Hi all, I've got a few questions about cuttings from Satsuki Azaleas. This is my 2nd year of developing bonsai, and Satsuki's have definitely grown to be my favourite. I've took cuttings from every pruning I've done, and I've got a few questions about said cuttings. Below are a few photos of them.
1) When should I repot these?
I am aware that azaleas tend to put out growth even if they're dead, however these were taken 10 weeks ago and they seem to consistently be putting out new growth, so I have hope for them. I'm quite unsure on when I should repot these though, as after reading quite a few threads most people do this when the pots are filled with roots, however azaleas do have quite fine roots and I was wondering if this method would still apply? As you can see from the photos as well, I have done quite a few cuttings in each pot, so would this change how / when I repot them and what measures should I take to make sure they survive after seperating them?
2) When can I start feeding them?
I don't want to burn the roots since they're only cuttings, so I haven't applied any fertiliser yet. They are in inorganic soil which is I believe kanuma and sphagnum moss, so I'm guessing they might be quite stripped for nutrients. Any advice on when I should start fertilising these / (if I already should have been) would be appreciated.
3) Overwintering
Last year, I managed to keep quite a few cuttings alive throughout winter - however these were not bonsai, they were just some hydrangea, fuchsia and geranium cuttings which I left outside and survived. These satsuki cuttings have been on the kitchen windowsill which faces west, so they've been getting quite a few hours of sunlight. I am concerned though, as I'm not exactly confident in my ability to keep these going through winter. As of now, I only water these when they're slightly dry - however I'm guessing that in winter they'll take less water. Is there anything I should do like moving them or should I just keep them where they are? I don't know what the consequences of keeping them in the kitchen throughout autumn and winter will be, so any advice would be appreciated and anything in particular I should look out for. I've also been misting them everyday since I took the plastic bags off them, so should I continue that into winter or maybe tone it down a bit?
4) Acclimatisation
When should I move these outside? My zone is 9b, and this summer in England we've had temperatures peaking at 40C but mostly 24-28C consistently every day. It gets to around 0C or lower during winter.
5) Wiring
When can I start wiring these azaleas into shape? I know they are quite brittle and have thin bark, so I wasn't sure if I should start wiring them now or wait a bit until the bark thickens and the roots establish themselves more. I just don't want to leave them for too long, as I'd like to wire one or two of them into a cascade shape before they get too unpliable.
Last notes:
For the first few weeks, they had a plastic bag over them and I misted them about once a week. I took the bag off after a few weeks and over the past 3 weeks I've started misting them with a combination of water and cold pressed seaweed which I've acquired from my local bonsai club as a foliar spray for junipers. I don't know if it's the seaweed doing anything, but I've noticed quite green, good growth on them recently - so just sharing as a tip if anyone else would like to try that.
I apologise for the amount of questions, but I hope that the answers to this thread will be helpful to anyone else doing Satsuki cuttings.
Thanks.
1) When should I repot these?
I am aware that azaleas tend to put out growth even if they're dead, however these were taken 10 weeks ago and they seem to consistently be putting out new growth, so I have hope for them. I'm quite unsure on when I should repot these though, as after reading quite a few threads most people do this when the pots are filled with roots, however azaleas do have quite fine roots and I was wondering if this method would still apply? As you can see from the photos as well, I have done quite a few cuttings in each pot, so would this change how / when I repot them and what measures should I take to make sure they survive after seperating them?
2) When can I start feeding them?
I don't want to burn the roots since they're only cuttings, so I haven't applied any fertiliser yet. They are in inorganic soil which is I believe kanuma and sphagnum moss, so I'm guessing they might be quite stripped for nutrients. Any advice on when I should start fertilising these / (if I already should have been) would be appreciated.
3) Overwintering
Last year, I managed to keep quite a few cuttings alive throughout winter - however these were not bonsai, they were just some hydrangea, fuchsia and geranium cuttings which I left outside and survived. These satsuki cuttings have been on the kitchen windowsill which faces west, so they've been getting quite a few hours of sunlight. I am concerned though, as I'm not exactly confident in my ability to keep these going through winter. As of now, I only water these when they're slightly dry - however I'm guessing that in winter they'll take less water. Is there anything I should do like moving them or should I just keep them where they are? I don't know what the consequences of keeping them in the kitchen throughout autumn and winter will be, so any advice would be appreciated and anything in particular I should look out for. I've also been misting them everyday since I took the plastic bags off them, so should I continue that into winter or maybe tone it down a bit?
4) Acclimatisation
When should I move these outside? My zone is 9b, and this summer in England we've had temperatures peaking at 40C but mostly 24-28C consistently every day. It gets to around 0C or lower during winter.
5) Wiring
When can I start wiring these azaleas into shape? I know they are quite brittle and have thin bark, so I wasn't sure if I should start wiring them now or wait a bit until the bark thickens and the roots establish themselves more. I just don't want to leave them for too long, as I'd like to wire one or two of them into a cascade shape before they get too unpliable.
Last notes:
For the first few weeks, they had a plastic bag over them and I misted them about once a week. I took the bag off after a few weeks and over the past 3 weeks I've started misting them with a combination of water and cold pressed seaweed which I've acquired from my local bonsai club as a foliar spray for junipers. I don't know if it's the seaweed doing anything, but I've noticed quite green, good growth on them recently - so just sharing as a tip if anyone else would like to try that.
I apologise for the amount of questions, but I hope that the answers to this thread will be helpful to anyone else doing Satsuki cuttings.
Thanks.