Developing Azalea Material through Drastic Pruning

[GrimLore]

John, great information. Drawings were good enough to clearly get your point across. Lots of good information. I have the chance to dig an Azalea but I need some "expert" advice. It has been in a planting for years with little to no care. The house is going to be sold so I would have to dig in the next month or so.

The two I dug this year I chopped back to about 16 inches tall last Spring and let them go a season because they were not healthy. Seeing yours and considering it has received virtually no care it appears to be in far better shape. I would chop that one down two about 20 inches and jam down the length of a spade about 10 inches or so away from the base. I would water it heavy for a couple of days and then put the spade back in the same slot and work the root mass out and collect it - I bet it comes out in 10 minutes. Just slip pot it into a 5 gal or so nursery container. Leave the roots alone, slip it into loose soil and water. Let it go a full year at the new place and keep it damp, not wet, and never dry. I am near certain it will make it and you will be able to do the hard cut and root prune next Spring. My opinion is if does not make it the effort to do what you can is minimal and not a great loss. If you do not try it is a certain loss...

Grimmy

 

[j evans]

Just slip pot it into a 5 gal or so nursery container. Leave the roots alone, slip it into loose soil

Is it best just to leave the soil on the root mass on the roots and just fill around the mass with loose soil or do I want to clean the roots off and set in loose soil.

I would assume just place the root clump soil and all in loose soil but want to be sure. Thanks

Hey have you worked on your burning bush any more?

 

[GrimLore]

Leave the soil as not to disturb the roots setting it all in loose soil. I feel that will work out fine for moving and establishing it. I am saying it because a very old landscape firm in this area just simply pulled some old ones they removed a few years ago and put them on the side of a work shed, not pots just left on the ground and were forgotten. They are growing just fine

I chopped the burning bush down and jammed it into a 10 inch wide trainer last weekend getting it out of that huge plastic thing. I have a rather unique shape for it in mind as it will never make a great Bonsai - If all goes well many will get a good chuckle out of it next year.

Grimmy

 

[j evans]

On those burning bushes is the wood too soft to carve or will it rot quickly? I have great growth on mine this year but I have left it larger than yours. I am still thinking about trying to reduce it some before the weather turns hot. Thanks for the information.
Jamie

 

[GrimLore]

On those burning bushes is the wood too soft to carve or will it rot quickly? I have great growth on mine this year but I have left it larger than yours. I am still thinking about trying to reduce it some before the weather turns hot. Thanks for the information.
Jamie

I PM'd you so we can give the thread back to John

Grimmy

 

[barrosinc]

so no barerooting, right? just root pruning and adding bonsai soil??

 

[j evans]

Sorry John, but as stated above great post and I appreciate your information and look forward to more.

Jamie

 

[GrimLore]

so no barerooting, right? just root pruning and adding bonsai soil??

I don't bare root them. Here they generally have a ton of fine root and I don't like to do more then cut it to size with a saw. Check out the pictures in posts #5 and #6 here - http://bonsainut.com/index.php?threads/big-azaleas-i-picked-up-today.18887/ at the end I just slip pot the whole thing into loose organic.

Grimmy

 

[barrosinc]

just making sure... same as what I did.
Thanks grimmy

 

[Eric Group]

John, I butchered up another Azalea today, and I went hard on it- I think you would have been proud! It is a Momo No Haru I got at Lowes in a 3 gallon. When I was done, it went straight into a medium sized bonsai training pot, and didn't have a branch left over about 2 inches.

It is a double trunker- the one I told you about that Kathy worked on with me a little that day after you had left I think... We cracked the trunk somewhere down into the root ball, but it is completely fine and the crack is not visible and does not affect the stability of the tree at all.. Seems like a complete non-issue at this point. I took some pics and was going to post them today but never got around to it, I will try to get them up this week. This makes like 5 Azaleas I have redone in this fashion this Spring alone, and I still haven't touched the haul from Keisler's yet!

 

[Joedes3]

Just got back from Home Depot. That had some small azaleas for $3.98. I couldn't resist.

John, thank you for your videos. I have been following them on youtube and here. They are very informative and easy to follow.
Joedes

 

[JoeR]

So when can something like this be done? Can you do it in early summer?

 

[GrimLore]

So when can something like this be done? Can you do it in early summer?

In this area the North East I do extensive cuts in very early Spring because our grow season is shorter. My best advise is to talk to local Landscapers who torture plants far more then we do, From what I read you can cut them back hard until mid summer but pulling and potting I see no reference to your region. To be on the "safe" side I would recommend early either prior to Spring push or during for good results... No expertise there and hoping others pipe in

Grimmy

 

[JoeR]

In this area the North East I do extensive cuts in very early Spring because our grow season is shorter. My best advise is to talk to local Landscapers who torture plants far more then we do, From what I read you can cut them back hard until mid summer but pulling and potting I see no reference to your region. To be on the "safe" side I would recommend early either prior to Spring push or during for good results... No expertise there and hoping others pipe in

Grimmy

Earlier in this thread someone said it can be done nearly all season long, but I don't know when I should/can apply this in my climate and still get good growth afterwards.

I want to go out and find one (several) soon, but you never know I might not be able to get one until early summer.

 

[Eric Group]

Earlier in this thread someone said it can be done nearly all season long, but I don't know when I should/can apply this in my climate and still get good growth afterwards.

I want to go out and find one (several) soon, but you never know I might not be able to get one until early summer.

Earlier the better, especially if you are trying to get a bunch of growth afterwards.
As John was saying earlier in the thread he has done this sort of work pretty much all through the Spring and Summer. I have too, and had fine results. Some people recommend doing it before they bloom so the tree isn't stressed from blooming when you work on it. Some people say that doesn't matter as much if your tree is healthy which I tend to believe. You should never take on this kind of work on a tree that is not 100% healthy and you should closely monitor it after the work to make sure it is receiving optimal care... It should start pushing new growth from everywhere within a few weeks. It seems Azaleas don't like being roughed up in the winter though. I killed one a few years back by repotting in the winter because it's pot broke. Never woke up after that!

 

[GrimLore]

It seems Azaleas don't like being roughed up in the winter though.

Mine don't respond well to even being moved in the Winter.

Grimmy

 

[barrosinc]

What would happen if you drasticaly prune the hole azalea, but leave 1 branch? Will it still backbud all over or more on the branch that has sap flowing?

 

[GrimLore]

What would happen if you drasticaly prune the hole azalea, but leave 1 branch? Will it still backbud all over or more on the branch that has sap flowing?

They back bud like crazy from the base up here more on the old wood at my place so I take all the branches off.

Grimmy

 

[GrimLore]

Earlier in this thread someone said it can be done nearly all season long, but I don't know when I should/can apply this in my climate and still get good growth afterwards.

I want to go out and find one (several) soon, but you never know I might not be able to get one until early summer.

I somehow missed your post. The person you referenced is John and he lives a bit further south then you do. You however live further south then me so your season is a bit longer. I just do mine in early spring because I feel it gives them longer to get happy before the winter sets in. As with anything drastic it depends on a few things, plant health, length of "your" growing season, and the type of plant. There are also 1000's of Azaleas and I don't think anyone out there can speak for all the varieties but we can give you "general" tips which you must apply in "your" circumstance.

I am "guessing" you can collect and do a drastic until late spring safely with a healthy plant and good aftercare to answer your question.

Grimmy

 

[Eric Group]

Started with this- the one on the left is the MOM No Haru.
After chopping it back and working the roots- sat it on top of the pot it started in...
A little closer after re potting to a plastic bonsai training pot. Guess I left one lower branch on the smaller one a little longer- did it on purpose as I wanted to have a long first branch on that side, we will see how she looks when she leafs out! This was a couple days ago and the tree hasn't lost any leaves or shown any sign of stress so I think it is ok! I expect all sorts of new growth pretty soon.