Nmilewski's "Azalea 2020-2025" entry

[nmilewski]

Hey all! First time contest for me and another entry for the great North American deciduous Azalea experiment. This is an azalea 'fireball'. An exbury hybrid I got from a nursery.

Trying to sort out if I need to gradually reduce down or if I can hard chop. Thinking the base has good potential if I can keep it alive and get internodes within reason.

Any advice is most appreciated, and I'll be documenting everything. Thanks!

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

Welcome @nmilewski to the Deciduous Azalea discussion.

My natural inclination would be to just let it grow and bloom this spring. Just so you can see the flowers, and get a sense of its natural tendencies.

I definitely see a potential single trunk tree in there if you want to go that way. You could also do an informal broom, where the branches that make the broom emerge along a length of trunk, rather than from a single point as done with a "formal broom".

After blooming is finished, you can to the radical pruning (chop) and repot, all at the same time. You could also do the chop and repot right now while still dormant. But like I said, I would wait and see flowers first if I were you. Be sure to check the flowers for fragrance. It was the fragrance that first drew me to deciduous azaleas.

 

[nmilewski]

Welcome @nmilewski to the Deciduous Azalea discussion.

My natural inclination would be to just let it grow and bloom this spring. Just so you can see the flowers, and get a sense of its natural tendencies.

I definitely see a potential single trunk tree in there if you want to go that way. You could also do an informal broom, where the branches that make the broom emerge along a length of trunk, rather than from a single point as done with a "formal broom".

After blooming is finished, you can to the radical pruning (chop) and repot, all at the same time. You could also do the chop and repot right now while still dormant. But like I said, I would wait and see flowers first if I were you. Be sure to check the flowers for fragrance. It was the fragrance that first drew me to deciduous azaleas.

Leo,

Thank you so much for the welcome and the helpful insight! This is exactly how I will proceed, and I'm looking forward to showing it off!
-Nicholas

 

[Pitoon]

Did they flower yet?

 

[Pitoon]

Any updates on your entry?

 

[Pitoon]

Spring is here and your azalea could be blooming (depending on your location) or starting to leaf out with this season’s flush……it’s time for updates!

I would also like to add at this time we have 3 prizes to award. Many thanks to @Forsoothe! and @Deep Sea Diver for donating. I am also donating a prize as well.

If you are no longer interested in continuing in the Azalea Contest, please let me know so we can close your thread, thanks.