Developing Azalea Material through Drastic Pruning

[johng]

Hey Friends... Its seems that more than a couple folks have started trying to use landscape azalea material to develop bonsai. I think that is great and it is something with which I have a fair amount of experience. I thought it might be helpful if I outlined the process I use to develop ramification and taper when there are larger branches present in the initial material.

I lack the skills to draw well and this is further impounded when I try to draw with a mouse...I hope my illustrations are good enough to get the point across.

This video is 10 minutes of narrated illustrations...

In the future I hope to pull together a few of my videos on azaleas and combine them with some text and photos to create a more comprehensive article here on Bnut.

 

[barrosinc]

thanks, once again.

 

[GrimLore]

I lack the skills to draw well and this is further impounded when I try to draw with a mouse...I hope my illustrations are good enough to get the point across.

This video is 10 minutes of narrated illustrations...

Apology accepted but not needed - the drawings were plenty clear enough! Also very timely for me at least! On April 12th I dug those two hedges I chopped back last year. During the process my Wife shook her head as she watched me reduce them a lot more(normal). I mentioned to her I probably will go shorter next season as I was not certain where I was going with these and after watching this I am certain I will. These are in 16 1/2 inch trainers since then and the branch lengths vary from 3 to 8 ish which felt proper for the base size but somehow when potted I thought different. Thank you! Although it did not save me a season it did give me a valid set of goals

Grimmy

 

[Cmdrew6115]

Great video John, Very helpful for those of us who are looking for a direction for our Azaleas.

 

[j evans]

John, great information. Drawings were good enough to clearly get your point across. Lots of good information. I have the chance to dig an Azalea but I need some "expert" advice. It has been in a planting for years with little to no care. The house is going to be sold so I would have to dig in the next month or so. It is hard to access and the soil is very hard so the amount of roots recovered may be minimal. Please review the below photos to see if in your opinion this plant is worth the effort. It appeals to me as it appears to have a decent size base and the flowers and leaves seem to be the smaller variety. Although it does have some very large branches. Opinions? Thanks for your time

 

[johng]

Apology accepted but not needed - the drawings were plenty clear enough! Also very timely for me at least! On April 12th I dug those two hedges I chopped back last year. During the process my Wife shook her head as she watched me reduce them a lot more(normal). I mentioned to her I probably will go shorter next season as I was not certain where I was going with these and after watching this I am certain I will. These are in 16 1/2 inch trainers since then and the branch lengths vary from 3 to 8 ish which felt proper for the base size but somehow when potted I thought different. Thank you! Although it did not save me a season it did give me a valid set of goals

Grimmy

Those are big ones!! The first one looks good to me but I think the second one feels like the branches are a little long... You should still get good bud break and growth this year...you may still be able to cut back to a couple new branches next spring without a loss of time.

John

 

[barrosinc]

JEvans! I would totally dig that one up!!!!!!! It seems like a kurume of some sort.

 

[johng]

John, great information. Drawings were good enough to clearly get your point across. Lots of good information. I have the chance to dig an Azalea but I need some "expert" advice. It has been in a planting for years with little to no care. The house is going to be sold so I would have to dig in the next month or so. It is hard to access and the soil is very hard so the amount of roots recovered may be minimal. Please review the below photos to see if in your opinion this plant is worth the effort. It appeals to me as it appears to have a decent size base and the flowers and leaves seem to be the smaller variety. Although it does have some very large branches. Opinions? Thanks for your time
View attachment 72540 View attachment 72541 View attachment 72542 View attachment 72543

I love the small flowers! I have been gravitating toward more cultivars with smaller flowers...particularly for rock plantings. I also like the trunk...looks to have decent root spread...it does have some reverse taper in the lowest section but that is the case with most of the larger ones with low branches.

I would say go for it...but since you say it may not be in the best of health I would probably take it easy on the drastic pruning until you have it well established and vigorous in a container...maybe a couple growing seasons...you will just have to see how it responds once you dig it.

 

[barrosinc]

I'm gonna leave this on page one... just because it has to be there.

 

[GrimLore]

Those are big ones!! The first one looks good to me but I think the second one feels like the branches are a little long... You should still get good bud break and growth this year...you may still be able to cut back to a couple new branches next spring without a loss of time.

John

Yes, there is some meat there and is why I took a shot! I agree on the second one and after potting was just not "up to" cutting it more. I did those and the Yew in the middle of a total revamp on the awful landscape here so every warm dry day has been all of the prep and hard work. I anxious for the delivery of 5 yards of mulch in three weeks and being able to have a proper landscape and area. Also it will be fun to build new benches, all the good stuff I will be chopping it up next Spring for certain! Again Thank You!

Grimmy

 

[j evans]

When digging material I am learning that you need to reduce the amount of foliage in relationship to the root reduction. How is this reasonably done when you have a plant such as this that does not have any foliage anywhere near the trunk. Long branches xo the foliage is 1 1/2 - 2' from the trunk. Does it work to cut most of the branches say 1' long and then leave several 2 or 2 1/2' long with the foliage?

Thanks

 

[Rid]

Great video, thanks!

Kind of off topic here, but I have a question. I dug a really large azalea this winter, some kind of indica. It hasn't started to show any buds yet. What's the longest you've had to wait for new buds to break through?

 

[Eric Group]

Hey Friends... Its seems that more than a couple folks have started trying to use landscape azalea material to develop bonsai. I think that is great and it is something with which I have a fair amount of experience. I thought it might be helpful if I outlined the process I use to develop ramification and taper when there are larger branches present in the initial material.

I lack the skills to draw well and this is further impounded when I try to draw with a mouse...I hope my illustrations are good enough to get the point across.

This video is 10 minutes of narrated illustrations...

In the future I hope to pull together a few of my videos on azaleas and combine them with some text and photos to create a more comprehensive article here on Bnut.

Great video, as always John! What time of year do you find is best to start this process on the Azalea? Before or after blooming? Seems it wouldn't matter much but might shorten the amount of growth you get in a season if done later?

 

[johng]

When digging material I am learning that you need to reduce the amount of foliage in relationship to the root reduction. How is this reasonably done when you have a plant such as this that does not have any foliage anywhere near the trunk. Long branches xo the foliage is 1 1/2 - 2' from the trunk. Does it work to cut most of the branches say 1' long and then leave several 2 or 2 1/2' long with the foliage?

Thanks

That is a tricky question J....and to be honest, and given what you have already said about the health of the plant, I would be conservative.. I would probably try to leave some foliage on all the important branches....get it healthy, may take 2 growing seasons or more before its healthy enough to chop hard.

 

[johng]

Great video, as always John! What time of year do you find is best to start this process on the Azalea? Before or after blooming? Seems it wouldn't matter much but might shorten the amount of growth you get in a season if done later?

I have done it successfully from March thru early July...you definitely have to watch the after care if you do it during the heat of summer.

 

[barrosinc]

I have done it successfully from March thru early July...you definitely have to watch the after care if you do it during the heat of summer.

is there an indicator to know when??? like buds swelling... or so

 

[johng]

Great video, thanks!

Kind of off topic here, but I have a question. I dug a really large azalea this winter, some kind of indica. It hasn't started to show any buds yet. What's the longest you've had to wait for new buds to break through?

I don't have a good answer for you Rid...there were probably circumstances, but I am not sure digging an azalea in the winter is the best option. If the trunk and branches are still green hang in there...if not its probably toast.

 

[johng]

is there an indicator to know when??? like buds swelling... or so

Yes, there is a major indicator, at least in my garden. Its when I get the time and inclination to do it.

 

[Eric Group]

I have done it successfully from March thru early July...you definitely have to watch the after care if you do it during the heat of summer.

I have too I think... I was asking more because there is so much talk about before/ after blooming with azaleas in relation to when it is best to repot or prune, and I haven't really noticed a huge difference personally. It seems winter is the worst time to do anything to them, but early in the growing season they are pretty Tough- whether before or after they have bloomed. In the end I think I prefer to do work after blooming because... Why the Hell are we growing these if we aren't going to let them put on a Show!? I know that it can stress the tree out to let it bloom it's face off for the full time, I try to remove blooms as soon as / before they start to fade... But I find it hard to cut them back and risk missing the blooms.. Especially with these new Miyuky! I love those multi colored blooms!!

I cut back three or four azaleas really hard over the past couple weeks and none missed a beat. Two were Satsuki- had not bloomed yet- two Kurume that had just finished blooming... I worked over one or two last year as well, and again noticed no drastic difference in how they reacted depending on when they were worked on!

I have a truck load (literally) of the trees I bought Monday (thanks again for pointing me in that direction john!) waiting to be worked on, but my wife has mandated that at least one or two be "yard trees", so I am trying to decide which ones "go under the knife" and which are planted in the ground... I made the mistake of putting one of the large "Hampton Beauties" out front because it was blooming so nice, and she really likes it there, but it has such a cool trunk!

 

[Eric Group]

I'm gonna leave this on page one... just because it has to be there.

John, do you still have this tree?

Curious if there is an update for this one- that would really drive the thread home I think...