Satsuki question

[Manmountain526]

I came across some Satsuki's at a local nursery. After examining them it appears that they are a few cuttings or small ones in the same pot. Are they worth the buy? If I could successfully separate them I could get a couple. I believe they were $24.99. I have never purchased Satsuki azalea so I want to make the best decision. Thanks for any input.

 

[Potawatomi13]

Have you knowledge how to care for Azaleas in containers? Should be first concern as is more particular than most bonsai plants.

 

[bonsaidave]

You must decide if you want to drop the money on it. I have had luck with young branch cuttings. A large clear plastic container does well to keep humidity high.

Cuttings grew in perlite. NOTE:Next time I do this they will just go straight into the single containers with Kanuma like in the last picture.





Hope that helps. Good luck.

 

[Adair M]

I came across some Satsuki's at a local nursery. After examining them it appears that they are a few cuttings or small ones in the same pot. Are they worth the buy? If I could successfully separate them I could get a couple. I believe they were $24.99. I have never purchased Satsuki azalea so I want to make the best decision. Thanks for any input.

Azalea grow from cuttings rather easily. That’s how they propagate them. There are all different types of Satsuki.

Are they worth it? Impossible to say without more info.

 

[Manmountain526]

I guess I should be more specific with my question. They are nursery stock. Is it typically acceptable to purchase Satsuki azalea from a nursery? If so, what should I look for when I purchase for them in particular? I know what to look for when it comes to purchasing nursery stock typically, but is there anything that is specific to Satsuki that I should be looking for that is different from other azaleas?

 

[rockm]

I guess I should be more specific with my question. They are nursery stock. Is it typically acceptable to purchase Satsuki azalea from a nursery? If so, what should I look for when I purchase for them in particular? I know what to look for when it comes to purchasing nursery stock typically, but is there anything that is specific to Satsuki that I should be looking for that is different from other azaleas?

Cold hardiness. I assume that the plants they're selling are made for landscape.

Bonsai nursery folks around here who are very familiar with satsukis , have told me that cold hardiness can depend on the variety of satsuki. Some are better in warm (er) climates, others in colder. The less cold hardy varieties can be touchy here in Va.

It's probably going to be impossible for the nursery to tell you that kind of thing, as they're probably unaware of this. But, heck, $25 isn't all that much to find out.

 

[JosephCooper]

That depends, how big are the trunks?

 

[Manmountain526]

Cold hardiness. I assume that the plants they're selling are made for landscape.

Bonsai nursery folks around here who are very familiar with satsukis , have told me that cold hardiness can depend on the variety of satsuki. Some are better in warm (er) climates, others in colder. The less cold hardy varieties can be touchy here in Va.

It's probably going to be impossible for the nursery to tell you that kind of thing, as they're probably unaware of this. But, heck, $25 isn't all that much to find out.

Thank you for the response. I am thinking of pulling the trigger this weekend. The ones that they have are small and they appear to be maybe two or three plants in a pot. I assume they are intended for landscape. I will have a look at them again this weekend and probably pick up one. I will post pictures when I make the purchase. Then hopefully I can get some guidance before I dig in.

 

[Manmountain526]

That depends, how big are the trunks?

The ones that I looked at are small right now. That is what leads me to believe that they are rooted cuttings grouped together for landscape. I was thinking that if this is the case I could pick up a pot and get three if I can separate them from each other. That would give me a 3'fer lol. I could pot each of them up and watch them grow and develop them in different styles. Either way, it would be the roots first and then once they are established I can fatten up the trunks.

 

[JosephCooper]

Can you find any pots with only one azalea? You might find one with a more impressive trunk.

 

[rockm]

The ones that I looked at are small right now. That is what leads me to believe that they are rooted cuttings grouped together for landscape. I was thinking that if this is the case I could pick up a pot and get three if I can separate them from each other. That would give me a 3'fer lol. I could pot each of them up and watch them grow and develop them in different styles. Either way, it would be the roots first and then once they are established I can fatten up the trunks.

BTW, where are you in Va.? Not trying to beat you to the satsukis, but there may be better nurseries to look into...

FWIW, you're probably just going to have to plant these out for five years to get some heft into the lower trunk. Then begin a program of trunk chop, grow out trunk chop for the next five depending on growth rates.

 

[augustine]

$25 for a few small cuttings seems expensive. ON the other hand Satsuki are not readily available. Julian Adams, Adams Bonsai online, may have cuttings of one or two varieties that are much less expensive. You'd have to ask for availability and if he will ship. He, too, is in VA.

 

[Manmountain526]

BTW, where are you in Va.? Not trying to beat you to the satsukis, but there may be better nurseries to look into...

FWIW, you're probably just going to have to plant these out for five years to get some heft into the lower trunk. Then begin a program of trunk chop, grow out trunk chop for the next five depending on growth rates.

Yes, I am in SE Virginia on the Hampton Roads Peninsula. The ones that I saw were in a Nursery called Andersons. It is a commercial nursery and does not specialize in any one thing. There are a couple of privately owned garden centers around me but not much. I usually shop around those and Andersons because they are much better quality than the box stores.

 

[Harunobu]

25 dollar for a cutting of an azalea is of course expensive. For the same money, you should be able to buy a big landscape plant or several smaller ones. But you aren't looking for landscape plants, right? That said, if I had garden and I could actually collect lots of cool cultivar, I'd easily pay 25 euro for a cutting of a cultivar I really like.

Group planting of cuttings usually isn't helpful if you want to bonsai it.

You also don't bring up the flowers. Are these the satsuki cultivar you want? You have to check if the cuttings actually retain the flower characteristics of the parent cultivar. Cuttings aren't automatically true to the parent cultivar. Flower patterns may revert or you may only have a certain dominant trait.

If they sell them as landscape plants, then they should be able to survive as landscape plants in that area.

 

[GrimLore]

If I could successfully separate them I could get a couple.

I have rare success separating them depending on size, very small have the best survival rate, larger, not so much. Now it could be I am simply trying at the wrong time but I am going to get @Mellow Mullet in on this, he would know more on the subject as far as timing, root care, etc...

Grimmy

 

[Mellow Mullet]

I have rare success separating them depending on size, very small have the best survival rate, larger, not so much. Now it could be I am simply trying at the wrong time but I am going to get @Mellow Mullet in on this, he would know more on the subject as far as timing, root care, etc...

Grimmy

I have rare success separating them depending on size, very small have the best survival rate, larger, not so much. Now it could be I am simply trying at the wrong time but I am going to get @Mellow Mullet in on this, he would know more on the subject as far as timing, root care, etc...

Grimmy

I have done this before it it is a cultivar that I really like. Spring is the best time to do this, but i have done it in late summer. If they are far enough apart, say three inches, cut straight down the middle between them and the pot up each separately. I have had pretty good success with this.

If they are too close for that. I have picked the best trunk and cut the others out, all the way to the soil. The others will eventually die and you will be left with one plant.

 

[Manmountain526]

Thanks for the advice, everyone! I will shop around more and see what I can find