Collected Azalea

Ian Hill

I pulled this azalea (don't know which variety but it has small leaves and double flowers) up from the shady side of my house after about 12 years. For size reference it's in 3 gal pot. The buds are just beginning to break except for one flower on the front and a pair on the side that came early. I'm hoping it will fill in with time and pruning, i just don't know what to do with that piece at the bottom i dont just want to cut it off and have a big scar; will azaleas hold a jin? Hope you all enjoy it as much as I do. Suggestions and virtuals welcome.

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azalea bonsai2.jpg (50.0 KB, 246 views)

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ihill18@aim.com

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ChrisM

jin would be unnatural on an azalea, your best bet is to cut it off and use some paste to help seal the wound. i would also, personally, remove the lower right branch and cut the upper right back a bit. here's a quick virt to show what i mean.

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untitled.jpg (45.0 KB, 236 views)

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A bonsai is like a good marriage.You commit, for better or for worse, till death do you part. I DO!!!

susieq

Ian, have you worked with azaleas much? I don't know anything about them. I have killed the few that I tried to make bonsai of.
A few years ago, I bought one just like the one in your picture, at a yard sale. It was in a 3 gallon pot, and not blooming, but had small leaves. I was going to give it to my daughter for her new house....until it bloomed. It has a triple red bloom, small and compact and is just gorgeous. I planted it in our yard instead. I have successfully taken quite a few cuttings from it, but need to know what time of year to repott, root prune, etc... Seasonally, we are ahead of most of the country. I do the junipers, elms, etc... in late Jan, through the end of Feb. After that I don't touch them except for a light hair cut. I have been successful with most things, but azaleas and black pines don't seem to like me as bonsai. Advice from anyone, would be greatly appreciated.

Bart Thomas(deceased)

susieq (and others):

PU-Leeze! Give more info (state or USDA zone) in your posts when you ask for advice!

In your case, knowig when you repot junipers is a help, but that doesn't do much more than tell us about warmth. We also need an idea of how hot, moist/dry, windy to get an idea of your climate.

Absense of this info can account for many non-answers

As the paraphrased country song said it:

"If the phone don't ring, you'll know it's us"

Please understand that I want to encourage you. But I don't have the info I need, nor the expertise on azaleas, to help.

David Yedwab

Bart is 1000% right. We may not be able to help anyway, but we certainly can't if we don't know whnat your climate/season is. That means we need to know your location, at least zone. And some of us know something about azaleas. See below.

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satsuki.jpg (28.5 KB, 173 views)

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David Yedwab

Ian Hill

Susieq:

To start with the others are right "more info needed pls. I don't know much about azaleas except that it's a good idea to dig/repot them around the time of flowering because that's when they start to come out of dormant phase ... beyond that my knowledge of them is fairly limited, lol ( even though i live in probably the most popular town in the world for azaleas, Flowertown/ Summerville SC.) I'm not sure any more on everyone that gave me advice in a previous thread, but i believe the user "Treebay" had some helpful info for azaleas.

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ihill18@aim.com

Shooting the breeze:
"you know how to make a hormone dont you? ... Dont pay her"
.... Ron Martin ....

susieq

Sorry that I didn't include that info in my post.....
We live on the Florida Gulf Coast, just north of Tampa about 50 miles. The Azaleas were just in bloom, some still have a few flowers on. It has been in the 80's here already and will be in the 90's by the end of this month or early next month. It will also be very humid soon.

By the way David, that azalea you posted the photo of, is lovely. What a trunk! What size is the plant? Did you do the grafting? I'm guessing it must be grafted to have the multiple colored blooms?

David Yedwab

Itr's tiny, about 7 inches. Probably a Japanese import acquired from California. It is one of the satsuki varieties with multiple flower colors. Don't remeber the variety.

Regarding yours, don't know Florida native azaleas but I'd be careful - you may be toolate already, especially if most have finished blooming. Some of our Florida members will chime in here, I hope.

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David Yedwab