Back in February I potted up around 60 bare-root satsuki azalea bonsai. Having not worked with bare-root specimens before, I was really curious to see how the trees would do with so few roots. Most started out slowly due to cool weather, but since spring warmed up, they have been growing quickly. And now that […]
Satsuki
Removing flowers on satsuki azaleas
Satsuki azaleas are beautiful when they bloom. Cutting-grown satsuki They are somewhat less attractive when the petals fall away. Azalea flowers after losing their petals Once most of the flowers on a satsuki have wilted or fallen away, it’s time to remove the parts of the flower that are left behind – most visibly, the […]
Removing flower buds from satsuki azaleas
Removing the flower buds from satsuki azalea bonsai is a common technique for getting a tree to focus on producing new growth instead of flowering. Satsuki azalea – Momoka Although I’d love to enjoy the tree’s flowers this year, I’d rather it grow as much as possible and gain the vigor that will be necessary […]
Preventing air pockets under the trunk – repotting satsuki azalea
Air pockets in the rootball, we are often told, lead to dead roots which can cause further dieback on roots or branches. It stands to reason – roots exposed to the air will not fare well on varieties like satsuki. The most common place to find air pockets is below heavy roots or under the […]
Repotting bare-root satsuki azaleas
For most varieties of bonsai, there are many approaches to repotting. Soil mixes, timing, and the number and selection of roots to be cut can vary widely depending on who is doing the work. When it comes to azaleas, this isn’t the case. Satsuki bonsai care – at least the basics – is fairly conventionalized. […]
