any ideas on this azalea

[rawhide]

howdy peeps ,
got this azalea a few years ago and done nothing with it till this spring where i threw it into a pot so i would look after it
when i got it it was some sort of japanese azalea but not satsuki that I am sure of. any ideas ?
only started flowering this week where all other azaleas in my garden are winding up their show.
cheers jason

[kcpoole]

with it flowering this late, you sure it is not satsuki?

anyway I love the flowers

If you are happy with the size of it, would be reducing the branch length so it start to build ramification and tight foliage pads

Ken

[rawhide]

Tanks Ken,
when i purchased this tree I went looking for a satsuki they are hard to find down here in nurseries ,but this one had a tag on it saying
it was a japanese azalea but it didnt say it was satsuki but it did start with a S i think ,had a rising sun on the lablel as i remember.
sorry to be so vague

[nealweb]

Looks like a satsuma called 'Kairaku' to me but there are alooooot of azaleas

[rawhide]

Thanks Neal ,
that does sound vaguely familiar
cheers Jason

[nealweb]

Actually looks more like 'Shugetsu'...I think

[rawhide]

Actually looks more like 'Shugetsu'...I think

now I am confused they both start with S

[AndrewM]

Gday Jason
I would be going with Kairaku as the petal shape is different on the Shugetsu.
Have a look at this Jason it might help you.
http://bonsaispecials.nl/Kairaku.html
Andrew

[Glaucus]

Definitely satsuki-type. Probably 'Shugetsu'. Might be 'Sendai' aka 'Geisha Girl' (I hear they are the same and Nuccio renamed it, then it) or 'Sakuragata'. Probably not Kairaku.
Blotch really makes it seem like 'Shugetsu'.

What to do? Prune it into the shape you want. I don't really have any bonsai ideas but you definitely need to make a decision. Do you want it to be like a bonsai tree or try something strange and interesting? But you probably already made your decision and pruned. Hope it turns out nice. Be careful with the moss through. It will keep the bark moist and it can cause it to start rotting.

Sorry for bumping all the azalea threads.

[rawhide]

Hey Guys ,just been rearranging the shed and come across a old desk i used to keep all my bonsai tools in
and found the tag for this Azalea it is Shugetsu ,oh well thats what the tag said anyway, tags are not always right
thanks for the input guys