

Number one on my personal hit parade is hinomaru, with white blossoms with brilliant red centers, similar to the Japanese flag. It is hard to find other than as an import, and pretty expensive compared to other cultivars at the same stage of development. I need to do something like rescue a baby from a burning house, so that I can reward myself by dropping a grand or so on a nice hinomaru. Of course, that’s also the rationale I’d been saving for a bottle of the Knappogue Castle 1951 Irish whisky, which was bottled in 1987 after 36 years in barrel. Okay, two babies.....

 

[hinmo24t]

I think 'Issho no Haru' is one of the best azaleas. I can't really say it is one of my favourites, because it is kinda opposite to some of my tastes. It just appears very clearly as as perfect an azalea could realistically be. So good buy!
I bought mine as 'Haru no Sono', which is the two-colour sport of 'Issho no Haru'. But I have never seen the second colour. So maybe I should call mine 'Issho no Haru' as well, as it reverted. Probably I now only have the new second Haru no Sono colour and lost the original Issho no Haru coulor.

I thought it may be really tender among satsuki, but I see sites now say it is hardy to zone 6. And a Czech site that lists -21C. That's not too bad.

If you are lucky, you do get the paler pink flowers. The picture you showed is the fukurin/jewel border pattern, and the solid coloured ones.
This year, I had some quite intense variegation:
View attachment 331435

What I like the most is that as the base colour, the blotch is yellow on pale. But when you get a sector of colour, it makes the blotch darker violet. So you get 4 shades of colour.

The foliage is also exceptional.
It will take some time to grow it in a proper bonsai style. But is is nice in flower even with a awkward bonsai style.

That color is badass

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

Nice variety of flowers that can appear on that Kusadama, speckled, sanded etc!
Cheers
DSD sends

 

[Pitoon]

Satsuki azaleas are a "whole universe" unto themselves. There is a cult like following, where getting a cultivar to show all the possible color variations on a single plant is the goal. Satsuki are unique in that many of the cultivars have the combo of genetic and epigenetic color breaks, that allow a mix of colors in the same flowers and across the flowers on a plant. @Harunobu could explain the color science better than myself. In short, for many of the multicolored satsuki, the dominant color is white or a light solid color. Then there are various streaks, which can become wider to be sectors, and occasional solid single colors. In addition, some cultivars have "jewel marks", flecks of colors, appearing at random, or in zones. Ideally, you want a plant to display all the possible variations at one time. The lighter color usually should dominate, and the other colors should be scattered or in zones through out. If possible the uppermost parts should be the light color, like sunlight on a tree, the darker colors below, like the shadows or the dark sides of clouds. Trying to get a tree to display in these sorts of patterns can lead to neurosis. LOL. A young plant, that shows only the light colors, usually retains the capability to express the full range of colors as it ages. A young plant that only shows the darkest colors, often has lost the chimera ability to show the full range of the lighter colors. But not always. They are confusing in their ability to surprise you.

You are in the Green Bay -Door County area, it is doubtful that any of the satsuki would be fully winter hardy in your area. So building a good location for them to winter would be problematic. They can be stored "in the cool and dark" if you can keep the temperature below 40F or 4 C for the winter. BUT they can easily be wintered in a cool greenhouse, as long as night temperatures drop below 60 F or below 16 C, they will get cool enough to "vernalize" set flower buds and bloom in spring. At temperatures above 40 F or 4 C they do need sun, or roughly part shade, about half sun, for the winter. So there are several wintering options. Generally, if you don't have specific cultivar information, to be safe we keep them above 23 F, or above -5C. Some of the florist's azalea hybrids are less cold tolerant than that, and need to be kept above freezing at all times. Florist's azaleas are often the "Belgium hybrids" as listed on Nuccio's website. They were bred to be easy to force into bloom out of season.

Excellent info there!

 

[Pitoon]

So here's the list I ordered. I'm wondering what cultivar the one listed 'White Light purple border' is? I guess I will have to wait until I see it flower.

Ai no Hikari

Ai no Tsuki

Kin Nishiki

Kinpai

Miyo no Hikari

Oh My

Saida

Shinnyo no Tsuki

Shinsho no Hana

Shizu no Mai

Tama no Hada

Terahime

White Light purple border

Yama no Akebono

Yamota