EMack's 2020 - 2025 Azalea Contest Entry - "Winter is Coming"....

[EricMack]

Better late than never, eh?
Leafy goodness from Nuccio's finally arrived, and last night the process was started. I had recently scored a pot I really like, and it was destined to deserve a cultivar such as Nuccio's Purple Dragon. I'm new at this, I tortured my dragon pretty good I got three more cultivars just in case, lol.

As received:


Let the battle begin:




Cut back and wired in:


Don't mess with the Dragons.... Winter is Coming!

 

[Pitoon]

Welcome to the contest. I'm interested in seeing the flowers for sure. I also saw that pot somewhere, I just can't remember where. Was it Greg's ceramics?

 

[EricMack]

Welcome to the contest. I'm interested in seeing the flowers for sure. I also saw that pot somewhere, I just can't remember where. Was it Greg's ceramics?

I posted it in the Pots thread, its from Iana Glushach (Etsy).

I'm interested in seeing the flowers too next year!
Stock photo from Nuccio's:

 

[Pitoon]

lol, yes that's where I saw the pot on a thread here. The flowers look good!

 

[Pitoon]

How's the repot going so far?

 

[EricMack]

It’s going well, Dragon is pushing new growth and nice new small buds.

 

[EricMack]

Pushing new growth all the way down

 

[Harunobu]

Cool, it is backbudding all the way low even though some of those branches still have leaves. That doesn't always happen. With so many chops in this thread I kind of adjusted how I think is the ideal way to chop. It seems better to keep long branches during a chop, in contrast to chopping them to the length you think you want in the final design. Either long branches with some leaves, or none at all. With long branches you get more bud oppertunities. This prevents cases where you prune to the length you roughly want, but you get no buds at all. Then when it budded, you can always come in and prune the long branch back to the bud you want to use.

 

[Forsoothe!]

Thrips?

 

[Harunobu]

Yeah, what's up with those black spots? Is it azalea lace bug?

 

[EricMack]

Yeah, what's up with those black spots? Is it azalea lace bug?

No, just spots from shipping and the heavy handling during the potting.

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

Hi @EricMack .
If you haven’t had a chance to yet, please to fill out the azalea media (substrate) poll.
My thanks and please disregard this note if you’ve already polled.
Cheers!
DSD sends

 

[EricMack]

Feeling pretty good about year 1 development. Good growth, buds developing now, almost time for the cold nap.
View attachment 335985

View attachment 335986

 

[Forsoothe!]

There's no there, there.

 

[EricMack]

 

[Pitoon]

A lot of growth there. What style do you intend to persue?

 

[EricMack]

A lot of growth there. What style do you intend to persue?

The classic Dragon Wing style, naturally

 

[Pitoon]

Curious to see the outcome....

 

[Forsoothe!]

No habla Dragon Wing. ??

 

[EricMack]

Curious to see the outcome....

Me too.
I don't have a style in mind yet, I will wait to see what next Spring brings before making any decisions.