Another year training this shohin azalea

[october]

Hello all,
Each year, I post this little satsuki right at the start of Spring. I am now concentrating on back foliage and creating a flat, wider apex. This tree has been in training for 6-7 years. Quite a while for a 4 inch tree. It can be tedious work given that the main branches are only about 2 inches and some only around an inch.

Rob

 

[JudyB]

Wow- she's a beauty. Looks like you polished each leaf too. May I ask why some of the roots are different colors than others? What color is this in bloom, can't wait to see that happen.

 

[october]

Hello Judy, thanks for the compliment. The flowers are pink. However, I have only let it flower minimally over the last few years to promote its energy going to its structure and health. As far as the roots. They have been like that for many years. I believe it is due to those parts getting constant sun and the rest of the tree is shaded by the leaves. Water stains could also be a contributor. The tree was watered about an hour prior to the picture and the nebari is the first thing to dry.

Rob

 

[akhater]

looks great thanks for sharing. don't forget to post a pic in full bloom

 

[Redwood Ryan]

I think I'm in love

 

[jk_lewis]

Lovely little tree. But I'm partial to the tiny ones.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Looking good!

 

[JudyB]

I have the same thing on some of my roots, and have thought about the sun issue, as well as water staining. But irregardless, this is a very special tree. I'm with Ryan, I need a heart emoticon....

 

[october]

Thanks everyone.. Thanks Judy. It is definitely a special and actually lucky tree. A few years back, a stong stream of water from the hose knocked this tree off the ledge. It fell around 7 feet. Almost the entire back of the tree broke off. However, after this happened, it opened up new and better styling options. Aesthetically and health wise. A year or so later, I chopped the right side of the tree off. We were now working with the bare minimum. Now, a couple years later, the tree has recovered well and also tolerated very large amounts of work.

Rob

 

[Redwood Ryan]

I'm with Ryan, I need a heart emoticon....

LOL, I was looking for it, but couldn't find it so I just used to show my love.

 

[Ang3lfir3]

<3 <----- heart ...... you know before emoticons were emoticons... they were text ....

and I totally <3 this !!!

 

[october]

Thanks...You are all making my tree blush

 

[Tadakun]

that is an absolute beauty of an azalea. How did you acquire this little one?

 

[october]

Hello Tadakun...about 6-7 years ago, the bonsai nursery that I go, New England Bonsai Gardens, had a bunch of small azalea bushes in 1 gallon plastic pots. This is the only one that had a nice, workable base. Here is the progression. Unfortunately, I do not have a pic of the tree in the plastic pot. The first pic is the tree after root pruning and put into it's first bonsai pot.

Pic 2 is the tree a year or 2 later put into a smaller pot.The blue line indicates where it was chopped. Pic 3 is the tree after I chopped about 80% of it off. Pic 4 is the tree a couple years later grown back and put into it's appropriate pot. Pic 5 is the tree a couple years later with the whole right side chopped off and completely restructured. Pic 6 is where we are now.

Rob

 

[JudyB]

Wouldn't have seen that tree coming out of the first photo. Good work finding the tree in there. Hat's off...

 

[Harunobu]

Cutting it back worked out great. Well done. Going to be cute in flower.

 

[Ron Dennis]

Really nice! thanks for the progression photos. Have just now finished reading Brian's azalea thread and now yours--makes me want to go prowling for azaleas I recently bought an imported azalea from Brussel's and have to leave it at the nursery until May--can't wait to get it.

 

[october]

Thanks Ron..Any pics of the azalea you will be picking up in May?

Rob

 

[butterslug]

A very nice progression thus far, I like the choices you've made. Can't wait to see more.

 

[milehigh_7]

He always seems to find the magic in em. I love his work!