Duc De Rohan Azalea

[drew33998]

Just trying to brainstorm what to do with this one. I sawed part way through the two large branches on the left to be able to bend them, then wired them and pulled them down with wire attached to the base. Also have added a virt of what I think I would like to see the tree as. Nothing concrete. I will have to remove the back trunk and also either notch, wire and bend the main trunk more to the left or chop it and re-grow. I am thinking I will go the notch route as this will be faster. Thoughts

 

[sorce]

Nice Drew.

I think you're well on your way.


Sorce

 

[Adair M]

Oh my...

Those methods for bending work on some trees, but I've never seen it done on azalea. Typically, you first grow the trunk, then worry about getting branches. Azalea bud back readily. And wire when the shoots are soft and flexible. Azalea wood is very brittle once lignified.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

I agree with Adair, azalea branches are difficult to bend once they are over 2 or 3 years old. You have a nice start, and in a general way your drawing is a do-able goal, though you won't be able to bend the thick trunks much if at all. A nice 5 trunk clump in progress.

Good news about azalea in general, trunks do thicken nicely in pots, you don't have to put them in the ground to grow out. Given that you are in Florida, and your local soils are coral limestone derived, the local soil would probably not be good for azalea anyway, so pot culture from here on out is appropriate.

You have a plethora of branches sprouting on your trunks. This is good.

If it were my tree, I would continue building this tree in stages. You have the main trunks, now it is time to develop the first set of branches. I would choose 3 to 5 branches on each of the 5 trunks, to be your future branches, and eliminate the rest. Let these extend, without pruning until they are about 1/2 to 2/3 the diameter of the trunks. They may have to grow several seasons, and run 3 to 6 feet, but this is the way you can get a plausible transition from trunk to main branch. Wire them so the first couple inches of the branches will be in position to create your target tree as in the drawing. You don't have to wire the whole length of the branches, since the bulk will be cut off in a couple years.

While you are letting the branches extend you can repot, and work the nebari some. I would not go to a smaller diameter pot, just to a shallower pot. You can re-use the nursery can, just cut it down to 4 or 5 inches. Then let the tree grow out for 2 or 3 seasons. Up here in the great cold north, it would take 3 years or so, but you have a much longer growing season, it might only take one or two years.

Then when you have the desired thickness to your primary branches, you can chop them back to lengths less than 2/3 rd the distance from the trunk to the first branch. At this time you can choose, and reduce the number of primary branches to just 2 or 3 per trunk. Massive back budding will ensue, select and grow out again. Its a slow process but 5 to 10 years from now it will be a dramatic change. "build a tree" is a slow systematic way to go, but the results will be superior to trying to force this into a show pot and show condition right from the nursery can.

Nice start, nice material, I'd be happy to have this on my bench as a long term project.

 

[drew33998]

I agree with Adair, azalea branches are difficult to bend once they are over 2 or 3 years old. You have a nice start, and in a general way your drawing is a do-able goal, though you won't be able to bend the thick trunks much if at all. A nice 5 trunk clump in progress.

Good news about azalea in general, trunks do thicken nicely in pots, you don't have to put them in the ground to grow out. Given that you are in Florida, and your local soils are coral limestone derived, the local soil would probably not be good for azalea anyway, so pot culture from here on out is appropriate.

You have a plethora of branches sprouting on your trunks. This is good.

If it were my tree, I would continue building this tree in stages. You have the main trunks, now it is time to develop the first set of branches. I would choose 3 to 5 branches on each of the 5 trunks, to be your future branches, and eliminate the rest. Let these extend, without pruning until they are about 1/2 to 2/3 the diameter of the trunks. They may have to grow several seasons, and run 3 to 6 feet, but this is the way you can get a plausible transition from trunk to main branch. Wire them so the first couple inches of the branches will be in position to create your target tree as in the drawing. You don't have to wire the whole length of the branches, since the bulk will be cut off in a couple years.

While you are letting the branches extend you can repot, and work the nebari some. I would not go to a smaller diameter pot, just to a shallower pot. You can re-use the nursery can, just cut it down to 4 or 5 inches. Then let the tree grow out for 2 or 3 seasons. Up here in the great cold north, it would take 3 years or so, but you have a much longer growing season, it might only take one or two years.

Then when you have the desired thickness to your primary branches, you can chop them back to lengths less than 2/3 rd the distance from the trunk to the first branch. At this time you can choose, and reduce the number of primary branches to just 2 or 3 per trunk. Massive back budding will ensue, select and grow out again. Its a slow process but 5 to 10 years from now it will be a dramatic change. "build a tree" is a slow systematic way to go, but the results will be superior to trying to force this into a show pot and show condition right from the nursery can.

Nice start, nice material, I'd be happy to have this on my bench as a long term project.

Thanks Adair and Leo, That was exactly what I needed to hear.