Azalea's galore

[alpineart]

These are some of the Azalea's i plan to remove from the terraces and start their journey into bonsai trainers

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.I planted 78 x 3 and 4 yo different varieties 17 years ago and have trimmed them every year with hedge trimmers .

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Only 30 remain today as i was told i the early day to feed them with dynamic lifter, bloody big mistake listening to garden center experts . Some of them have 100-200mm bases with 30-40 mm trunks , most are multi trunk plants but they could easily be split into twin and single trunk .

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Numerous style options here that's for sure . They are growing in clay and shale so the only soil around them is decomposed pine bark and mulch which i dressed the terraces with over 200 tonnes of it in the first 10 years i was here . They have grown very well most have been maintained at around 900mm in diameter . I will use this natural blend and will add some scoria to the mulched soil , Digging these will take place in 4 weeks hopefully before the surgeon decides re-set the leg

Cheers Alpineart

[kcpoole]

I love digging Azaleas. They are easy to dig and transpalant, and the results can be very impressive in a short time too

these look nice alpine

Ken

[Andrew F]

Your collection is crazy.

[alpineart]

Hi kc , i can dig them that's not a problem , keeping them alive seems to be the hardest issue .I have had some ripper trunks 50mm plus but they die after a couple of years ,so its going to be a challenge this time around.

Hi V.S my collection crazy , no mate i'm probably the crazy one

Cheers guys .Alpine

[kcpoole]

How come you cannot keep azaleas?
I have heaps in pots and they thrive,
Ken

[alpineart]

Hi kc , mate i have a few in Big garden pot and the grow well , put them in bonsai pots and 2-3 years they are history . This time i will use big bonsai pots and blend the mulched material they have grown in for almost 20 years and see how they go . Need big pot as these aren't little plants

[Brian]

Hi kc , i can dig them that's not a problem , keeping them alive seems to be the hardest issue .I have had some ripper trunks 50mm plus but they die after a couple of years ,so its going to be a challenge this time around.

Hi V.S my collection crazy , no mate i'm probably the crazy one

Cheers guys .Alpine

Mr Alpine,
I have collected many azaleas over the years and had good success when I completely and carefully washed all the old soil from the roots before repotting. Azaleas have a really fine root system.

[alpineart]

Hi Mr Brian , mate you had best come up and show me how its done . These has excellent fibrous root masses and i wash them but the blend i have used need working on .I was thinking of blending some scoria with the decomposed mulch and giving that a lash . Any suggestion on any other care .

Cheers Mr Alpine

[alpineart]

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Well after a serious trial of the new blend i can see good results from here . Mind you i did loose 2 of the smaller tree's but still have plenty to play with . Here is a few of the flowers on some of the plants potted and still in the ground .

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Hopefully i will have the rest out after the flowering season .

Cheers Alpineart

[kcpoole]

Nice flowers Alpine
the white and green one looks just like my Alba Magna I collected a few years ago

Ken

[alpineart]

Hi kc, mate this has change since being in the green house , this is the usual colour a patch or stripe of pink on every cluster , not every flower

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The name doesn't ring a bell but then they were purchased 17-18 years ago and i can't remember the names of most of them .

Cheers Alpine

[kcpoole]

Hmmm Mine does not heve pink flecks on it
Have no idea what yours will be then

Ken

[AndrewM]

Very nice flowers Ian
The second flower (the pink with the white edge) I have one of those but have no idea what it is called Any Ideas

[alpineart]

Hi Andrew , mate it was called Mrs Kint all those years ago . That particular one is still sold at most nurseries today however the flower seems much larger than mine . I have one with the same flower and a solid Charisse pink on one side of the plant , hope it survives as i can't remember which plant it was . I still have about 10 to flower so it may be in there . Spotted a massive satsuki today , i will approach the owner to see if i can collect a ground layer or two of it , it would have to be 50-80 yo . I know a good bloke who collects them , they seem to be flowering all over the area as are most Azalea's and Rhodies. I will get a few pics if i can find the spare time , that sound like an RDO "required day off" is on the cards .

Cheers Alpine

[Barry1]

Alpine interesting that you mention Dynamic lifter as being a problem for azaleas , I am using a recipe from the Satsuki club and the main ingredient is Dynamic lifter ... the results up this point are fantastic , for anyone wanting to make their own fertilizer cakes the recipe is on the Australian Satsuki club site

Barry