Some new Satsukis

[Adair M]

The key to developing good structure on azalea, is to pretend they don’t flower, and cut back hard in January/February before they start to bud out. If you are working on structure, work on structure!

When you cut back, immediately cover the cuts with TopJin cut paste. The orange stuff. Don’t make concave cuts. After a day, cover the top Jin with the putty cut paste. TopJin is water solvable, and will wash off if you don’t cover it.

You should get profuse backbudding, which you can selectively keep, or remove within 2 months. You can wire it, and cut it back again. By all means, remove the flower buds! You’ll get a second flush of growth. Remove the wire after a month.

When it grows out again, selectively cut back and wire. By fall, you can remove the wire.

Repeat every year until you have the structure you want. Only then can you let it bloom.

 

[baron]

Thnx @Adair M !
I know I should cut back hard, but I'm a bit hesitant to do so.

I've read you should always leave a little foliage on the branches or else the branch might die? And only do so on vigorous trees.
Maybe I'm mistaken but the aio no hikari has most of the green on the branch tips and doesn't seem to be very vigorous, so if I cut back hard on this one I'm afraid I'll loose a lot of branches?
How far would you cut back? Everything but the primaries?

Also I don't have a green house, so I'm sort of wary of freezing temperatures in Jan/Feb, but some of the trees are already pushing new growth now so guess I missed the opportunity on those?

I currently use Kiyonaru paste (http://www.bonsai.de/woundpaste-kiyonaru-p-14875.html) on my azalea cuts. Any chance you know it? Would there be a difference with TopJin paste?

 

[pweifan]

@Adair M , thank you for this timely advice! It gave me the courage to (finally) aggressively cut back my Kobai on 2/8/20. I was rewarded with new buds as well as new growth extending from the leaders when I checked it today. Knock on wood that the cuttings I took are also successful

 

[Adair M]

@Adair M , thank you for this timely advice! It gave me the courage to (finally) aggressively cut back my Kobai on 2/8/20. I was rewarded with new buds as well as new growth extending from the leaders when I checked it today. Knock on wood that the cuttings I took are also successful

Good for you to have the courage!

John Geanangle (@johng) has some great azalea cut-back videos on YouTube. Azalea will back bud on old wood.

Sealing the cuts, I believe, is a major factor in preventing die back. I use TopJin because it has anti fungal and anti biotic properties. The drawback is it’s orange, and is water so liable. So, after it has dried for a day, I go back and cover the TopJin with the grey putty stuff.

 

[pweifan]

Good for you to have the courage!

John Geanangle (@johng) has some great azalea cut-back videos on YouTube. Azalea will back bud on old wood.

Sealing the cuts, I believe, is a major factor in preventing die back. I use TopJin because it has anti fungal and anti biotic properties. The drawback is it’s orange, and is water so liable. So, after it has dried for a day, I go back and cover the TopJin with the grey putty stuff.

Thanks again, Adair I sealed the cuts in 2 steps just like you suggested.

I have watched John's videos quite a few times now. Particularly the follow-up videos in following years. Actually, John is how I first found this site. The hobby I've had longer than bonsai is planted aquatic tanks. John posted a picture of his backyard bonsai collection on plantedtank.net and I was quite intrigued

 

[baron]

Most of them are doing well, got more vigorous and will be cut back around june.




The Benizuru however seems to be less so and on some branches it produces normal leaves on some branches and very little leaves on others.
Could this be related to some root problems? Did I cut too much last time? It doesn't show any signs of being to wet during last winter or anything

 

[baron]

They add some nice color to the bench!

 

[baron]

Same here! That Benizuru is just stunning