JoeH
Omono
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I just saw this and happen to have a nursery stock Duc de Rohan sitting around. Its still open to join in right?
Azalea contest 2020-2025
- Thread starter Pitoon
- Start date
Pitoon
Imperial Masterpiece
Contest is open now. Start your thread, several already have started theirs.
Schmikah
Shohin
. 
shinmai
Chumono
I'm not jumping in, because everything I have is in development, and I worked out a deal with The Brains of the Outfit that I call "no more sow's ears". I'm older, and have decided to spend money on a small number of older, partially-developed azaleas. [I have one in my sights at the moment, and diplomatic negotiations with her have begun.] For those who are working with azaleas for the first time, I would offer a few observations from experience:
- Despite their reputation for being nearly bullet proof, they are very sensitive to root temperature. Keep them out of direct summer sun, and use a little deeper pot than you might first think necessary.
- Use the orange Japanese cut paste.
- Do not use a knob cutter or concave cutter to prune. Use a convex cutter or sidecutters to cut flush with the branch. Azaleas do not callus over like most other trees [though rhodi's will do so to some degree.]
- Don't panic when you get brown tips on some of your leaves. Evergreen azaleas are not truly evergreen--they are semi-deciduous. Each growing season they will shed old foliage and replace it with new.
- Consider a carbon filter on your watering hose to strip chlorine, etc. from your water. I did last spring for the first time, and my azaleas loved it.
- Last year's new growth will lignify surprisingly quickly this year, and by next year will be harder to move with wire.
- Even though their metabolism, and hence water needs, slows to a crawl during winter dormancy, they still need watering, just much less frequently. If you have them in a greenhouse or other enclosure with a space heater, be especially careful to not let your roots get completely dry.
GrampaMoses
Sapling
This is awesome. I did a nursery stock azalea last year and it's going very well.
Is there a deadline to enter? The nurseries near me won't be open for another 2-3 months. I'll post my contest entry then if it's ok.
Is there a deadline to enter? The nurseries near me won't be open for another 2-3 months. I'll post my contest entry then if it's ok.
Pitoon
Imperial Masterpiece
You can enter anytime, just follow the rules. Technically a majority of us have to wait till summer to prune back. So you have plenty of time.
GrampaMoses
Sapling
Sorry I'm new to this forum. You just mean the rules posted at the beginning of this thread right?
I'm hoping to prune mine back as soon as I get it (but will take a before picture). Last year mine responded well to early April pruning and repotting.
Woocash
Omono
I bought these a few weeks ago with a view to this contest, one pink, one cream, one red, one orange. I bought the larger ones first (cream and pink) at two for a tenner and the smaller ones next £1.79 each in a local supermarket. I thought I’d get a couple and see what I can do in a more ‘normal’ form, but I do really like the neagari style azaleas which the smaller ones may conform to easier.
That said, what do people think I should go with as my entry? I can’t really decide whether to go with a more developed plant or a younger one to mould in to an end product. Any thoughts?
That said, what do people think I should go with as my entry? I can’t really decide whether to go with a more developed plant or a younger one to mould in to an end product. Any thoughts?
shinmai
Chumono
My thought would be to go with the largest plant. It appears in the photo to have three distinct trunks, with a good start on primary branching. It is much easier to start with more material and thin it out to select your structure, as opposed to developing much smaller plants and trying to grow more branches. It’s hard to get that much growth even over the five year span. As a bonus you would have numerous cuttings, which can easily be rooted into new plants. [See Peter Chan’s YouTube video on that topic.]
Eckhoffw
Masterpiece
Finally grabbed one up.
white lights Azalea. Product of the U of M baby! Tough as nails I hope.
looks like we’re going with a clump style on this
.
Leo has instructed me to put it in a more water retentive pot. Will b doing that soon!
Thanks!
white lights Azalea. Product of the U of M baby! Tough as nails I hope.
looks like we’re going with a clump style on this
.
Leo has instructed me to put it in a more water retentive pot. Will b doing that soon!
Thanks!
Leo in N E Illinois
The Professor
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Here is my entry, I know I posted it somewhere else. It is a whip, lost the name tag, from David Kreuz. It is a Japanese import. So it is just starting. I got it June 2019, and have done nothing with it. No pruning, only a little wire.
Brian Van Fleet
Pretty Fly for a Bonsai Guy
...probably...
Rivka
Shohin
oh, I'm so excited! I rescued a massive azalea in the last few weeks and have been blissfully bumbling through a ton of first as I got it out of a neighbors front yard and truck chopped it.
I thankfully was camera happy the whole time and am thrilled to have the right thing for one of these friendly contests! I'll start a thread for it!
I thankfully was camera happy the whole time and am thrilled to have the right thing for one of these friendly contests! I'll start a thread for it!
BunjaeKorea
Omono
My entry..... a rescue.......
Pitoon
Imperial Masterpiece
I just took these pics. As soon as the new grow stops all branching will get wired to lock their positions.
Lazylightningny
Masterpiece
Is it too late to enter? I have this azalea that I sourced at HD this April and potted up.
Are we supposed to start our own thread with our entry?
Are we supposed to start our own thread with our entry?
Pitoon
Imperial Masterpiece
It's not to late to start. As long as you start with an uncut tree you're good to go. Start your own thread to post updates include as many update pics as you can to track progress.
That's a good looking trunk. How big is it? How tall?
Lazylightningny
Masterpiece
thanks!
1 1/4" x 5 1/4"
RJG2
Omono
If I'm doing an air layer, should I start the post when I start the layer, or when I separate it (and see if it's successful)? 
Pitoon
Imperial Masterpiece
Take a pic of what you plan to air layer and start from there.If I'm doing an air layer, should I start the post when I start the layer, or when I separate it (and see if it's successful)?
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