panda’s satsuki azalea whips

[pandacular]

I recently got a half dozen satsuki whips from @Deep Sea Diver at our club sale. He was kind enough to help me select several diverse cultivars and provide an info sheet on the process of developing these.

The six varieties I picked up were: bunka, matsunarai, nissho-no-hikari, minato, pink gumpo, and macronulatum. DSD provided a description of each of these, but I didn’t commit them all to memory (though if you are kind enough to share on this post, I will commit them to my digital memory in my notes!)

All whips came unwired, which was a great opportunity to wire them up. Per the instructions, I used a double wire technique, where the bottom of the whip was wired with one size and the full whip was wired with a size down. They were great practice for wiring, but clearly I need much more practice!

matsunarai
I wired this one first, and it shows! I had never wired something so light, so I struggled with the balance of good contact, keeping the whip stable, and turning the wire. Not the best wiring at all, but it was relatively functional.
.
nissho-no-hikari
This one was next and was snapped quite badly. Had to cut off the top. After working this one, I realized that it was critical to put the second wire BELOW the first wire, as it made much easier to maintain contact with the larger wire.

minato

bunka
I recall that DSD referred to this as an ancient cultivar. This one and the next two were done later, with my study group.

macronolatum


pink gumpo
I decided to start this one out in a slant style, as I admire that look on satsuki quite a bit.



Any information or advice is much appreciated! My next step, per the care sheet, is to up pot them to 4” pots. The sheet says to use a peat based mix, but I have some kanuma and pumice lying around, so I was wondering if there were drawbacks to using that mix other than cost and watering requirements. Thanks for reading!

 

[Bonsai Forest]

Very nice! Love the movement you put in them

 

[pandacular]

sheet says to use a peat based mix, but I have some kanuma and pumice lying around, so I was wondering if there were drawbacks to using that mix other than cost and watering requirements. Thanks for reading!

Hey @Deep Sea Diver , any thoughts on the above? I think I’ll pot these tomorrow and an curious if you’d recommend peat and perlite over kanuma and pumice, cost and sourcing aside.

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

The instruction sheet is accurate.

You’ve made a some pretty solid bends on these young azalea whips. Good job for your first effort!

Yet root washing on top of this will slow down recovery as well as growth for this growing year. Especially considering the low amount of foliage a whip has.

Based upon a number of trials in the past four years, young azaleas grow stronger and faster in a peat/small bark/perlite based mix. One wants to grow enough strong root mass for a transition into about a 4.5“ tokaname pot size. This will require developing a strong top hamper of growth.

Also there a watering challenges for a small plant in Kanuma, especially during the summer, requiring much more frequent watering. That’s why I often write about ensuring moss is applied to media right after an up pot. Not saying peat based media doesn’t have watering challenges especially if one lets the root ball dry out. Just that a small tree in kanuma has more.

Finally, a small plant in kanuma needs more fertilization compared to one in peat and are more susceptible to root burn, which means fertilization can be a challenge. Where as a peat based mix inherently holds more nutrients and requires much less fertilizer. Fertilization of small azaleas in kanuma in small pots is tricky. I’ve taken to literally counting pellets of Osmocote plus to get this right for small plants in kanuma and need follow up with fish emulsion and occ miracid treatments.

Hence recommendation is to up pot into a 4” nursery container into a peat/small bark/perlite mix now. Grow out for at 2, maybe 3 years until the foliage/roots are very strong. Then root wash and transition into a training pot to style and grow out/ refine for a couple years. Likely trees will be starting to look really nice if grown properly at this point.

Be patient, resist pruning for a couple years.

Likely more explanation then you wished, yet the above will help guide for a number of years.

cheers
DSD sends

 

[pandacular]

Thanks so much! Main reason I asked is because I noticed that one of them was in kanuma already, and that one appeared to be a little more vigorous than the others; I’ll stick with peat and perlite!

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

Ok, thanks for telling me.

Yes, looks like that was one of an experimental lot. It will do fine.

Since it’s in kanuma, keep it in kanumaerlite 90:10, then add 5% Biochar or horticultural charcoal to blend in on top of that ratio.

Fertilization azalea in kanuma. Water lightly before ferts. We use miracid 1/4 strength (also can add humic acid/kelp) early in the year every 2-3 weeks. Also 8-10 pellets of osmocote plus for 4”pot . (Normally do not fertilize 30 days before blooming once uppotted if desire to have clear blooms)
No osmocote during summer. Can switch to fish emulsion in summer, Do not fertilize when 90F summer. Add osmoscote plus again in Aug/Sept when temps cool.

Azaleas in peat media. Same miracid every 3-4 weeks Stop in May. Two applications in Aug/Sep. Osmocote early in year and Aug/Sep when temps cool.

We use mountain moss (yamagoke). One can obtain it from Bonsai Tonight.

Cheers
DSD sends

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

btw, If you would like to exchange the whip in kanuma with one in peat, let me know and Ill bring one to the next meeting.

Cheers
DSD sends

 

[pandacular]

btw, If you would like to exchange the whip in kanuma with one in peat, let me know and Ill bring one to the next meeting.

Cheers
DSD sends

no, it’s not a problem at all! In fact, Ive actually potted these up. The roots on that one were much finer and seemed nicer. All the plants had roots that were much smaller and delicate than other species , which I had heard about azalea. I think it will be a good experiment to see how that one grows in comparison to the rest.

In terms of aftercare, should they stay in my morning sun only spot for a week or more?

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

If the trees were merely uppotted, yes.

If these were root washed. Bright shade for a week and ease into morning sun….

Of course with the weather forecast we have should be good in any event

Cheers
DSD sends

 

[pandacular]

yes, it’s been a great time for repotting; about a week of warm sub followed by a week of cool, wet shade. Perfect!

I’ll share some more pictures sometime this week, my mom is visiting for the weekend so will be too busy for bonsai.

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

Nice!
Have a great visit.

Cheers
DSD sends

 

[Glaucus]

Looks good. One mild criticism, most pointed on the 'Pink Gumpo' one, often it is best to make larger curves on the bottom and then make them come quicker and smaller more on top.
In terms of sinusoid, increase the frequency and decrease the amplitude once you go towards the apex, if you are mathematically inclined.

If you don't crack one out of a couple, you didn't try extreme enough bends on the ones that didn't crack.

The trick with wiring is to actually apply wire with the hand that is touching the tree/whip/plant. The other hand is just to rotate around the wire. So use two hands.
You guide and position the wire while holding the tree, and the other hand just holds the other end of the wire and rotates it around when your first hand has positioned the wire correctly.

BTW, this is the goto tutorial on wiring and bending satsuki:
Put on subs for English:

It also has tricks on exactly where to put pressure, relative to where the wire is, to minimize it snapping.

BTW, Matsunami is probably older even than Bunka. Like at least 300 years, I believe.

And macronolatum, @Deep Sea Diver did you mean R.mucronatum or R. macrosepalum? If it has white flowers, it is probably R.mucronatum. Think 'Fielder's White', 'Delaware Valley White'.
Anyway, amazing job at growing those Kozan varieties like Nissho no Hikari that tall.

 

[pandacular]

Thanks Glaucus, I appreciate the tips. The tapering of the bends was something I also wanted to improve, even down to recognizing pink gumpo as the worst. I found it rather challenging to get the bends in up high on these as the pot had so little mass that it was moving all over the place. If I had a third hand to stabilize the pot, I think it would’ve come out much better!

If you don't crack one out of a couple, you didn't try extreme enough bends on the ones that didn't crack.

Glad to know I did this well at least! I think 2 had cracks and one had a full snap, making it much shorter than the others.

These have all been repotted and have started to take off with their new growth. All but the minato, which is potted in kanuma, are growing well.

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

Just a couple things to point out. Any bending is an acquired technique. Cracks are part of the deal at first. Learning Bonsai is voyage replete with storms, unknowns and treacherous waters… until you’ve been there, mastered that.

The two Satsuki trained American artists recount tales of their first efforts cracking one after another whip do to poor technique and trying to create deep bends when their wiring, bending technique or cultivar type will not support so much of a bend.

All azaleas are hard to bend. They aren’t pines, but bend more like a maple. One must get the feel for the whip‘s flexibility. For example all Gumpos tend to be harder to bend, some actually feel brittle. But bendable they are. Radical bends no. The Japanese grow certain cultivars for major ’Flower towers’ for a reason… these cultivars are relatively easy to bend.

We grow multiple cultivars. About 90 nowadays. Some are mainline Japanese cultivars, some not. Each has its own flexibility type. This is one reason we mentioned to try easy bends first, then come back in 2-4 weeks and attempt a bit more if desired. Or just accept the bends as is and build out the tree foliage and create an acceptable image.

Lastly …style. imho Flower tower bending is the most basic of all styles. But it does teach one how to properly bend curves. Nowadays abstract bending of azalea whips is getting very much more common as long as one can eventually grow out the foliage to create a tree with acceptable image.

After all, when one comes upon a yamadori one has to create an acceptable style from what is there.

That’s the beauty of working with whips. One can bend across the gamut from naturalistic to mainline to abstract…and as long as one can craft the foliage to develop an overall pleasing bonsai design, all is ok.

Hope this helps.

Cheers
DSD sends

 

[shinmai]

My toolbox contains a small bottle of Gorilla Glue with a brush applicator in the cap. Many times I’ve used it to repair a cracked branch, either through a failure of my technique or damage during transport. As long as the cambium remains mostly intact, I’ve had a high degree of successful retention of the damaged branch. In addition, I have four or five 5” zip ties. If a branch union or crotch splits, I can glue them together and cinch a zip tie around it, clipping off the excess with wire cutters. It works much like a cast on a broken arm.

 

[pandacular]

All but one of these are growing quite well!

the odd one out, the minato, is struggling. Interestingly this was the one that was potted in kanuma and which went back in kanuma and pumice. I suspect I may have damaged it in wiring or mishandled the roots.

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

Good Job! Given the broken whip is treated properly it has a good chance of pushing below the cracked area.

If this occurs, grow the extensions out strong and either go directly to clip and grow styling.
Alternately grow out until strong, then bend again to modify the present shape.

Good luck
DSD sends

 

[pandacular]

I’ve noticed that one of the ones I’ve cracked started growing strongly just below the crack as you mentioned. Another seems to have been unphased after I braced the break with the wire and treated with Top Jin M.

 

[bunjin]

Interesting that your Minato is struggling. I have found it to be one of the most vigorous of cultivars. When healthy it gains girth very quickly and removing the wires promptly is critical. It does well with less watering if that is any help. I am glad to see that others use a peat/sphagnum mix with Kanuma, as it has always been my preferred media and promotes rapid growth.

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

Minato is a bit of a slow mover up here in spring compared to say Kazan or Chinzan.

Media type doesn’t appear to make a noticeable difference,

Cheers
DSD sends