Azalea styling help
- Thread starter Jgaston36
- Start date
Deep Sea Diver
Imperial Masterpiece
It sure does look better! It seems fir to say that you can begin reducing a lot of the inner, small unnessary and crisscrossing branches at this point. This will open up the azalea for better air flow and to show what you option have available for the primary structure.
Ants usually mean a colony of aphids, yet I’ve not seen a lot on our azaleas.
cheers
DSD sends
Ants usually mean a colony of aphids, yet I’ve not seen a lot on our azaleas.
cheers
DSD sends
So I had a few spare moments this weekend to thin this guy out some. There is still some that I want to get rid of but I realized that I don't have concave cutters. And I also don't want to go overboard.
front
90 to the left
90 to the right
front90 to the left90 to the rightSrt8madness
Omono
Luckily you don't! You actually don't want to use concave cutters on azalea. They won't callus over like deciduous trees. Flush cuts are preferred.
Definitely looking happier, and restraint is warranted this time of year IMO. A healthy tree can be cut back to nothing in the early spring.
Definitely looking happier, and restraint is warranted this time of year IMO. A healthy tree can be cut back to nothing in the early spring.
Deep Sea Diver
Imperial Masterpiece
This is correct. One cuts just above the junction, then uses a very sharp knife or chisels to make the final profile flush, or very slightly convex, paralleling the surface due to the thin bark of the azalea. This will heal smooth. There are some advanced practitioners with big trees that actually leave slightly bigger ”bumps” to mimic nature…. But that’s not a thing for the vast majority of the trees folks have in this forum. It would just look weird.
A concave cutter will leave a dent in the bark, which will be covered up, but the divot will be visible years later.
cheers
DSD sends
A concave cutter will leave a dent in the bark, which will be covered up, but the divot will be visible years later.
cheers
DSD sends
So I have been pondering this tree all week. The only way I can get it to take any water is submersion. I'm wondering if my best bet for survival this year is to plant it in the ground. I don't have a great place for a grow bed. But by the porch in the first picture will give it afternoon/evening sun. If I plant it now will I be able to dig it up next spring to pot it?
Deep Sea Diver
Imperial Masterpiece
Frustrating for sure! I’d drill it or repot it now that it’s healthy.
That is always a quandary for peat based mixes. They produce good growth, yet are a constant worry, too wet root rot, too dry, the root ball doesn’t want to take up water. That’s because peat, once dried, becomes hydrophobic.
When soaking one has to do it for 3-4 hours to actually allow the peat inside the root ball to absorb water once again. This may take a couple runs.
Something that helps the older peat potted azaleas out here is drilling through the rootball from top and sides with a 3/16 or 1/4” long drill bit to solve the issue by increasing the aeration and overall surface area. Just provide gentle pressure and let the drill find is way through. Sounds harsh, yet I’ve done it multiple times to good effect, azaleas, pines, junipers, you name it. Earlier this week I drilled this Mugo Pine when repotting it.
I found after removing about 1/3 of the soil a clay lens was encompassing the top through the shin. So I drill it at through about 12x, filled the top of the holes with good media and Bobs your uncle!
The tree looks good and if you’ve only pruned it back lightly, I think you are good to go…. it will need good care for 6-8 weeks and a decent media.
cheers
DSD sends
That is always a quandary for peat based mixes. They produce good growth, yet are a constant worry, too wet root rot, too dry, the root ball doesn’t want to take up water. That’s because peat, once dried, becomes hydrophobic.
When soaking one has to do it for 3-4 hours to actually allow the peat inside the root ball to absorb water once again. This may take a couple runs.
Something that helps the older peat potted azaleas out here is drilling through the rootball from top and sides with a 3/16 or 1/4” long drill bit to solve the issue by increasing the aeration and overall surface area. Just provide gentle pressure and let the drill find is way through. Sounds harsh, yet I’ve done it multiple times to good effect, azaleas, pines, junipers, you name it. Earlier this week I drilled this Mugo Pine when repotting it.
I found after removing about 1/3 of the soil a clay lens was encompassing the top through the shin. So I drill it at through about 12x, filled the top of the holes with good media and Bobs your uncle!
The tree looks good and if you’ve only pruned it back lightly, I think you are good to go…. it will need good care for 6-8 weeks and a decent media.
cheers
DSD sends
Deep Sea Diver
Imperial Masterpiece
Personally I never recommend a partial rootwash myself. I’m sure folks in the forum might disagree. In my experience, with the volume of azaleas I work with, it only leads to tears over time.
It seems to me you have two choices..?
1. Fix the water retention issue and winter over, then rootwash/repot pot on decent media. in early Spring. (I use 90/10 kanuma/pumice but there are other medias that work) This seems the best choice. The tree is healthy and this gives you time to study and figure out your winterr over plan.
2. Complete rootwash, pot in decent media. (I use 90/10 kanuma/pumice but there are other medias that work) and give vigilant care for 6-8 weeks for the roots to establish themselves solidly in the new media.. Then winter over.
The advantage for 1 above imho is the simplicity and time for you to study and get up to speed.
For 2 the advantage would be you wouldn’t have watering issues hereon.
Cheers
DSD sends
It seems to me you have two choices..?
1. Fix the water retention issue and winter over, then rootwash/repot pot on decent media. in early Spring. (I use 90/10 kanuma/pumice but there are other medias that work) This seems the best choice. The tree is healthy and this gives you time to study and figure out your winterr over plan.
2. Complete rootwash, pot in decent media. (I use 90/10 kanuma/pumice but there are other medias that work) and give vigilant care for 6-8 weeks for the roots to establish themselves solidly in the new media.. Then winter over.
The advantage for 1 above imho is the simplicity and time for you to study and get up to speed.
For 2 the advantage would be you wouldn’t have watering issues hereon.
Cheers
DSD sends
So I thought for sure that this azalea had to be dead. It didn't wake up when the rest of my trees did. I just assumed I must have done something wrong this winter, pulled it out of storage too soon during our crazy warm spell, or a number of other mistakes that could have happened. But being slightly hopefully (and a touch too busy to clean up outside) I haven't thrown it away. And low and behold the other day I noticed the tiniest bit of leaf bud completely covering this tree. I think it made it after all!
But now my question is do I repot it now? Or wait for a little more leaf out?. I'm quite gun shy with this one in it's current state, but I feel like if I don't get this thing out of that nursery pot it's a goner for sure.
But now my question is do I repot it now? Or wait for a little more leaf out?. I'm quite gun shy with this one in it's current state, but I feel like if I don't get this thing out of that nursery pot it's a goner for sure.
Glaucus
Omono
You should have worked the roots when you got it in 2022. These nursery plants are not meant to stay in that pot. It was completely rootbound.
But you also want to do this to healthy tree/plant and ideally early spring.
You say now you thought it was dead. So it lost all leaves? Or it just woke up a bit late and is perfectly fine?
This trunk has a reasonable base, but then it has some reverse taper as it branches out.
I think your best bet is to make a 3 trunk design. Try to find 3 branches that have some good movement and that are in the same plane. Prune back of prune off the others.
See for some inspiration this scan of a Japanese satsuki bonsai magazine here:
www.bonsainut.com
You need to pull the trigger. If nothing else, work the root ball and prevent any more reverse taper. And find 1, 2 or 3 branches that will actually be your trunk/leaders try to force the growth to go into that branch by pruning back the basically dominant other shoots.
Likely, growing this tall and slender is the way to go.
You can prune some branches off flush. The thicker ones, you can try to leave just a few leaves and prune them off completely in 1 to 3 years.
If you can get a sacrificial branch below the area where you now have reverse taper, that owuld be geat. But likely that would require some sort of chop to get backbudding in that area.
But you also want to do this to healthy tree/plant and ideally early spring.
You say now you thought it was dead. So it lost all leaves? Or it just woke up a bit late and is perfectly fine?
This trunk has a reasonable base, but then it has some reverse taper as it branches out.
I think your best bet is to make a 3 trunk design. Try to find 3 branches that have some good movement and that are in the same plane. Prune back of prune off the others.
See for some inspiration this scan of a Japanese satsuki bonsai magazine here:
Hino Azalea #1
Today I took a first cut (literally) at my Hino Chrimson Azalea. This is a $12 Costco find and my first azalea. Where I started. I only had a little time today, so my goal was take off the top soil and resolve some pinwheels/whols oh the trunk and primary branches. I already had some...
You need to pull the trigger. If nothing else, work the root ball and prevent any more reverse taper. And find 1, 2 or 3 branches that will actually be your trunk/leaders try to force the growth to go into that branch by pruning back the basically dominant other shoots.
Likely, growing this tall and slender is the way to go.
You can prune some branches off flush. The thicker ones, you can try to leave just a few leaves and prune them off completely in 1 to 3 years.
If you can get a sacrificial branch below the area where you now have reverse taper, that owuld be geat. But likely that would require some sort of chop to get backbudding in that area.
Glaucus
Omono
Hmm, that's not good of course. But could be worse, still alive, still a path to full recovery.
I think that even if you posted a picture, I wouldn't know what I would do with your plant.
Maybe I would put it in a new pot and try to open up the rootball just a tiny bit. And hopefully it can put out some new roots into the fresh new soil while it also regrows the leaves.
Doing major work right now seems not recommended. And since it lost all it's leaves, the reverse taper isn't going to get worse this growing season.
Actually, I may prune off parts that don't have budding or have only a few buds.
I think that even if you posted a picture, I wouldn't know what I would do with your plant.
Maybe I would put it in a new pot and try to open up the rootball just a tiny bit. And hopefully it can put out some new roots into the fresh new soil while it also regrows the leaves.
Doing major work right now seems not recommended. And since it lost all it's leaves, the reverse taper isn't going to get worse this growing season.
Actually, I may prune off parts that don't have budding or have only a few buds.
It was not in great health last fall, I went on vacation and my plant sitter didn't water it properly. But it was doing ok going into winter and throughout winter when I checked on it it seemed fine. But when we got our false spring this year foolishly I pulled it out of its hiding spot. Then we got snow, that's when the leaves started falling off. I may try to slip pot it into new potting soil to get it to liven up and then maybe late season pot into kanuma like @Deep Sea Diver suggested last year
Glaucus
Omono
Hey, the weather has been crazy for many. Not putting blame. We are allowed to 'hurt' plants here, right?
Just trying to piece together some advice.
Don't slip pot. The roots will have curled around trying to get out of the pot, putting the roots into a cocoon of roots. Rather than sawing off 1/3rd or even half of the entire root ball, rake it open.
And check the surface of the rootball to make sure water and air can drain into the core of the rootball.
Just trying to piece together some advice.
Don't slip pot. The roots will have curled around trying to get out of the pot, putting the roots into a cocoon of roots. Rather than sawing off 1/3rd or even half of the entire root ball, rake it open.
And check the surface of the rootball to make sure water and air can drain into the core of the rootball.
