Clorgan's 2020-2025 azalea entry

[Clorgan]

If that's what you like go for it! When in doubt google azalea bonsai pics and browse what pots they are in. Of course any pot will work, but you want the tree, flower, style of tree, pot style, color of pot to all compliment each other for the best aesthetic look.

Brown would probably be more conventional! Still undecided on whether to repot yet though, any thoughts? I know you're good with azaleas! Hope yours are doing well

 

[Carol 83]

Brown would probably be more conventional

Not so much for an azalea. They are often shown in brightly colored glazed pots.

 

[Clorgan]

Not so much for an azalea. They are often shown in brightly colored glazed pots.

Haha OK maybe I'll have a proper look into it

 

[JudyB]

Not so much for an azalea. They are often shown in brightly colored glazed pots.

Actually a lot of the show caliber Satsuki are shown in unglazed pots. I find I like them in unglazed more than in glazed, as it doesn't detract from the flower display in any way. The flowers can be the star. I have seen some nice glazed pots/azalea combos though, so it's really up to what you like.

 

[Clorgan]

Actually a lot of the show caliber Satsuki are shown in unglazed pots. I find I like them in unglazed more than in glazed, as it doesn't detract from the flower display in any way. The flowers can be the star. I have seen some nice glazed pots/azalea combos though, so it's really up to what you like.

I generally prefer unglazed...not in a rush though as I'm guessing it will need a 'halfway' pot before its final one?

Anyone think I should repot now/soon? I'm happy to wait until next year if it's not needed. Not sure if you'll be able to tell from the photos I've already posted, can post more if not

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

You have a lot of tender fresh new growth. You don't have your prefered future potting media on hand. I would wait. Get the "proper mix" on hand. Get several pot options, each of a different size, not so much about color. Once you have your equipment together, only then consider repotting. The time to repot was immediately before or the same day as the hard prune back. Now your best bet is to wait for early spring. THough if you have mild winters, with very few days below freezing, you can probably repot in late summer or early autumn.

About pots. @JudyB is right, champion level trees are usually displayed in unglazed pots. But trees that are just below the top level exhibition grade are often shown in highly ornate pot, sometimes bright colors, but more often intricate scenes or brocade patterns or elaborate complex glaze colors. If it is a solid color pot, it is usually pretty dark, blue is a favorite. If a light color, often not a glossy if a light color, so a matte white or off white, Glossy reds, glossy browns are not usually used as they can overpower the flowers. Mixed color glazes, like oribe, namako, both which are blends of greens & blues, are often used for azaleas. Look up pots made by Bunzan, his glazes tend to be blends with bits of blue, green being dominant, and reds, golds, and other colors as accents colors in the mixed glaze. Ornate hand painted scenes are often used for azalea too. So pot choices are all over the map. There is no hard and fast rule, except the pot should be slightly less gaudy then the azalea flowers.

The olive colored pot you chose earlier would work quite nicely with a scarlet orange-red. If it was the right size, it would be a pretty good match.

 

[Clorgan]

You have a lot of tender fresh new growth. You don't have your prefered future potting media on hand. I would wait. Get the "proper mix" on hand. Get several pot options, each of a different size, not so much about color. Once you have your equipment together, only then consider repotting. The time to repot was immediately before or the same day as the hard prune back. Now your best bet is to wait for early spring. THough if you have mild winters, with very few days below freezing, you can probably repot in late summer or early autumn.

About pots. @JudyB is right, champion level trees are usually displayed in unglazed pots. But trees that are just below the top level exhibition grade are often shown in highly ornate pot, sometimes bright colors, but more often intricate scenes or brocade patterns or elaborate complex glaze colors. If it is a solid color pot, it is usually pretty dark, blue is a favorite. If a light color, often not a glossy if a light color, so a matte white or off white, Glossy reds, glossy browns are not usually used as they can overpower the flowers. Mixed color glazes, like oribe, namako, both which are blends of greens & blues, are often used for azaleas. Look up pots made by Bunzan, his glazes tend to be blends with bits of blue, green being dominant, and reds, golds, and other colors as accents colors in the mixed glaze. Ornate hand painted scenes are often used for azalea too. So pot choices are all over the map. There is no hard and fast rule, except the pot should be slightly less gaudy then the azalea flowers.

The olive colored pot you chose earlier would work quite nicely with a scarlet orange-red. If it was the right size, it would be a pretty good match.

Thanks for that - great info there! Happy to wait until spring, just wanted to check it wasn't in obvious dire need of a repot. I personally don't think it is, but I'm not sure my opinion is worth much yet! Will look to get materials ready, so that if it does appear to need it late summer/early autumn then I'll be ready.

I'm not keen on the bright colours, I get why they're a popular choice and can appreciate that they can look lovely, just not keen myself. Had seen some nice matte white ones, but yeah I do like the olive to be honest! Doesn't have the dimensions - just says 'shohin' so not very helpful

 

[Clorgan]

Ordered the olive one - see how it looks. I'm sure I'll find use for it, whether the azalea or not. On the subject of pots - was browsing and saw this and fell in love with it! May also work for the azalea, may not. Again if not I'll find something else for it

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

That new green pot would work quite nicely for an azalea. It would also work for flowering quince, and crab apple. Also cotoneaster, and even forsythia.

 

[Clorgan]

That new green pot would work quite nicely for an azalea. It would also work for flowering quince, and crab apple. Also cotoneaster, and even forsythia.

Had my eye on crab apples and forsythia actually, may give them a go at some point if something good comes along

 

[Clorgan]

Trying to dig for the nebari... Is it supposed to be this difficult to get down there?! Feel like to get there I'd need to rip out so many of the small roots

 

[Harunobu]

It is tricky. You either dig deeper and you may not find something that looks better than this. Or you use this as your nebari by pruning all the lower roots off completely. I think you should go deeper. Imagine if you grow a nebari from what you see now. Then imagine you slice all the roots off that are not your nebari. You are going to cut through your trunk as well. That it will likely survive (and someone showed a picture of doing exactly that here recently).

 

[Harunobu]

That it will likely survive (and someone showed a picture of doing exactly that here recently).

 

[Clorgan]

It is tricky. You either dig deeper and you may not find something that looks better than this. Or you use this as your nebari by pruning all the lower roots off completely. I think you should go deeper. Imagine if you grow a nebari from what you see now. Then imagine you slice all the roots off that are not your nebari. You are going to cut through your trunk as well.

Yeah I think that makes sense! So keep going, even though it'll mean pulling out a lot of the surface roots? I've got some kanuma on order for when I repot, was thinking about doing late summer as Leo suggested.

Would I be better not digging yet and just waiting for the repot?

Sorry for the many questions and thanks for your help!

 

[Harunobu]

The trick is to dig for roots, and stop at the right point. And then cut away all the downward growing roots, and comb the roots radially so basically most of your roots are this root flare. And that root flare will become your future nebari, as they thicken up because more and more of the entire root system is connected to the trunk trhough this root flare(nebari). And you pot it with these roots covered up and cool. So the azalea will actually grow newer thinner roots on top of the root flare you selected. But by consistently pruning a lot of roots, yet not touch these nebari roots, the nebari roots get bigger and bigger. And after a couple of years, it no longer is trickly which roots are your nebari and which ones you need to get rid of. And when the tree gets larger, you can expose more and more of the nebari.

Phew, I got my entire post through.

 

[Clorgan]

The trick is to dig for roots, and stop at the right point. And then cut away all the downward growing roots, and comb the roots radially so basically most of your roots are this root flare. And that root flare will become your future nebari, as they thicken up because more and more of the entire root system is connected to the trunk trhough this root flare(nebari). And you pot it with these roots covered up and cool. So the azalea will actually grow newer thinner roots on top of the root flare you selected. But by consistently pruning a lot of roots, yet not touch these nebari roots, the nebari roots get bigger and bigger. And after a couple of years, it no longer is trickly which roots are your nebari and which ones you need to get rid of. And when the tree gets larger, you can expose more and more of the nebari.

Phew, I got my entire post through.

Yep that makes sense - thanks for the great explanation! So really I could just wait for the repot

 

[Harunobu]

Ph

Yeah I think that makes sense! So keep going, even though it'll mean pulling out a lot of the surface roots? I've got some kanuma on order for when I repot, was thinking about doing late summer as Leo suggested.

Would I be better not digging yet and just waiting for the repot?

Sorry for the many questions and thanks for your help!

You didn't do any repotting, right? You just had it in the nursery pot, and you gave it a chop? Yeah, I would try a repot after the hot days of summer are gone. You will have to significantly reduce the roots to set up the nebari properly. It will slow down your growth a bit next growing season. Likely, the root prune to set up the nebari won't be severe enough so that you have to reduce foliage as well. But it is actually pretty hard to do it properly on a nursery plant, compared to a rooted cutting getting it's first haircut. Not entirely sure what the best balance would be. To go in once very aggressively, slowing down growth. Or to do it more gradually. Then bring in the 5 year timeframe, and I am lost as well.

Ignoring nebari, you need to work those roots because they are pot bound and likely stagnant. You want to open up the roots and get rid of the old peat. That's important for overall health and growth. Nebari is just an aesthetic thing, of course. And therefore secondary.

 

[Clorgan]

Ph


You didn't do any repotting, right? You just had it in the nursery pot, and you gave it a chop? Yeah, I would try a repot after the hot days of summer are gone. You will have to significantly reduce the roots to set up the nebari properly. It will slow down your growth a bit next growing season. Likely, the root prune to set up the nebari won't be severe enough so that you have to reduce foliage as well. It is actually pretty hard to do it properly on a nursery plant, compared to a rooted cutting getting it's first haircut. Not entirely sure what the best balance would be. To go in once very aggressively, slowing down growth. Or to do it more gradually.

Yes just a chop, not repotted, still in the nursery pot. Yeah azalea roots seem tricky to manage in comparison to others I've got, not seen roots like it on any of my other nursery material. Uaually I haven't had to dig far at all to find some form of nebari. You've helped a lot there though, thankyou!

I guess it's a 5 year contest (and then many years after!) so still time for growth to happen I suppose. Partly why I'm leaning towards late summer repot - to get things going quicker.

Edit - got kanuma and a pot on order so will be ready for the repot when it arrives

 

[Clorgan]

Ph


You didn't do any repotting, right? You just had it in the nursery pot, and you gave it a chop? Yeah, I would try a repot after the hot days of summer are gone. You will have to significantly reduce the roots to set up the nebari properly. It will slow down your growth a bit next growing season. Likely, the root prune to set up the nebari won't be severe enough so that you have to reduce foliage as well. But it is actually pretty hard to do it properly on a nursery plant, compared to a rooted cutting getting it's first haircut. Not entirely sure what the best balance would be. To go in once very aggressively, slowing down growth. Or to do it more gradually. Then bring in the 5 year timeframe, and I am lost as well.

Ignoring nebari, you need to work those roots because they are pot bound and likely stagnant. You want to open up the roots and get rid of the old peat. That's important for overall health and growth. Nebari is just an aesthetic thing, of course. And therefore secondary.

So I went a little bit further, does seem to be signs of some thicker roots, guessing that's promising?

Will all those fine roots be OK left like this for now, until the repot?

So azalea are very new to me, just looking to do the best I can for it! Quite difficult to know what to do!

Attached lots of photos of new growth and cuts after applying cutting paste.

Hoping for some knowledge of how it's generally looking? The new growth for example - some of it is all green, then some appear to have small brown parts on the tips.

Loads of annoying questions I know, would just be a shame to be out of the contest (and therefore azalea learning journey over) so soon!

 

[JudyB]

Not sure what your climate is there, but be careful when repotting in fall, to protect from freeze thaw cycles. Best to not freeze at all after heavy root work like you are proposing in the fall.