[mtarros] Azalea

[mtarros]

Species: Azalea
Height: 38cm
Origin: Hawkins nursery
Cost: $30

Was thinking of cutting alot of the side branches off and regrowing most of them.
The leaves are small but not too sure how big the flowers are I will find out soon as the flowers are starting to open.

[NathanM]

Great looking little azalea bud

[mtarros]

Thanks I hope I can do it justice.

[mtarros]

Here is an update on the tree.

I have cut it back hard trying to find a trunk line that I can work on a crown.

There is some more branches that need cutting back more but decided to do itat a later time when the tree get a bit more stonger.
Also did some root work and just put it back into the grow pot.

Did find a curl grub in it too, hope there are no more in there.

Hope this does not die on me as this was my first time doing root work on a tree.
I removed a bit over half of the roots and there were no big roots going deep into the pot.

[kcpoole]

Some nice lines on that one too
The curl grub can be a worry tho I have never seen only 1 in a pot my self.

You can try to drown the buggers by Submerging the pot in water for an hour. repeat every few weeks

Ken

[nealweb]

Nice work! looking good.
I don't know how tall it is now but I would have considered cutting it off at that right hand branch that you wired (looking at the middle pic here) and taking that one slightly more upright to continue as the trunk. Then you get more movement, more taper, a shorter tree and can start a crown with the twigs coming off that. Just a thought anyway.

cheers.

n.

[mtarros]

The curb was found in the bottom part of the pot.

I cleaned the rootball with the water hose to try and get a smaller root ball and did not see any grubs.

I might try the drowning method to be 100 % sure.

I was thinking of cutting it lower but was not sure at the time, I will probably cut it back.

[mtarros]

Hi,

Here is an update on the tree

[mtarros]

This little tree is now starting to take off.

Still need to pick the branching, just letting them grow a bit more.

[mtarros]

just letting it grow out a bit more before wiring it up more

[Glaucus]

This one is getting a long quite well. I see a lot of options for design. Seems you won't be growing the trunk much fatter. It looks like it has a good height for the size of the leaves and flowers right now. But it seemed you wired it up more straight. Maybe you should go for something a bit more dramatic.

[The Hacker]

Hi Mtarros,

If I had this tree I would air layer the top of at that main fork just over half way up the tree, It look's like it has 2 main & 3 small trunk's coming out at that point then you would have a very nice compact tree & also a second smaller tree, thus adding to your collection

Regard's The Hacker

[Pup]

This tree has to be reduced quite a lot as it is approx 41cm and has to be no more than 25, so developing the crown is a waste.
As you do not have enough time to layer it off,
It will just have to go.

Just my

[kcpoole]

I was just thinking the same as Pup when i read his post

You do not have enough time to Layer the top, then regrow your apex and foliage canopy before October.
I would be cutting the long growth now and them wiring all branches to where you need them to go.
Over the next Few Months they will set in place and you can also pinch the tips to generate the small shoots to build the canopy line you will need.

The top you cut off you can grow as a cutting. Put in a put and put a plastic tent over it.

If you work the foliage hard over the next few months, you will have a nice looking tree for the comps finish.

Ken

[Glaucus]

Tall and thin azalea are fine, if that's what you want. But they generally have some dramatic going with their braches. Often twin trunks or something a bit unorthodox. You still will have to prune away one of the two branches that fork in the apex.
If it is straight and thin, you really need some skillful wiring and foliage pads design. Or really interesting sporting satsuki flowers.
Otherwise it may be a bit boring or it may need to be less tall. Then the trunk to height ratio will make it look stronger as a bonsai and it can be simpler.

Otherwise, the trunk probably needs to be fattened up, growing out as many sacrificial branches over many years. That's what I think.