Satsuki leaf color, brown dried buds

[Nybonsai12]

Ive had this One satsuki for less than a year and since I got it, it has never looked thrilled to be in my care.
I’m getting an odd faded green browning leaf color, weak growth and browning dried buds. I repotted into something slightly larger this year and have let it be. While I know removing buds after a repot can help the tree regain vigor, I left them as I didn’t remove roots or do any drastic pruning In hopes of seeing what the flowers look like.


At first I thought water/roots and im keeping an eye on watering so that it doesn’t stay soaked. Any other thoughts here?

 

[Paradox]

I have had that with mine as well. I think its called bud or petal blight.

Azaleas Are Turning Brown: What Causes Brown Azalea Blossoms

Azalea flowers come in a variety of colors; however, brown azalea flowers are never a good sign. When fresh azalea blooms turn brown, something is definitely wrong. For information on the various reasons you might see azaleas turning brown, click this article.

www.gardeningknowhow.com

Azalea Problems - Azalea Society of America

Azaleas are generally healthy plants when their basic cultural requirements are met. They are subject to infectious agents, insect pests, weather etc.

www.azaleas.org

Apparently it can be caused by wet conditions and/or not letting the soil surface dry out a bit between watering.

Id love to know if anyone else has any other ideas or experience with this

 

[Paradox]

More info from other sources:

Insect Bud Buffet​

When azalea buds are brown after a mild winter, look to insect infestation as the cause. Thrips are tiny winged insects that pierce leaves and feed inside flower buds. Thrips prefer new growth and are difficult to see and control -- the damage is done for the season by the time you notice it. Prune out affected growth and discard it as soon as you see brown buds or black-specked leaves to eliminate the insects. Shake out plant material over a piece of paper to see whether any tiny thrips drop out before treating your azalea. Spray new growth and buds as they develop with a prepared neem oil, pyrethrin insecticide or insecticidal soap every five to 10 days -- closer together in warmer temperatures -- for several weeks. Reflective silvery plastic mulch under the plants also deters thrips.

Blighted Bud Blues​

Mild, rainy autumns and winters are prime conditions for another condition that can keep an azalea from flowering -- bud blight. This fungal disease, caused by the fungus Botrytis cinerea, damages or rots buds, causing them either to remain unopened or to produce distorted, discolored flowers that quickly turn to mush. Promptly remove and dispose of any gray, fuzzy buds, leaves or shoots that develop in humid weather. Keep leaf litter cleaned up around your azaleas, and prune dead or overcrowded growth from the center of the shrubs to make them less hospitable to the fungus. Fungicides are not considered effective against botrytis blight.

 

[River's Edge]

Ive had this One satsuki for less than a year and since I got it, it has never looked thrilled to be in my care.
I’m getting an odd faded green browning leaf color, weak growth and browning dried buds. I repotted into something slightly larger this year and have let it be. While I know removing buds after a repot can help the tree regain vigor, I left them as I didn’t remove roots or do any drastic pruning In hopes of seeing what the flowers look like.


At first I thought water/roots and im keeping an eye on watering so that it doesn’t stay soaked. Any other thoughts here?
View attachment 378422View attachment 378423View attachment 378424View attachment 378425

I think you are on the right track with excess water or damp cool conditions. The repot to improver drainage and more careful watering routine should help! I would also treat with a systemic fungal such as Infuse if the tree were in my care! Leaves show more of a fungal issue than any insect damage!

 

[Paradox]

I think you are on the right track with excess water or damp cool conditions. The repot to improver drainage and more careful watering routine should help! I would also treat with a systemic fungal such as Infuse if the tree were in my care!

I have been researching this a bit myself as I did see it on my satsuki.
I was planning on using infuse on mine from now on as a result of what Ive found

 

[River's Edge]

I was planning on doing that with mine from now on

I have found the infuse very effective in a fairly broad range of circumstances. Bonide also makes a granular systemic for insects that has been recommended by some. I have not been able to obtain any or try it out yet.

 

[Mapleminx]

I have had that with mine as well. I think its called bud or petal blight.

Azaleas Are Turning Brown: What Causes Brown Azalea Blossoms

Azalea flowers come in a variety of colors; however, brown azalea flowers are never a good sign. When fresh azalea blooms turn brown, something is definitely wrong. For information on the various reasons you might see azaleas turning brown, click this article.

www.gardeningknowhow.com

Azalea Problems - Azalea Society of America

Azaleas are generally healthy plants when their basic cultural requirements are met. They are subject to infectious agents, insect pests, weather etc.

www.azaleas.org

Apparently it can be caused by wet conditions and/or not letting the soil surface dry out a bit between watering.

Id love to know if anyone else has any other ideas or experience with this

Mine had this bud browning in random patches when I got it (leaves were ok) in my case I think it was just overwatering on the behalf of the seller before it traveled to me as the substrate was still very wet on arrival.

I am curious though if anyone can recommend a good anti fungal thats available in Europe.

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

Decidedly a bit of bud blast going on. Yet wondering about what media and how old the base media is as the terminal petals flacid and dappling is usually water issues and fungus piggybacks on top of it.... and is indicative of root rot.

Infuse will likely solve the fungal issue, yet I think it won’t solve a bigger issue with the roots/media.

I had a satsuki whose leaves looked like that last year. The situation lingered for a couple months, the after a rain storm it got progressively worse each day. I was so concerned that I ended up water washing the roots, only to find they were definately rotted. Sprayed the roots with a solution of H2O2, a hint I adopted from @Osoyoung.

Decided to not repot it, instead in desperation it was put in ground in a bed of small bark, peat moss with a small percentage of manure/soil that my cold frame goes around in winter. Worried about it all last year. Thankfully this spring it burst forth with new growth and it kickin it now.

Good luck with your tree.
Cheers
DSD sends

 

[Paradox]

I repotted mine this spring and the roots were fine. No root rot at all. I have it in pure Kazuma soil so it's not a soil issue. I've a feeling it's a wet foliage issue. I water every day with a spinkler so the plants get wet.

I am going to try and set up a different section for the azaleas and put them on a drip irrigation where just the soil gets wet plus use the infuse and see how that goes.