Seeking ideas about my new Satsuki Yuki Azalea

JudyB

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Thanks @Moridin . In that case the OP shouldn’t need to be concerned about repotting right off.

I apologize in advance if it seems like I’m hijacking this his thread. There’s a fine line for answering open ended questions.

Books in General, my favorites, Deborah Koreshoff Bonsai…, Understanding Bonsai by Pieter Loubser, Flowering Bonsai by Peter D.Adams, but on to Azaleas.

I’m going to unload some of my databanks on this post about Satsuki. Likely I won’t have the bandwidth to do this again for a couple years, so if you are interested in satsuki here it is. ( btw there are many others on site with years more practical, and differing, experience to date that it would be interesting to hear from. Like @shinmai @JudyB @Shibui @Leo in N E Illinois and @Mellow Mullet to name just a few.

btw: I’m bound to miss something and will not talk about references like Galle’s Azaleas and Satsuki Dictionary etc.

Books: Specifically for satsuki Floral Treasures is as good as it gets for beginners…. short of Callaham’s Satsuki Azalea and Naka et al Bonsai Techniques…. yet both are out of print. Callahan is the best overall.

There is a really good resource in the Resource Section posted right here on BonsaiNut that is very helpful and is free!

Also Bonsai Tonight sells a satsuki book by Watanabe for $18.00 that is really good, especially for the process of crafting a tree. Its translation to English is a bit lacking, so it needs a couple three read through to ’get it’.

Finally Janine Droste‘s Satsuki Bonsai from Bonsai Europe is also a good beginner book too with lots of photos, but pricey due to origin in Europe…. see if it’s on eBay or other second hand sites.

Styling: Before I get going I must point out that you live in the catchment area of one of the best satsuki clubs in the US. I hope you’ve reached out to them for help. They have years of in depth practical experience.

Only one US book exists with detailed instructions on how to do multiple types of styling azaleas, Naka, Ota and Rokkaku’s Bonsai Techniques for Satsuki. That’s why it’s the book to get for styling ideas. However they start all their techniques from whips, a really good reason to learn to grow whips from cuttings. Watch for a decent price on publication this on eBay…. if that ever happens. Yet last check it was $299-$579!

There exists another, much more comprehensive book on styling that was translated toEnglish and copied in limited quantities (with the authors permission) and passed out in limited the NoCal area when Master Suisho Nakayama, the President of the Japanese Satsuki Assn visited. His bookSatsuki Bonsai is the most comprehensive that I have ever seen. I only mention this because someone in the club might loan you and @Moridin a copy.

Side note: Online YouTube the only clips I found had to do with styling informal uprights, yet but there is some great stuff… perhaps 20+ clips on maintenance by a Japanese Master merely called Bonsai Master. These are subtitled, but one could learn a real lot frm watching these.

Final on styling: There are numerous articles (some repeated!) on styling azaleas from existing plants, cuttings, young and old found in back issues of International Bonsai, Bonsai Today, Bonsai Magizine, Bonsai Focus and Golden Statements. It took me well over a year to find most of these. However, with a bit of perseverance one can search and find these.

Propagating Multi Patterned Azaleas: Floral techniques has a great discussion and illustration on this process. The very best is from Jim Trumbly, again from your area, (Roseville) This article was published in The Azalean. This is pertinent in that There are two Yuki cultivars, one of which you have. Mr. M might know which. Both are multipatterned.
View attachment 398375

To propagate these type azaleas (not just satsuki) to yield “True to type” clones from cuttings one needs to mark and select the correct areas to take shoots from... see the references ….

Gotta go.

Cheers
DSD sends
Curious to know where you are off to that you won't have the bandwidth to communicate for a couple years? Just as FYI Rick Garcia of NASBC is going to have a book out on Satsuki very soon I believe.
 

Deep Sea Diver

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Not in a geographic context, I just didn’t want to delve deep again into this topic as I’ve repeated myself enough that I feel like a broken record…. yet I am mired in up with jobs…potting 450+ first year azalea cuttings, w/digging a 50’ electrical run to the second small greenhouse, rebuilding the big cold frame and then there’s that old fence I promised my better half to rebuild before my eye operation….

Yep, I heard Rick Garcia’s book is coming out from some folks who came back from NY last week and am anxiously awaiting its release! Haven’t seen it, so I didn’t comment on it. Thanks for adding his book into the mix. 😎

Best
DSD sends
 
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Thank you very much DSD (and JudyB) for all the good information. It will take me a good while to locate and make my way through the many references you have provided. As far as I'm concerned you have gone above and beyond in providing a wonderful reference source. I appreciate it very much.
 

shinmai

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I've been studying like mad, both on the internet and through books. I'll order "Floral Treasures of Japan," which I understand is a good book about satsuki. "Secret Bonsai Techniques" by Misekuni is on order. Do you have any book recommendations?
Robert Callaham’s book, “Satsuki Azaleas for bonsai and azalea enthusiasts“ has long been considered the definitive bible, but it’s out of print and hard to find. If you’re lucky, your local library system may have a copy or be able to locate one. Rick Garcia, azalea expert and proprietor of the North American Satsuki Bonsai Center, is in the process of publishing his new book, which will be the first definitive guide in English since Callaham. If you go to his website, nasbc.com, you can sign up to be emailed when he’s ready to take orders.
 

bunjin

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The Masakuni Convex cutters are unique, very expensive, and limited in the branch size that they can trim. Not sure that Kineshin makes a similar cutter. Using a chisel or knife to flatten the wound after making a cut with just a simple garden pruner and applying top-jin paste will usually give good results and it does callus over. I purchased some azaleas from Muruyama many years ago and they all had plastic shipping peanuts in the bottom of the pots. Was difficult to extract the roots from the peanuts. Not sure why he does that. Repotting in Calif. can be done most of the year as long as there is enough time to develop roots before the short winter period. I just did a repotting workshop that was postponed due to Covid related issues and have no doubt that the demo plants will do just fine since we have at least a month or two of growing season left. I use 100% fine Kanuma at the top of the root ball because it fills in the voids much better around the trunk than any other components in my media mix.
 
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. I use 100% fine Kanuma at the top of the root ball because it fills in the voids much better around the trunk than any other components in my media mix.
I'm waiting for a saw and some kanuma to arrive, but I had thought it was too late to repot now. Do you use only fine kanuma in the pot or just at the top of the root ball. Do you use fine to fill the rest of the pot or do you use another size, presumable medium.
 

bunjin

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I use medium Kanuma for my main mix, fine for the top. I also use organics - sphagnum/peat blend and a few cocoa coir chips in the main mix, but with your climate and water I would consult your local enthusiasts. I do avoid drastic pruning and repotting at the same time. Usually I only repot in the fall if the azalea is suffering from being in old or inappropriate soil.
 
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I found this place in Japan that has the full line of Masakuni tools. The stainless convex shears are 12,800 yen, which I believe converts to about $115.
www.fromjapan-kt.com/product/810
Thanks for the link. Funny thing: after I had looked at the site and told my wife about the prices, her reaction was, "Well. We'll have to take a look." Great woman.

From what I can see, Kaneshin does not make that particular tool.
 

Ohmy222

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I got mine here with no issues. There are two sizes, one small and one larger. Seems the larger is sold out at the moment. I am not convinced I needed these but they may be the best constructed tools I have used. They are really nice. I use the small one quite a bit even on non-azaleas.

 

shinmai

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Interesting that the place you found so emphatically declares that they have nothing to do with the site I found. Perhaps ‘from Japan’ does not have a great reputation.
I got mine a while back from California Bonsai Studio in Thousand Oaks, californiabonsai.com.
 
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Interesting that the place you found so emphatically declares that they have nothing to do with the site I found. Perhaps ‘from Japan’ does not have a great reputation.
I got mine a while back from California Bonsai Studio in Thousand Oaks, californiabonsai.com.
Thanks for the link. I have an unshakable feeling that a few Masakuni tools are in my future. Some of the tools they make that Kaneshin doesn't seem really useful. I suppose it helps that I am reading Masakuni II's book about bonsai secret techniques (I don't know about how secret they are, but I'm learning a lot from it.)
 

Glaucus

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Interesting that the place you found so emphatically declares that they have nothing to do with the site I found. Perhaps ‘from Japan’ does not have a great reputation.

Then it looks like one ripped off at leas the website (and the (good?) reputation associated with their name) from the other. And you would think From Japan ripped off J Bonsai, as J Bonsai is distancing themselves from the other.
 

Deep Sea Diver

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Thanks for the link. I have an unshakable feeling that a few Masakuni tools are in my future. Some of the tools they make that Kaneshin doesn't seem really useful. I suppose it helps that I am reading Masakuni II's book about bonsai secret techniques (I don't know about how secret they are, but I'm learning a lot from it.)
You are correct, the “Secret Techniques” in Masakuni Kawasumi II/III’s book aren’t all that secret and a couple sections like the airlayering using a toriki scraper, are rarely used. That said, its a good basic book. When one desires to get more specifics about a certain species, as the book is very fleeting In that regard, one will have look for a more specialized book, web knowledge, or better still a club or a professional for this information.

There is a bit of snobbery imho regarding tools in the bonsai world…. and a bit of practicality too. As @Brian Van Fleet mentioned, sometimes you are better off in the long run to go with the better brands for certain tools, specifically scissors and other cutting instruments, especially for holding an edge and durability. In other situations one can get away with lesser quality. Many a beginning bonsai practitioner, including myself. has run to the garage to get wire cutters or needle nose pliers to begin with.

I use both Kaneshin and Masakuni tools in both grades pretty much interchangeably, stainless or hardened dual steel blades at home and at the museum. The stainless are more durable, yet harder to sharpen, the regular steel can be made sharper and are easier to sharpen. For that reason my go to for scissors is most often regular steel. Whatever you choose, be sure to take time each day to clean and lube your cutting tools if at all possible. This one small step will make your bonsai journey smoother in the long run. 😎

cheers
DSD sends
 

Ohmy222

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Thanks for the link. I have an unshakable feeling that a few Masakuni tools are in my future. Some of the tools they make that Kaneshin doesn't seem really useful. I suppose it helps that I am reading Masakuni II's book about bonsai secret techniques (I don't know about how secret they are, but I'm learning a lot from it.)

The ones I linked to are the only Masakuni tools I own. The rest of mine are Kaneshin (Spherical Concave, Trimming Scissors, Wire Cutter, Knob Cutter, Root Cutter, Pliers, and Tweezers). Masakuni prices are pretty crazy and I have no issues with Kaneshin at all. I have heard Masakuni tools are very good but also very brittle and easy to damage.

My first tools were lower quality and largely useless to be honest and threw them all away except a large trunk splitter I never use and a root hook. I do have a standard japanese concave that is good but don't know the brand. I wouldn't skimp on tool quality.
 
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I must confess to having been, for nearly as long as I've been using tools, a believer in getting the best tools it was possible for me to acquire. My "snobbery" started when I was a teenager working on hot rods and has continued through a number of different pursuits. As a result, I can't remember a tool ever breaking or failing me. That said, and realizing that I am indeed a beginner in this new (to me) and entirely absorbing pursuit, I have been acquiring the basic several tools from Kaneshin. I had pretty much dismissed Masakuni as simply unreasonably out of reach. But having been browsing their tool catalog, I am amazed at the number of really useful looking tools that Kaneshin simply doesn't make. I must say that the many testimonials I've read as to their quality resonates strongly with me. I know myself well enough to know that I will be continuing to cultivate bonsai and not drop it as a passing fancy. I also have to say that the more I learn about it, the more I find there is to learn. It is perfect for me. So getting high-end tools such as Kaneshin and Masakuni doesn't worry me as possibly wasted money.
 

RedPanda

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tbh, some of Masakuni's prices is decent.

Pretty much most of the mid size tools from Masakuni is priced reasonably ("usually" the Masakuni 6800/8800/9800 yen stuff) most of those is only slightly more expensive than Kaneshin if your trying to match to the shape and size of the Kaneshin counterpart of Masakuni. If your currency is stronger than the yen, the price difference is little (like 10 USD difference).

That being said, I wont recommend Masakuni's line of stuff for the absolute beginner, likely ruin the shears/cutters from the lack of upkeep or using it improperly. (another reason why the Masakuni book is one of the better books to buy for the beginner, not for tree care but for tool care)
 

geargarcon

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You are correct, the “Secret Techniques” in Masakuni Kawasumi II/III’s book aren’t all that secret and a couple sections like the airlayering using a toriki scraper, are rarely used. That said, its a good basic book. When one desires to get more specifics about a certain species, as the book is very fleeting In that regard, one will have look for a more specialized book, web knowledge, or better still a club or a professional for this information.

There is a bit of snobbery imho regarding tools in the bonsai world…. and a bit of practicality too. As @Brian Van Fleet mentioned, sometimes you are better off in the long run to go with the better brands for certain tools, specifically scissors and other cutting instruments, especially for holding an edge and durability. In other situations one can get away with lesser quality. Many a beginning bonsai practitioner, including myself. has run to the garage to get wire cutters or needle nose pliers to begin with.

I use both Kaneshin and Masakuni tools in both grades pretty much interchangeably, stainless or hardened dual steel blades at home and at the museum. The stainless are more durable, yet harder to sharpen, the regular steel can be made sharper and are easier to sharpen. For that reason my go to for scissors is most often regular steel. Whatever you choose, be sure to take time each day to clean and lube your cutting tools if at all possible. This one small step will make your bonsai journey smoother in the long run. 😎

cheers
DSD sends
Just stumbled across this thread. I’ve been looking at picking up a new pair of trimming shears and was initially thinking 35D or 39, but as I read about Masakuni I’m being tempted to instead look at the 228 shears or 103 bud shears.

I’m curious, do you have any experience with either of those Masakuni shears?
 

Deep Sea Diver

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Chose what you think will work best for you. Either way, properly kept, these will be the scissors you will use for a long time!

I’ve used the 228, not the bud scissors. However I don’t own these, they were loaned to me to try out.

Honestly I couldn’t tell the difference between the Kaneshin and Musakuni and I do a lot of scissor work. I don’t use bud scissors most of the time, even though we have a couple pair. instead I use SS bent nose tweezers. It’s quicker, and more exact most of the time.

cheers
DSD sends
 
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