Azalea Issues

[AAG1887]

Hi DSD,

Thanks for the reply and the link. I'll try message them and see if they have a few korin seedling/cuttings to spare or sell.

I had these azalea in their original medium since I got them from nuccio last May.
Their medium is mix of peat and perlite by the look of it.

My water routine is check everyday in the growing season. And water if I feel the weight of pot getting light. It's one of the advantage of peat perlite medium I guess. When it gets dryer the weight of entire 1 gal pot is almost nothing.

I checked the root last year when I first got them, didn't seem root bound, and because these are no way near to finished bonsai now, I did not thought to change the medium.

I'll take a picture of the root of dead azaleas in a moment. See if we can perhaps tell anything.

 

[AAG1887]

This is the small Kazan that died last Oct. It's been a few month since, so I don't know how telling it will be.

Upon removal the root ball is still there, and holds on to about 80% of the soil volume of the 4 inch square pot it was in. I actually don't know what root rot would look like. Does it look like rot to you guys?

Thanks

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

Can’t see anything unusual with the roots. Rot rot makes the roots mushy. If one gently pulls on the roots the other sheath often come right off.

How often did the azaleas get fertilized, what type fertilizer and how much please?

Best
DSD sends

 

[AAG1887]

Fertilizer is Miracid. Dilution with water as described on box. Once every 2 week during growing season. Which in where I am seems to be from about Mar to Oct.

Thanks

 

[AAG1887]

For reference here it is about half way through its decline on Sept/29 last year.

Seems at the time there is still new growth happening. But also tip burn happening at the same time. And eventually tip burn and chrispy-ness caught up with new growth and the plant died. Sad...

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

Ok. Correct sun, good watering,

With this data and the image above, the picture shows the azaleas are being over fertilized. That’s quite a lot of fertilizer for azaleas in peat.

One quarter strength every 6-8 weeks but not in summer at all would be closer to the mark

Actually did a test about over fertilizing azaleas in peat. It shows some cultivars are very susceptible in peat while others can survive much longer. Likely why one survived.

Check out the beginning of the thread we are on.

Would stop fertilizing for a couple months.. please do not fertilize in the summer.

btw would not keep the azalea in peat longer than 2 years.

Cheers
DSD sends

 

[mandrews93]

I should add the symptom of my azalea did not immediately show in the peak of summer either.
But rather in Sept, Oct. Kind of a slow decline. Which seems to be fitting with the symptom of root damage, and delayed decline. At least according to that paper anyway.

Sorry to hear you had the same experience I had, albeit all of my one gallon Nuccio’s stock survived. I think I overwatered, and the dense foliage of the 4” Kazan really shaded the interior of the tree and the soil surface. Like DSD said, our azaleas came in peat soil so very water retentive. Mine are now in kanuma and looking pretty good with many buds. Feeding with fish emulsion every two weeks.

My satsuki that really went downhill like yours were bought at the Santa Barbara club show, not Nuccio’s. The varieties I got from Nuccio’s had darker, larger leaves, which I’ve read can indicate what area of Japan the variety is originally from (pls correct me if I’m wrong on that).

@Deep Sea Diver - the photos are of the survivors in their current state. Also a Kongo No Hikari from Nuccio’s to prove I am not a mass azalea murderer If the more bare ones don’t bounce back, no big loss. Hoping all bounce back

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

Losing any bonsai or prebonsai isn’t murder. It’s a chance to learn how to improve your practice.

They are alive for sure, yet a couple have issues and they all need moss to slow moisture loss, protect and keep the roots cool and stop the media from being displaced. Might help the cutback trees too.

Here’s a couple observations and thoughts..

The leaves on at least two look chloritic. Wondering how much sun/shade they are getting? Might want to shift to miracle. Gro 1/3 strength vs fish emulsion. This will help green up the leaves.

Suggest yamagoke (mountain moss). Bonsai Tonight is a good source. Soak overnight and spread, then pack 1/4” deep into and across the kanuma. Keep it moist until it grows. Otherwise get dried local moss and mix it 1/2 with sphagnum spread liberally and keep moist until it grows across the pot.

In the meantime, black plastic window screening covering the surface or medium bark soaked and spread thoroughly over the surface will help.

Finally, chopping off all the green on an azalea is not the best path to success. In the future, it’s best to leave innermost green on all branches. This will keep the flow going in each branch and help induce backbudding.

Good luck,

Cheers
DSD sends

 

[mandrews93]

Losing any bonsai or prebonsai isn’t murder. It’s a chance to learn how to improve your practice.

They are alive for sure, yet a couple have issues and they all need moss to slow moisture loss, protect and keep the roots cool and stop the media from being displaced. Might help the cutback trees too.

Here’s a couple observations and thoughts..

The leaves on at least two look chloritic. Wondering how much sun/shade they are getting? Might want to shift to miracle. Gro 1/3 strength vs fish emulsion. This will help green up the leaves.

Suggest yamagoke (mountain moss). Bonsai Tonight is a good source. Soak overnight and spread, then pack 1/4” deep into and across the kanuma. Keep it moist until it grows. Otherwise get dried local moss and mix it 1/2 with sphagnum spread liberally and keep moist until it grows across the pot.

In the meantime, black plastic window screening covering the surface or medium bark soaked and spread thoroughly over the surface will help.

Finally, chopping off all the green on an azalea is not the best path to success. In the future, it’s best to leave innermost green on all branches. This will keep the flow going in each branch and help induce backbudding.

Good luck,

Cheers
DSD sends

Appreciate the advice! I had sphagnum on after the repot but removed it - will reapply. Weather has been about 65 and hazy here for two weeks running, and I’ve kept the azaleas in a spot where they get morning sun, but shade the rest of the day. If there was any actual green left on those, I would have kept inner branches, but the foliage was mostly browning.