Ezo murasaki tsutsuji

[Djtommy]

This is a rhodendendrum dauricum. Shohin size
I got about 2-3 months ago, bought in hokaido. It was already getting pretty cold at the time there with freezing temps at night.
I styled it 2 weeks ago. Still a lot to be done but i could open it a lot, i sadly lost my before picture... Goddamn stupid mobile. ..I stopped for now as i accidently broke half of one of the trunks, i guess you can see where. There is no change to be seen yet so i might be safe.
Anywayz, the weather has been warmer then usual here plus the fact i brought it from hokaido has made it flower. 1 is open now but looks like another bud is thinking about it too..

 

[Cypress187]

What's with the bandage?

 

[quietobserver]

I like it so far djtommy!!

 

[Djtommy]

What's with the bandage?

When i was prebending (before adding wire just bended some to see how it would look the branch/trunk broke by half at the place you see... I immediatly had put cutpast and put binded it with raffia.
I also stopped styling that part.
Maybe it will be ok, maybe not but so far there is no change.

Grtz

 

[quietobserver]

When i was prebending (before adding wire just bended some to see how it would look the branch/trunk broke by half at the place you see... I immediatly had put cutpast and put binded it with raffia.
I also stopped styling that part.
Maybe it will be ok, maybe not but so far there is no change.

Grtz

Hopefully once healed it'll just add a
little character mark?...if not it's still a good looking tree in my humble opinion.

 

[sorce]

Aye.

You could be better off without it even!

Real nice piece!

Sorce

 

[Djtommy]

Yes, i agree. I however am not sure yet about that, i might remove it in future even if it makes it but for now im trying to save it, i like it with the branch now, styling is not finished yet at all so i hope i can use it still but if i dont use it i wish it to be my choice and not because of a stupid mistake i made..
But if i loose it i agree it aint a big problem.

 

[GrimLore]

1 is open now but looks like another bud is thinking about it too..

That is a really nice flower! Thank you!

Grimmy

 

[sorce]

stupid mistake

I always look at it like a positive!

Ah....f it!

I call it....accidental design!

Sorce

 

[Cypress187]

When i was prebending (before adding wire just bended some to see how it would look the branch/trunk broke by half at the place you see... I immediatly had put cutpast and put binded it with raffia.
I also stopped styling that part. Maybe it will be ok, maybe not but so far there is no change.Grtz

Ah, if you fix it fast it will be ok i guess.

 

[aframe]

Please post pics when in full flower, its a very interesting looking tree; bark, leaf and flower color.

 

[fredman]

Man that is one beautiful flower...lucky you

 

[Djtommy]

Please post pics when in full flower, its a very interesting looking tree; bark, leaf and flower color.

Thanx, will do so, maybe next year if it flowers nicely. This is yamadori actually, so mostly styled by mother nature itself.
There are still several flowerbuds for next year but not over the whole tree.
Well it will only get better over the years normally

 

[augustine]

beautiful azalea!

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

That is a lovely flower. The foliage looks very different than typical Satsuki. What size is this tree? How large are your leaves? Your Rhododendron dauricum in many ways resembles a smaller version of a hybrid Rhododendron we see frequently in the USA called PJM. I just looked up PJM, and was surprised. PJM is the hybrid (R. dauricum x carolinium) so the resemblance is no accident. It looks like the leaves of R dauricum are smaller than the leaves of PJM. This is good as PJM has leaves that are large enough to make it difficult to use as bonsai. PJM is famous for being very winter hardy. A trait I assume comes from R dauricum. I will be fascinated to see how your bonsai evolves. Thank you for sharing. It is giving me ideas.

 

[Djtommy]

Hi Leo,
This tree is about 20 cm high, leaves variate from less then 1 cm to 2 cm, most of them less. I have another one which leaves are a bit different in color, more greenish.
Ill post a picture later, need to take one first.
I believe there is bigger version and smaller version of dauricum but not completely sure. Its "hime" version in japanese meaning something like princess, often used for small varieties of something.
This one is yamadori, in a pot for about 3 years but i only own it for a few months. This was the first styling since it came from the mountain, its slow growing.

Grtz

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

Nice, 1 to 2 cm means that leaves are roughly 3/8 to 3/4 inches. Nice small leaves. MUCH smaller than its hybrid PJM. At 20 cm tall your R. dauricum would or could be considered shohin. Nice. I did not have a good sense of scale looking at the photo.

There are a number of azalea and rhododendron specialty nurseries here. They don't cater to bonsai, rather they cater to the garden growers and collectors, those who want "one of each". I will look for R. dauricum, and I will be certain to check notes and look for the "Hime" or dwarf cultivars of the species. Thanks.

 

[Djtommy]

this is another one i got and just wired it last weekend, windswept isnt a recomended styling generally but sometime there is not much else you can do.
this one wont flower this year, i want to cut back several branches but will wait till it buds out to make sure i dont loose them.

 

[Adair M]

This is a rhodendendrum dauricum. Shohin size
I got about 2-3 months ago, bought in hokaido. It was already getting pretty cold at the time there with freezing temps at night.
I styled it 2 weeks ago. Still a lot to be done but i could open it a lot, i sadly lost my before picture... Goddamn stupid mobile. ..I stopped for now as i accidently broke half of one of the trunks, i guess you can see where. There is no change to be seen yet so i might be safe.
Anywayz, the weather has been warmer then usual here plus the fact i brought it from hokaido has made it flower. 1 is open now but looks like another bud is thinking about it too..
View attachment 88871 View attachment 88872

Cool little tree!

As you discovered, old azalea wood is rather brittle, and tends to snap easily. Frankly, wiring old wood is not recommended. Younger wood and new growth can be safely wired. (Again, it's not the "wiring" that's dangerous, it's the "bending").

Interesting you used a mix of aluminum and copper wire. I only use alumnium on azalea. Then again, I only wire the soft branches, so I don't need the strength of the aluminum, and I also remove the wire before winter.

Maybe they're "old wives tales", but I've been told to remove the wire before winter since azalea bark is thin and the wire can concentrate the cold, which can damage the branch. I've also been told that azalea are "allergic" to copper wire. I really have not tried to test these ideas, but since the source grows better azalea bonsai than I, I see no reason to challenge them.

Since you are in Japan, and have access to the nurseries, it would be interesting to observe their practices!

 

[Djtommy]

Cool little tree!

As you discovered, old azalea wood is rather brittle, and tends to snap easily. Frankly, wiring old wood is not recommended. Younger wood and new growth can be safely wired. (Again, it's not the "wiring" that's dangerous, it's the "bending").

Interesting you used a mix of aluminum and copper wire. I only use alumnium on azalea. Then again, I only wire the soft branches, so I don't need the strength of the aluminum, and I also remove the wire before winter.

Maybe they're "old wives tales", but I've been told to remove the wire before winter since azalea bark is thin and the wire can concentrate the cold, which can damage the branch. I've also been told that azalea are "allergic" to copper wire. I really have not tried to test these ideas, but since the source grows better azalea bonsai than I, I see no reason to challenge them.

Since you are in Japan, and have access to the nurseries, it would be interesting to observe their practices!

on this last tree i only used aluminium though, you are right i shouldnt really use copper but on that first tree copper seemed the best choice to hold the bends or it had to be very thick aluminium which is hard to apply.

As for the cold, maybe you are right but this is not a common azalea, this grows in mountainside in hokaido where temps can get very low. I think this is probably the most cold hardy rhodendedndrum there is, or 1 of anywayz. So i dont think it will do any harm to it.