Post bloom azalea treatment

[tree4me]

So after letting my Wakaebisu fully bloom i removed all flowers and trimmed. I'd like to see how others are treating theirs and how they look afterwards. I chose to replace the apex and will let it grow out for a time. Also removed one of the lower branches, left side, as there were 3. Still a ways to go. Learned a lot letting it bloom. Flower size, spacing and orientation are important for developing nice pads. I think I left too many buds when I was selecting them earlier this year.

Before

After

 

[Dav4]

Your tree looks great in flower. If you're happy with the structure of the trunk and major branches, there's not much else to do right now but let er grow... lot's of sun, feed and water. Later in the summer might be a good time to do some thinning.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Yours needs to be wired to give some movement to the branches. Here is one that’s been in training for a while.
https://nebaribonsai.wordpress.com/2018/04/21/spring-work-on-a-kurume-azalea/
In bloom, cut back hard, and a month later:

 

[tree4me]

Your tree looks great in flower. If you're happy with the structure of the trunk and major branches, there's not much else to do right now but let er grow... lot's of sun, feed and water. Later in the summer might be a good time to do some thinning.

Thanks @Dav4 It's setting in good sun and gave a post bloom organic fertilizer. I have Stone Lanterns Azalea book and am trying to follow the schedule/routines in that. Really love the book.

Yours needs to be wired to give some movement to the branches. Here is one that’s been in training for a while.
In bloom, cut back hard, and a month later:

I'll wire today. You said "cut back hard". I cut back hard as well, hopefully not too hard, compared to yours. This is only a little over 3 years from a 2 gallon nursery pot, but I think her future looks bright. Your pot and flower pairing is great.

 

[Mellow Mullet]

It looks like you did a good job! I just cut my wakas back, too. I cut them back a lot harder. Wakas are, to me, the tanks of the satsuki world. They grow really fast and root easily. I will try to post pictures later, working midnights

 

[Cadillactaste]

Yours was lovely in bloom!

 

[tree4me]

Yours was lovely in bloom!
View attachment 194270

View attachment 194271

I love the blooms. Did you do any heavy pruning? I have a Chinzan cutting I rooted and next year I'm going to pot up in a removable cinder to try and develope the neagari roots.

 

[Cadillactaste]

@tree4me ... Before heavy pruning and after blooms removed. Left branch now removed (Seen in the photo of me holding the pot, the final direction the tree is now headed.)...defoliated leaving two leaves per stem.

 

[tree4me]

View attachment 194311
@tree4me ... Before heavy pruning and after blooms removed. Left branch now removed (Seen in the photo of me holding the pot, the final direction the tree is now headed.)...defoliated leaving two leaves per stem.

AHH I see it now. Love it! Future looks bright.