Pine needles for my Azalea?

mcpesq817

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Is it me, or is that box awfully big for the azalea? There is such a thing as too much overpotting. I'd be worried that your soil never dries out, especially with the soil you used.
 

rockm

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It's not you. The box is vastly too big, IMO. Filled with regular potting soil it will become a bog in short order. Azaleas are not bog plants...

Too much soil is as bad as too little. The soil in the box doesn't drain and there is A LOT of it. Bagged potting soil is made to retain water, not drain. Soggy soil inhibits root growth. It doesn't promote it.

Box should be at least half as small and simple bonsai soil used...
 

Chub

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It's not you. The box is vastly too big, IMO. Filled with regular potting soil it will become a bog in short order. Azaleas are not bog plants...

Too much soil is as bad as too little. The soil in the box doesn't drain and there is A LOT of it. Bagged potting soil is made to retain water, not drain. Soggy soil inhibits root growth. It doesn't promote it.

Box should be at least half as small and simple bonsai soil used...

Read an article where it said leave 2 or 3 inches around the root mass. I left approx. 3 inches. It's 12x12. So should I leave it alone or redo it? I do agree, the soil is not good at all, poor choice on my part. I would really like to redo it but I'm hesitant to keep messing with it.

So I take it this was not good advice.
http://ofbonsai.org/?p=835
As mentioned above, almost any container will work as a grow box as long as it is not too large, typically 2 to 3 inches of new soil around the root mass is plenty, any more and you risk the overall health of the tree.
 
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mcpesq817

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While that's a general guideline, the tree should have fully colonized the area inside of those dimensions. Azaleas put out lots of roots, but I'd be very surprised if something that small was able to occupy most of that box.
 

Chub

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It was really bugging me since I boxed it, so I just made a smaller box and put it in that. This time with Bonsai soil. It's roughly 8x9. I also rinsed off some more of the old soil it was originally potted in and loosened up more of the roots. Drains much better. The old soil was pretty much mud....
 

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treebeard55

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Sounds (and looks) like you made a good decision. Now it needs some to time to just grow and be adored. (Oops, that's what a kitten expects. ;))
 

Chub

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. Now it needs some to time to just grow and be adored. (Oops, that's what a kitten expects. ;))

LOL...No biggie.....I talk to what ever I grow.:D Flowers, trees it doesn't matter. I'm a little out there at times.:D
 
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