Azalea needs your help

[bonsai-max]

Hi there,

first Azalea here and I need your expertise.
Today I bought this Azalea in a flower market, it was a client plant, the plant looks nice at least for me with a lot of flower.
He doesn't know anything about the last repot, but no roots are exiting from the drain hole.
Here are the questions:

- The plants looks very leggy, there are a lot of branches with leaf only at the end what should I do ? Cut back after the flower are gone ?
- The substrate looks akadama, but it's compact and when I put the water take a litte to go away, should I repot after flowering ? I have Kanuma just in case

I think I can wait next year to repot, focus on the cultivation and compacting the green, what do you think ?

Thank you so much



Video

View attachment 0406.mp4

 

[Glaucus]

- The plants looks very leggy, there are a lot of branches with leaf only at the end what should I do ? Cut back after the flower are gone ?

This is how this type pf azalea grows. In autumn, it drops all leaves except those around the flower buds. And then in April, it flowers from these buds. Afterwards, it will start to push new shoots from the base of the flower buds, which will have leaves every cm/inch. Then late summer, these shoots end with a terminal flower bud. And when autumn starts, all leaves crop, except for those around the flower bud.

 

[bonsai-max]

This is how this type pf azalea grows. In autumn, it drops all leaves except those around the flower buds. And then in April, it flowers from these buds. Afterwards, it will start to push new shoots from the base of the flower buds, which will have leaves every cm/inch. Then late summer, these shoots end with a terminal flower bud. And when autumn starts, all leaves crop, except for those around the flower bud.

Thank you so much for the answer, how is possible to compact the plant ? Any suggestion about the other questions ?

 

[Shibui]

Azalea bud on bare wood no problem. Remember there was once lots of leaves along those stems and each leaf has buds. Those buds are still there in reserve just in case a storm, deer or bonsai grower comes along and will grow if you prune.
Looks like some of those branches can be removed altogether and more useful branches just cut short. You'll almost certainly get loads of new shoots along the bare section below any chops.
Remember that azaleas, like most other trees, grow after pruning so you'll need to chop a bit further than the ideal outline to allow for the new growth.
Wait until the flowers start to fade then chop as hard as you think necessary.

 

[bonsai-max]

Wait until the flowers start to fade then chop as hard as you think necessary.

Ok thank you, and about the repot ? Should I do it ?
Do you know which kind of Azalea can be ? I saw there are a lot of species.

 

[Shibui]

Repot if the soil needs changing or the roots are really tight. I've never had any problem repotting and pruning in one operation but I guess if you can space those 2 operations that would probably be better for recovery.

Very few of the azaleas we grow in gardens are actual species. Growers have cross bred the original wild species for hundreds of year and it's now very rare to see an actual species azalea. The vast majority of azaleas in gardens and in garden centres are hybrids and hybrids of hybrids which we refer to as 'cultivars'.
You'll probably get some 'experts' who will make a wild guess at the cultivar but the reality is there are probably several hundred single, purple/red azalea cultivars so it's always only going to be a wild guess. There are a few that have some identifying feature but I think they are reasonably uncommon. Because of all the crossing and back crossing most of the cultivars look very similar.
Does it really matter that you don't know the actual cultivar name? Is it not just as nice whether you know the name or not?

 

[bonsai-max]

So at the end I will postpone the repot to next year, the soil when is not dry is still good like drainage. But now the flowers are start to finish and is time for a cut back, IMHO.
But I have no idea how much I can cut. as I learned here and on some Youtube video the Azalea can cut hard back, but how much hard ?
Some example

 

[bonsai-max]

In the meantime I pruned all the flower and gave a super light trim.
Maybe with these pictures is more easy to understand the plant.
Any suggestions?

Thank you

 

[bonsai-max]

No ideas ? It's so complicate ?

 

[bunjin]

I would use a sharp object like an ice pick to evaluate how root bound the plant is or temporarily remove the pot if it can be done without too much manipulation or damage. The one important thing I have learned is the rule for all but the larger containers is to repot every 2(+/-) years. Make a date tag when you repot. I like the view(front) of jpg -101239 and would cut the main trunk(a couple of choices) to form a moyogi style. It will have a sharp bend where you cut it, but that will blend in over time and be sure to properly seal the cut. This one will be a long term transition as it is an older specimen having many thick branches to deal with.

 

[bonsai-max]

I would use a sharp object like an ice pick to evaluate how root bound the plant is or temporarily remove the pot if it can be done without too much manipulation or damage. The one important thing I have learned is the rule for all but the larger containers is to repot every 2(+/-) years. Make a date tag when you repot. I like the view(front) of jpg -101239 and would cut the main trunk(a couple of choices) to form a moyogi style. It will have a sharp bend where you cut it, but that will blend in over time and be sure to properly seal the cut. This one will be a long term transition as it is an older specimen having many thick branches to deal with.

Thank you, the root have still space, I will repot next year, i like your moyogi idea.
Now the new grows are elongated, should i choose only two and cut the others ? Also some people said to cut back the remaining to the first internode and take out the old leafs to promote backbudding without sacrifice the next year flowers .

 

[bonsai-max]

Hi there, today after removed the flowers I repot the plant, was really necessary, just a question, after the repot is it possible to pruning back, no too hard, or is better to wait a little ?
Thank you

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

Yes, given one didn’t wreck havoc on the roots.

The best response is to cut back to the innermost 1-2 green shoots. Done well the response is always 100%.

That said, cutting back deep into the old wood is possible. However some cultivars do not like being handling this way and can give not so good response. But you should try at least a couple so you learn this cultivars response to the technique. Please seal all cuts well.

Removal of entire stems of small azaleas is possible this time of the year as long as proper sealing is done.

Have a plan. Approach the cuts systematically. Step back after each cut and check your progress.

Nowadays after practicing with over 100 species of azalea as bonsai, I cringe when folks say what does the name matter? Just enjoy the flowers. Some azalea families are notorious for responding a certain way to a bonsai technique… poor response to cutting back to old wood, brittle branches, getting winter damaged if fertilized too late.

Others can take a licking and keep on ticking no matter what one does within the umbrella of reasonable azalea bonsai techniques.

The cause of this issue imho is much of this data is in Japanese and Westerners tend to ignore a 1000 years of knowledge of the different azalea families, instead lump all azaleas together, as if they were all Japanese Black Pines cultivars.

Cheers
DSD sends

 

[bonsai-max]

Thank you, I just cut around 1/3 of the roots using a fine saw and gently clean the top with thescraper. I don't need a huge cut back back just some to maintain the shape and remove the vertical and downside shoots