Today vacation: Begin Mesuki Kogetsu
- Thread starter Kendo
- Start date
![IMG_4231[1].JPG](/data/attachments/209/209996-b600c3c93d167fd9453a380c2bbf7aa4.jpg)
JudyB
Queen of the Nuts
Do you remove all leaves from all your satsuki at this time?
Kendo
Mame
You keep the leave around flower bud. Example is Shin Nikko I finished this weekend. Hai. Thank You JudyB. Thank you.
Attachments
Kendo
Mame
We also can cut some undesirable small branch or weak growth. Using cut paste to seal. We do not cut large branches. We do not cut flower bud off at this time. If you cut flower bud then branch will not grow and die. Flower bud keeps branch alive. Hai
Thank you.
Thank you.
0soyoung
Imperial Masterpiece
They make the auxin that keeps the branch alive. The tip bud, having morphed into a flower bud, doesn't produce much auxin - it is a nascent flower now instead of an auxin producing apical meristem,
Or so I think.
Mellow Mullet
Masterpiece
I have to disagree with this, cutting off the flower bud will not cause the branch to die. This is the time of year that I thin out my azaleas and shape them up to display the flowers, often I will cut branches that have grown out of the silhouette, most have a flower bud on the end, and they never die, most of the time they start budding at the end with new growth, even in winter.
Leaves don't have to be manually removed either, most azaleas are semi - deciduous, by the time January rolls around nearly all of the interior leaves have turned and fallen off, by themselves. Some varieties do this more than others.
http://www.heartofdixiebonsai.com/c...og-post/67-fall-colors-for-azaleas?Itemid=101
Just my two cents,
John
JudyB
Queen of the Nuts
Yeah mine have mostly shed the interior leaves that is why I was wondering about leaf cutting, as they've turned color a few weeks ago. Maybe the ones Kendo is referring to are non deciduous types, I must not have any of those.
Mellow Mullet
Masterpiece
I have a bunch of different types, Satsukis and others, many more growing around town (Mobile is called "the azalea city") and in my yard. I have yet to see one that didn't drop some of its leaves in winter. I haven't seen them all, though...
just.wing.it
Deadwood Head
I have a similar experience to @Mellow Mullet .
My azaleas drop the interior leaves over winter. I may help them a bit, thats all.
My azaleas drop the interior leaves over winter. I may help them a bit, thats all.
Stan Kengai
Omono
Can you tell us why this is done? I have noticed this done to more advanced trees than I own, and have wondered about it. Is it a refinement technique used to promote interior branching, or done to balance growth?
Kendo
Mame
If we leaving to fall off, this is stress. We will get undesirable fungus, bug and mold possibility. We do not want that on tree, makes the healing and recovery necessary. This also force the back budding, we want that for better refinement of tree, making strong treasure. Hai Leaf will be clean. Mesuki not the same as pruning after summer moon. This is important consideration, we are using winter moon now.
In addition this is preparation for wiring, we do wiring soon. Next month. Come to re-potting in March, if desirable.
drew33998
Masterpiece
Can’t argue with results.
Mellow Mullet
Masterpiece
No, you can't, but you can get the same success by letting them fall off naturally, and get to see some interesting colors on the foliage.
Different means to the same ends.
drew33998
Masterpiece
True true
Kendo
Mame
Mellow Mullet
Masterpiece
I have been called a lot of things, but never a fool, thanks. And you are right, we do not get the same results, mine results are better. Happy New Year...
Mellow Mullet
Masterpiece
And, having dealt with azaleas for quite some time, it is not lost on me that being able to aquire a nice trunk form another entity and maintain it is completely different from starting from scratch.
Mellow Mullet
Masterpiece
That is what I am saying, it looks cool, then they fall off. But what do I know, I am a fool!
