Azalea Rescued from the Bargain section

[Paradox]

So a few weeks ago, I found this decent sized azalea in the bargain basement area of a landscape nursery I sometimes frequent.
I really like the trunks on it and thought it might make a nice tree....if I could rescue and resuscitate it

It was rather sad looking, has lost most of its leaves and looked like it hadn't been watered in a while.
A scratch test proved it was still alive and hanging on.
So I decided to take the chance and load it into the truck.
Brought it home, gave the soil a good soaking and put it out on the deck separated from my other trees and hoped for the best.



Last week I went over the tree and cut off all the seed pods and pruned some branches I knew wouldn't be part of any final design.



Went out the other day and looked at it and the remaining leaves seem to be growing and one unopened flower bud that I had left on the tree as an indicator opened up.
So it looks like it is going to make it.

Will do nothing but water and feed this tree for the rest of this year and possibly next.
If it is strong enough, Ill repot it next spring to a smaller pot.

 

[HoneyHornet]

Me likey.. Hve to love azalea.. n look forward to how its doin next yr

I think it was Walmart or Lowe's there were a ton on dicount late in the season last yr they were marked down to like $3 I regret not buying them all up

Even for the sake of landscape plants they are worth putting in the ground

Did you plan on reducing the canopy next year during repot /root redux givin its health is looking promising

 

[Paradox]

Me likey.. Hve to love azalea.. n look forward to how its doin next yr

I think it was Walmart or Lowe's there were a ton on dicount late in the season last yr they were marked down to like $3 I regret not buying them all up

Even for the sake of landscape plants they are worth putting in the ground

Did you plan on reducing the canopy next year during repot /root redux givin its health is looking promising

Yes the idea will be to reduce the height of the tree eventually to maybe a little more than half its height at first.
Might reduce it further later if I think it would be better. Not sure where the front is yet, still need to think about that more.
I really like the double trunks which is why I purchased it so will keep both of those.
I believe I can prune it to accentuate the movement many of the branches have to one side. Its hard to see it in the pictures.
If it looks healthy enough for it, the first repotting will be into a large training pot to get it out of the nursery pot.
We will see how it recovers. I wont rush the tree but let it tell me when its ready for the next step.

 

[HoneyHornet]

When is a good time to Barewood Azalea which it was what I imagine what will happen when you reduce its height since most of the growth looks to be on the Outer Perimeter.. early spring like pretty much everything else or is it like suggested prune time after flowering

 

[Paradox]

When is a good time to Barewood Azalea which it was what I imagine what will happen when you reduce its height since most of the growth looks to be on the Outer Perimeter.. early spring like pretty much everything else or is it like suggested prune time after flowering

Hi @HoneyHornet
Just saw this post.

If by "Barewood" you mean cut back. I will cut back/or chop this azalea hard in the spring when I feel it has recovered enough to be able to handle that kind of work. It is still recovering right now so I am going to leave it alone. I might repot it into a large training pot next spring or I might just leave it in the pot it is in for another year. Depends on how well it does this summer/fall.

Around here, it seems to be best to prune azalea in the early spring rather than summer. A friend of mine had one die when he pruned it after flowering. It got a fungus, turned all brown and died. I think it might be too humid here to do that after flowering. I've never had any ill effects pruning in early spring.

Right now it seems to have perked up some. All of its leaves are nice and green and have grown a bit since I bought it but its not ready for any work just yet. Ill try to get a picture of it soon. Meant to do it today but I forgot to.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

Might reduce it further later if I think it would be better.

Don't do it

I say this because I know you know what you are doing. Every now and then we are tempted to do things we know we probably shouldn't... but there is that demon on our shoulder saying "do it!"

You and I both know the future of this plant is not in the branches or the foliage... but in the roots. The plant is weak right now, but I think you have brought it back from the brink. But right now you should be focused on that root work you are going to do next spring... which means "no touchy" for the branches for the rest of the year.

Once those roots are turbo-charged, you can prune back to the trunk and your plant won't miss a beat.

 

[Paradox]

Don't do it

I say this because I know you know what you are doing. Every now and then we are tempted to do things we know we probably shouldn't... but there is that demon on our shoulder saying "do it!"

You and I both know the future of this plant is not in the branches or the foliage... but in the roots. The plant is weak right now, but I think you have brought it back from the brink. But right now you should be focused on that root work you are going to do next spring... which means "no touchy" for the branches for the rest of the year.

Once those roots are turbo-charged, you can prune back to the trunk and your plant won't miss a beat.

I agree, I am definitely not going to do anything else to this tree until I can get it out of the nursery pot that it is in and into a good training pot.
The only thing its getting right now is water and azalea fertilizer.

I kind of like the shape of the trunks so eventually when I do decide to cut it back, I want to keep the shape of the trunks and if I decide later that isn't the best course I can always cut back more. I need to get some new pictures and show them. Its looking even better now but it still weak.

 

[Paradox]

I've learned to swat the demon and tell him to GTFO.
Killed enough trees listening to that lil bastard.
Stopped listening to him a long time ago.

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

I’ll be interested in seeing how this azalea progresses over time.
cheers
DSD sends

 

[Paradox]

Looking better!
Taken yesterday

 

[Pitoon]

Looks a lot better.

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

It is!

Now, if it were me, I’d make a second pass and immediately continue removing branches in any place where there are more then two branches junctioning together…. Leaving only two/junction.

This simplifies the design and lets you envision the next step easily.

cheers
DSD sends

 

[Paradox]

It is!

Now, if it were me, I’d make a second pass and immediately continue removing branches in any place where there are more then two branches junctioning together…. Leaving only two/junction.

This simplifies the design and lets you envision the next step easily.

cheers
DSD sends

It's still recovering and weak so I don't want to remove any more foliage that is fueling the roots as @Bonsai Nut described. The most important thing is getting this tree stronger right now.

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

Oops, forgot the earlier comment.

You are totally correct, it’s better to be conservative when the tree is down, especially azaleas being so finicky.

Cheers
DSD sends

 

[HoneyHornet]

Yes I meant to cut back but I said Bare wood because it looked like after any significant reduction it would leave the tree with no foliage which is what I meant by Bare wood but since then it looks like it has shot new growth lower in the canopy so you could work it down and still leave greens it seems

 

[Paradox]

Update on this azalea

It decided to treat me with some flowers this year. They are beautiful flowers.
Some of the branches died over the winter or just didnt make it.
I think I'm going to leave it unmolested this year to continue to gain strength

 

[Paradox]

@Carol 83

The tag isnt too conclusive. It just says "AZALEA Pouk Comp Lav"
I assume the "Lav" stands for lavender color

I do know its a Karume variety of some sort.
Maybe someone with more knowledge about azaleas can help ID its variety

 

[Kullas]

Looks like its going to make a strong comeback. I'm interested in knowing that variety it is also. The 12 I have got to dig looks almost identical.

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

@Carol 83

The tag isnt too conclusive. It just says "AZALEA Pouk Comp Lav"
I assume the "Lav" stands for lavender color

Pretty sure it’s an Azalea Poukhanense Compacta Flowering Shrub Not a Kurume?

Cheers
DSD sends

 

[Carol 83]

@Carol 83

The tag isnt too conclusive. It just says "AZALEA Pouk Comp Lav"
I assume the "Lav" stands for lavender color

I do know its a Karume variety of some sort.
Maybe someone with more knowledge about azaleas can help ID its variety

Thanks Sandy