Identify Satsuki Azalea

[akaruhi]

Hello everyone.
I thought I might pitch in at this point as I have specialised in Satsuki for15 years now and don't have much else in my collection. I might be able to help. I came back recently from Japan having spent my most useful week ever in a Satsuki Nursery in Kanuma.

When identifying Satsuki more than one flower is needed as they mutate so easily, unless they are a single colour variety, and a range of flowers as well as the leaf and overall plant shape make all the difference.

Yochio seems to be a local name for one of the Chinsan variants and has a great deal to commend it as the leaves are very fine and it stands up well to our climate.
Nuccio's Blue moon is a Sokojiro type of flower - it has solid ( Blue/Purple ) colour with a distintct white throat. It was bred by Nuccio's Nurseries in California, grows fast and is robust. The rounded leaves ( Maruba ) tell us that it will stand up to heat well and it does.
I think this is one of the best of the easy to find varieties for Satsuki Bonsai.
The other flowers are a bit dificult to pinpoint at this stage for the above reasons.

By the way Komei is a small, slightly tubular flower going from white through many stripe forms to solid purplish/pink.
Nothing like these.

My advice is to not let any flowers come on them till you have a more developed plant. This was strong advice from Japan and a coulpe of weaker plants of mine which came in from Japan and suffered have powered away once I kept all flower buds off.

Hope this helps,

Arthur Robinson

( Chairman, Satsuki Society of Australasia Inc )
http://www.satsukisociety.com

[Gerard]

Thanks Arthur, most interesting comments.
I have an azalea I am quite happy with.
It is indica 'alfonse anderson' I suspect it is not satsuki as it is about one quarter in flower already and will be fully in flower in a week or so.
I am curious about what I believe is a 'sport', a dark purple flower amongst one hundred or so pink and white flowers, is it propogation of cuttings which might produce a new variety?

[kcpoole]

Nice timing Hartos
and Very Nice flower too

One of the ones I got from Leigh has flowered and can you tell me what variety this one is

Ta thanks
Ken

Could it be Juko? Thew flowers are very variable, excuse the fuzzy pic of mine from last year.

P1010804.JPG

or Komei is very variable too ???

Another flower came out this week, and looked a lot like the larger of the 2 flowers you have shown here Neal.
It had the sharp lines of colour between the pink and white

I was going to photo it today, but it got trashed in the wind and rain this week. Has lots more bud tho so will get some more chances I hope.
One of the other plants is the same type and also has buds on it

Thanks for the info Arthur, Verry interesting

ken

[Gerard]

020.jpg

the sport ?
Looks a lot like one of the flower pictures posted earlie by Hartos

[akaruhi]

Yes,

You could propagate that branch and most indicas with pattern ( of which Satsuki is a branch ) when sporting a plain colour will only produce flowers the same. they are often called Purple -------- or red --------- etc.
This is not the same as a sport which has new and interesting patterns to offer us. Then cuttings of something new and special MAY perpetuate that. But in most cases they don't, they just revert. Got to keep tryin' though.

By the way this year has been rather unseasonal so quite a lot of Satsuki will flower early. Generally it is a rather bitsy flowering with none of the evenness normally achieved by Satsuki "good pracices"

These practices are to remove LARGE and Very SMALL buds as the tree develops. This way you get an evenness of size as well as flowering.

Don't forget Bayleton - makes your flowering last longer and stay beautiful on the plant.

Arthur

[Chris H]

Thanks Arthur it is fantastic to have you on the forum.
I have gone out and taken off all the flower buds (I can identify them when they have grown some) for this year its more about the growing.
Any tips on getting them to grow and fatten up some?
Also I think I saw you were doing a book on Satsuki in Australia, have you finished writing yet? How do we get a copy?

[nealweb]

Nice timing Hartos
and Very Nice flower too

One of the ones I got from Leigh has flowered and can you tell me what variety this one is

Ta thanks
Ken

Could it be Juko? Thew flowers are very variable, excuse the fuzzy pic of mine from last year.

P1010804.JPG

or Komei is very variable too ???

Another flower came out this week, and looked a lot like the larger of the 2 flowers you have shown here Neal.
It had the sharp lines of colour between the pink and white

I was going to photo it today, but it got trashed in the wind and rain this week. Has lots more bud tho so will get some more chances I hope.
One of the other plants is the same type and also has buds on it

Thanks for the info Arthur, Verry interesting

ken

Sounds like you have had some very wild weather over there. Well its not komei, Arthur mentioned the different flower shape for that variety . Put up some pics of a few different flowers plus leaf and general growth pattern when you can and maybe Arthur (or someone else) will see it then and have a better idea for you.

[Pup]

G,day Arthur nice to see you here and giving very helpful information, I am now going to be cheeky, and ask you to post some pictures of your wonderful tree's.

So that others may see that it is not just overseas that have these wonderful plants.

Cheers Pup, you know me as one of the grumpy old men.

[akaruhi]

Hello Pup,

Thanks,

I thought it was about time that I did something as I have been away twice this year and picked up some wonderful info. in Japan. I worked on one of their large trees and have been ibvited back. A nice surprise.
I'll gradually put some of the info. gained out here to help others
.
Pics. Yes coming shortly but everyone can see some of them on the Satsuki Soc ebsite.
http://www.satsukisociety.com

Someone asked about the book. Well that is written and has been revised a bit. Now I have decided to make an e-book of it, embed video demonstrations of techniques and provide an advisory service. Still in the making and hope to have something happening during the next 12 months.

See you all, Arthur

[craigw60]

G'day again, Arthur, your posts are invaluable thanks so much. So when your azalea are in the developmental stage you strip off the flower buds is that correct, it makes perfect sense.
Craigw

[akaruhi]

G'day again, Arthur, your posts are invaluable thanks so much. So when your azalea are in the developmental stage you strip off the flower buds is that correct, it makes perfect sense.
Craigw

Yes,
My Japanese friends were most insistant about stripping the flowers off and keeping them off until the bonsai is well formed with trunk, main branches, secondary and tertiary branches. I am doing this and the results are dramatic in the growth department. About growth they said Water,Water,Water - particularly on the branches ( Make sure you seal those cuts )- and a bit of food. Watering the top of the plant and scrubbing the trunk and main branches with a tooth brush and water will also aid in the health of the tree and encourage it to bud out. Satsuki are great at this and provide you with plenty branching choices.

Sorry if I go on a bit but after 50 years of bonsai Satsuki is what I do.

Arthur

[craigw60]

G'day Arthur, you can go on some more if you like.
Craigw