When all goes well, satsuki bonsai can produce lots of flowers in spring. Hakurei-no-hikari – 15″ After 80% of the flowers have bloomed, it’s time to remove all remaining flowers, taking care to remove the seed pods left behind after the petals fall away (see “Removing flowers” for details). Kinsai just past peak bloom After […]
Satsuki
Hard cutback on satsuki azaleas
A number of my azaleas have been slow to leaf out this year. Here’s an example. Exposed-root Kozan-no-hikari As you can see, the foliage is anemic and the old leaves curve downward. It’s the first time I’ve seen these symptoms so I checked my satsuki books and talked with friends who have good experience with […]
Repotting satsuki azalea
Azaleas are well-known for having two repotting seasons – one at the end of winter before the spring growth emerges, and one after the flowers bloom in late spring. I think of repotting in spring as a good option if there isn’t a chance to repot in winter and the tree doesn’t need significant root-work. […]
Fall flowers on satsuki azaleas
I’ve found that a number of satsuki azaleas in my garden have bloomed this fall. It’s normal for satsuki to produce a few flowers this time of year, and occasionally trees are covered with them. When this happens, I enjoy the color and remove the flowers when most of them are spent. Spent flowers on […]
Applying a moss top dressing to satsuki azalea bonsai
The satsuki azalea community decided long ago what their preferred top dressing would be – mountain moss. Also known as yamagoke (“mountain moss” in Japanese), this moss is typically harvested in China and packaged in Japan. It can be used interchangeably with white sphagnum moss, but there are three benefits that make it popular for […]