My first ever Bonsai!!!

[NateJay]

[*]Hi everyone, my first post and a photo of my first ever Bonsai.

I believe it’s a Saotome Azalea, bought from my local Bunnings.

Wish me Luck!!! Any tips and tricks with this one will be hugely appreciated because I’m going into this with zero experience, a lot of questions and a lot of googling

Cheers

[LLK]

Good luck!
Also with the posting of photos...

Lisa

[Redsonic]

Welcome to the world of Bonsai. I too, cannot see a photo.

For beginner information, one of the best places to start is the Ausbonsai Wiki. You will see the link near the top right of the page, or scrolling past near the top.
Try and get that photo up, because some Bunnings bonsai need to be repotted due to problems with the mix or stones on top. More experienced people than I would then be able to give you advice on whether your bonsai is in a healthy container.

[NateJay]

3497C9EE-0AAF-4E68-AD1D-684F92DAA324.jpeg

See attached, hopefully the photo works haha

I’d love any and all advice because I’m crazy new to this and am quite daunted by the amount of information online :/

[TimS]

Welcome to the world of bonsai! I'm certainly not the best to give you advice on azalea, i haven't tried to grow one since i was new to the hobby like yourself so i'll let others with more experiece chime in on that front.

[shibui]

Photo is up - well done.
It is certainly an azalea and those little leaves look like sao to me.
All azaleas grow long straight shoots unless you prune. Pruning stimulates dormant buds that grow into shoots to make the tree bushier. Azaleas can be pruned anywhere. They sprout new buds even from older, bare wood. This variety rarely flowers so no need to worry about when to prune because you cannot remove flower buds.
Sao to me grows lots of new suckers from the base. Leaving them all on will result in a tangled forest so remove excess shoots from the base regularly. Cuttings strike easily and often the suckers will already have some roots so they can be planted in another pot if you want some more plants.
Best location outside with afternoon shade and protection from hot wind.
Water when mix starts to get too dry. I'm currently watering each morning and evening but how often will depend entirely on your local conditions and what mix it is in. Azaleas do not like to get too dry but constantly soggy soil is not good either.
Fertilise every 2-3 weeks. Any fertiliser will do. I find liquid very convenient.
Repot every few years. I usually repot in spring but azaleas can be repotted almost all year round.

A word of warning. Azaleas can be fussy. Sometimes just drop dead for no real reason but if conditions are right they grow really well.

Anything else you need to know?

[anthonyW]

Hi Nate and welcome.

For now enjoy your azalea, it looks healthy and thats a great start, if mine I would not touch as the tree will start to form buds for usually october..november flowering sometimes a little earlier flowering depending on species, and when it does flower you will note for next season.

After flowering at those approximate times, I can give you some design if you still desire...we can play with the roots and cut back etc... but not now you missed the boat.

I usually stop fiddling end of January after those flowering times above.

Between September to December there will be a pest that is active called lacebug which loves to suck the living day lights out of the leaves so this bug/pest is usually your worst enemy...so in those mths mentioned you spray two to three times from sep to nov thoroughly top and bottom of your leaves with confidor or equivalent, see nursery for later as confidor is getting scarce to purchase.

Hope that helps some....cheers

[Keep Calm and Ramify]

Pruning stimulates dormant buds that grow into shoots to make the tree bushier. Azaleas can be pruned anywhere. They sprout new buds even from older, bare wood.

Hey NateJay,
I see your a Novocastrian like me , and yesterday I visited the Maitland regional show which each year sets up a display of bonsai.
Below are some pics I took of Saotome, which helps illustrate gaining foliage density through regular pruning.
Welcome to Ausbonsai.

sao1.jpg

sao2.jpg

sao3.jpg

sao4.jpg

[NateJay]

Thanks heaps to everyone for the warm welcome and quick advice, so general consensus is to leave for now until after flowering season? Those photos from the Maitland show look incredible, how can I get mine as bushy and full as those? My other concern is how thin the trunk is, should I try to thicken it?

My pot has two seperate sections, the left has the bonsai and the other is empty. What would you all recommend doing with the spare section?


Thanks in advance