I got my order today. Very happy with the plants, very healthy. The "Plum Purty" is already blooming. Just curious why the nursery pots are SO big, considering the size of the actual plants. And do you normally repot after they are done blooming?
mail order azaleas Sept 2020
- Thread starter Leo in N E Illinois
- Start date
Deep Sea Diver
Imperial Masterpiece
Hmm... I know that they had a run on both azaleas and camellias last year due to Covid and renewed interest in Bonsai and gardening in general.
Usually they up pot the 4x4’s in fall to 1G because they usually will fill the pot by the next fall. So it depends on when in the year you buy them on how big they are. Also growth rate of the cultivar. I’ve gotten 1G’s chock full of roots in the fall from them and only 1/2 full in spring in the past.
As far as repotting goes. I usually repot somewhere between the end of Feb to end of March. Others wait longer, but I want to get the longest growing period possible each year.
In fact I just finished washing the roots clear of peat and bark and repotting 28 azaleas on Tuesday. 16 smaller and 12 1G into kanuma as our temps are just right. I have them all in a cold frame with the top open just in case though.
The order of repotting for Satsuki goes: As the weather moderates: first repot the pointed thinner leaf cultivars, then the somewhat pointed but more oval leaf cultivars, finally the rounded leaf cultivars. (These represent the northern most to southern most cultivars.).
For Early bloomers like some kurume cultivars you can either repot before the buds swell and start to bloom if the weather is favorable and/or you can protect them, or after these have completed blooming.
Traditionally folks repotted azaleas after blooming yet that guideline has evaporated with climate change.
Good luck and let’s see some photos!
Cheers
DSD sends
Usually they up pot the 4x4’s in fall to 1G because they usually will fill the pot by the next fall. So it depends on when in the year you buy them on how big they are. Also growth rate of the cultivar. I’ve gotten 1G’s chock full of roots in the fall from them and only 1/2 full in spring in the past.
As far as repotting goes. I usually repot somewhere between the end of Feb to end of March. Others wait longer, but I want to get the longest growing period possible each year.
In fact I just finished washing the roots clear of peat and bark and repotting 28 azaleas on Tuesday. 16 smaller and 12 1G into kanuma as our temps are just right. I have them all in a cold frame with the top open just in case though.
The order of repotting for Satsuki goes: As the weather moderates: first repot the pointed thinner leaf cultivars, then the somewhat pointed but more oval leaf cultivars, finally the rounded leaf cultivars. (These represent the northern most to southern most cultivars.).
For Early bloomers like some kurume cultivars you can either repot before the buds swell and start to bloom if the weather is favorable and/or you can protect them, or after these have completed blooming.
Traditionally folks repotted azaleas after blooming yet that guideline has evaporated with climate change.
Good luck and let’s see some photos!
Cheers
DSD sends
Forsoothe!
Imperial Masterpiece
What the Hell are you going to do with 28 Azaleas?
Deep Sea Diver
Imperial Masterpiece
Grow them out, learn a lot, sell most of them off and learn some more....
... oh yes, did I I mention the 44+ youngish etc Maples we rootworked the week before? ... that was on another thread I guess.
cheers
DSD sends
... oh yes, did I I mention the 44+ youngish etc Maples we rootworked the week before? ... that was on another thread I guess.
cheers
DSD sends
Forsoothe!
Imperial Masterpiece
You're a better man than me...
Deep Sea Diver
Imperial Masterpiece
Decidely don’t know about that, just trying to learn.
So, Nuccios called today to tell me they didn't ship my order this week because of the heat, which I was totally fine with. I mentioned to him that my Getsotuko from them had mostly white flowers with just a few freckles or small stripes of pink and asked if they would show more of the pink when it was bigger with more flowers. He said "How about I throw another one in your box next week, I want you to see the different variations." I told him no, I wasn't complaining, just wondered. To which he replied "I'm not going to argue with you young lady, I'm throwing one in your box!" I then asked him a couple of questions about the Camellia I got and mentioned I had repotted it. He said that was good, it probably needed a bigger pot. I told him no, I put it into a smaller pot. He started laughing and said "You bonsai people are a strange bunch." Then it was my turn to laugh. They are pretty awesome people and the plants I received from them are really nice for the price, highly recommend them.
Do you mind me asking what camellia you ordered and the size. I'm just a camellia nutcase. Also, here's a listing of an azalea seller that apparently sells some relatively obscure varieties of satsuki liners.
If you want a kogetsu let me know I'll send you one of my cuttings.
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Thanks so much! I got a Buttons and Bows from them, 1 gallon size I think. I also have a Yule Tide and one called Hot Flash.
Very nice. Since i suggested kogetsu let's make it a twin suggestion. "Pink Perfection" is a fantastic camellia, absolutely as good as they get.
bunjin
Mame
I do not know if this has been mentioned before, but Nuccio's is not really oriented towards the bonsai market - their nursery is mostly a wholesale operation. On my last couple of visits they had virtually none of the cultivars on my wish list, even the ones I had previously purchased from them. One will not see anything but healthy young plants for sale, which is unfortunate for those of us that are more interested in acquiring unique cultivars than getting an A+ specimen. What one does get, by visiting them, are the priceless conversations exhibiting their extensive horticultural knowledge.
Deep Sea Diver
Imperial Masterpiece
Totally agree with their advice.
Stock… That’s an interesting observation.
One might say there is a reason that the most sought after Bonsai cultivars are often out of stock…. and it’s likely not wholesale to commercial operators
That’s because the main bonsai cultivars are not often used commercially…. Nikko, Kinsai, Yata no Kagami, Kazan, Juko, Kikoski, Secchu no Matsu etc etc the main line bonsai Satsuki cultivars… It would take a long time to make a landscape impact with these azaleas due to their growth habits.
There is extremely high demand for these cultivars, especially nowadays. I suspect they just can’t keep up with the demand.
Cheers
DSD sends
Stock… That’s an interesting observation.
One might say there is a reason that the most sought after Bonsai cultivars are often out of stock…. and it’s likely not wholesale to commercial operators
That’s because the main bonsai cultivars are not often used commercially…. Nikko, Kinsai, Yata no Kagami, Kazan, Juko, Kikoski, Secchu no Matsu etc etc the main line bonsai Satsuki cultivars… It would take a long time to make a landscape impact with these azaleas due to their growth habits.
There is extremely high demand for these cultivars, especially nowadays. I suspect they just can’t keep up with the demand.
Cheers
DSD sends
Sadrice
Seedling
Leo in Illinois,
could I ask how the ‘Polo’ turned out? Did it bloom? This thread is nearly the only thing on the internet with anything at all about that cultivar, and I am personally interested.
could I ask how the ‘Polo’ turned out? Did it bloom? This thread is nearly the only thing on the internet with anything at all about that cultivar, and I am personally interested.
Deep Sea Diver
Imperial Masterpiece
Not @Leo in N E Illinois , but now I’ve alerted him, he can perhaps weigh in. (Use @….full BN name)
I can give the rundown of my Polo at Nuccios experience And Leo can give you his experience… and anyone else. The Polo satsuki I receeived is a strong grower, one of the very best red satsuki around imho, medium sized, rounded leaves. Wintered over up here in Puget Sound in the ground. Took cuttings and these struck well, no issues. Time will tell how these do over winter..
Did preliminary, yet severe, styling cut back and Polo responded well.
Flowered starting May 15 - July 10 ( Likely go longer as but I stripped all buds, took cuttings, cut back severely and pruned what was left to ‘modified twos’ then.)
Here’s a photo for Polo in bloom May22 and a group on May 28. As one can see it was rainy and,as usual the water on the petals started to create a bit of a blossom rot fungal issue. But bonsai in bloom in pots would be able to avoid that issue. The last photo may be blurry, due to my recent eye surgery, but you’ll get the gist…. its of Polo’s response to severe cutback 3 months later.
btw: Please enter your approximate location and USDA zone to your icon data so I and others can tailor our advice to you in the future.
May 22
May 28
Oct 6th
cheers
DSD sends
I can give the rundown of my Polo at Nuccios experience And Leo can give you his experience… and anyone else. The Polo satsuki I receeived is a strong grower, one of the very best red satsuki around imho, medium sized, rounded leaves. Wintered over up here in Puget Sound in the ground. Took cuttings and these struck well, no issues. Time will tell how these do over winter..
Did preliminary, yet severe, styling cut back and Polo responded well.
Flowered starting May 15 - July 10 ( Likely go longer as but I stripped all buds, took cuttings, cut back severely and pruned what was left to ‘modified twos’ then.)
Here’s a photo for Polo in bloom May22 and a group on May 28. As one can see it was rainy and,as usual the water on the petals started to create a bit of a blossom rot fungal issue. But bonsai in bloom in pots would be able to avoid that issue. The last photo may be blurry, due to my recent eye surgery, but you’ll get the gist…. its of Polo’s response to severe cutback 3 months later.
btw: Please enter your approximate location and USDA zone to your icon data so I and others can tailor our advice to you in the future.
May 22
May 28
Oct 6th
cheers
DSD sends
penumbra
Imperial Masterpiece
Gorgeous. thanks for sharing. Hope they have one in the spring.
Lol, I printed off their catalog at work, so I can plan this winter for what I want to buy in the spring.
Pitoon
Imperial Masterpiece
How are your azaleas doing?
penumbra
Imperial Masterpiece
Oh Great! Now I have to beat you to it.
Pitoon
Imperial Masterpiece
I have an order for a sleeve of 7gal short nursery pots coming in......getting ready for another large satsuki order myself.
