Satsuki Azalea

[Graeme]

Well, after some disturbingly sad news (Thanks Pup ) I find I do not have any Satsuki Azalea in my plant collection.
Now, I realise this is not the time for these beauties, but any of you Queenslanders out there know of a decent supplier of these wonderful plants?
I may not buy any right now, but would be good to know of a supply in advance. After the last Satski's I purchased turned out not be what the sign above them said, I believe I might like to see my next ones in actual flower.

[AndrewM]

Hey Graeme
I was on the search for satsuki for a long time and you want find much in Qld I have had to look interstate to find some decent verities.

[Graeme]

May Road Trip!!!!!!

(But do I have to go to Victoria?)

[Jamie]

gday mate,

Im pretty sure leigh had some a while back, he is in canberra so not as far as mexico

[Leigh Taafe]

Got stacks - but Andrew has dibs on the first 50 of about 500 that I have. Just got to get my act together and send him some!

[Pup]

I am sorry Graeme, I know how you feel as I bought my Satsuki from the same bloke with the same results. The 3 Azaleas I have, are nice when in flower, so my dissapointment is lessend somewhat when I see them in flower, like now.

I do have an American one called blue moon which is one of the very hardy ones, as yet still young and a long way to go.

I do believe the members of the Satsuki club do have them for sale now and then.

Nealweb might be able to help on that score as he is a member.

Again I am sorry Graeme. Pup

[Graeme]

Hey Pup, no need for you to be sorry mate, Just a tad annoying to have asked the guy if they were Satsuki and then have them turn out to be something other, Not that sad really as I ended up with a couple of nice Azalea, just not what I had hoped for. Made all the worse by the guys reputation, but then I suppose it isn't all his fault either. I know I sold a bit of stuff from my Nursery that wasn't what I thought it was either - it happens and I feel sure if I went back to see him he would do something about the mix up, but I'm not flying back over to Perth over half a dozen Azalea.

I'm just glad you were able to I.D. the little buggers properly for me mate, thank you.

[kcpoole]

I have 7 of Leighs in the ground now ( 1 passed away)

Most are starting to get flower buds on them so will be able to ID them soon Leigh:-)

these are my first Satsuki, so is quite exciting

Ken

[nealweb]

There are quite a few very exiting new varieties on the way. Arthur and the three wise monkeys ( the guys who brought in the kanuma) have invested alot of money and time and heartache importing stuff from Japan and they will all be available but they just need time to propagate and build up stocks. (Some of the original plants died from the quarantine fumigation but they managed to take a few cuttings, these have to grown to see if they show the full range of flowers.) Even the rest of us over here do not have them yet. There is a bunch of more common varieties that we do have, and I think most of them are available in the east too.

Nurseries here on the whole don't stock satsuki either. There is 'Blue Moon' which is everywhere and a very good strong variety. There is Gumpo which varies alot. And Pioneer Gardens nursery also has Yochiyo which is another strong grower from the Osakazuki line. Probably just a form of Chinzan.

John Cole's is an exception. He made a few trips to Japan 10 yrs or more ago and has a few varieties available. They are not grown for bonsai though and are all multi trunked bushes and they are not always available in the sales area all year round. You really need to be out there often and search through the place to get the good ones. He does however have some older stock that is worthwhile if you can get it.

So the best bet is for you to come over for the AABC next year, come along to our Satsuki society AGM which we will probably try to co-incide with it, and take a bunch of stuff home with you. Quarantine doesn't mind it going out of the state!
and if you can't make it over I'm sure a few will and will be taking stuff back with them.

I don't know what of the new stuff will be available by then but it is coming. I'm hanging out for them all too!!!

Just to whet your appetite of stuff that is in the production line but not ready yet there will be Akemi no tsuki, Kakuo, Hatsukansetsu, Miamamangetsu, Nikko, Kozan, Chiyo no homare, Yama no Hikari, Suzu no Homare, Juko just off the top of my head, there are others too

[Chris H]

I have a couple of Leighs which I havent yet ID'd
I also have some cuttings of Bimzakuri (an Aust and NZ hybrid) and I have Issho no Haru (spring of ones life) as well
I am waiting for the cuttings from last year to prove themselves.
I am a year or two away from being able to share some.

[Glenda]

Will the Satsuki or Karume azaleas tolerate heat and humidity? I have quite a few Indica azaleas that do well in shade, and my mother has some Indicas in her garden that are about 10 years old. Both hers and mine flower and flower and flower, but I would really love some of the satsuki or karume.

One of the club members gave me a cutting that Tony Bebb said he thinks is a Satsuki Saotome (the one that doesn't usually flower) and it is doing well, but I like azaleas for the flowers.

Glenda

[nealweb]

Will the Satsuki or Karume azaleas tolerate heat and humidity? I have quite a few Indica azaleas that do well in shade, and my mother has some Indicas in her garden that are about 10 years old. Both hers and mine flower and flower and flower, but I would really love some of the satsuki or karume.

One of the club members gave me a cutting that Tony Bebb said he thinks is a Satsuki Saotome (the one that doesn't usually flower) and it is doing well, but I like azaleas for the flowers.

Glenda

I have no idea about queensland but satsuki love humidity and handle heat too. In Japan it is 35 and above degrees all summer but with very high humidity. Its the very dry heat that they object to in WA. Apparently they like a cooler night time tempo though. Satsuki originate from different enviornments. The ones with the narrow leaves come from up in mountains and prefer a cooler climate while those with a rounder leaf are found growing right down by the beach in the southern islands and are far more heat tolerant.
So (if there is a choice available) you should look for the rounder leaved varieties. 'Blue Moon' is common, fast growing and very tough and beautiful. Takasago is another.

I'm not sure about kurume but they seem pretty tough here.

Good luck

[nealweb]

There are quite a few very exiting new varieties on the way. Arthur and the three wise monkeys ( the guys who brought in the kanuma) have invested alot of money and time and heartache importing stuff from Japan and they will all be available but they just need time to propagate and build up stocks. (Some of the original plants died from the quarantine fumigation but they managed to take a few cuttings, these have to grown to see if they show the full range of flowers.) Even the rest of us over here do not have them yet. There is a bunch of more common varieties that we do have, and I think most of them are available in the east too.

Nurseries here on the whole don't stock satsuki either. There is 'Blue Moon' which is everywhere and a very good strong variety. There is Gumpo which varies alot. And Pioneer Gardens nursery also has Yochiyo which is another strong grower from the Osakazuki line. Probably just a form of Chinzan.

John Cole's is an exception. He made a few trips to Japan 10 yrs or more ago and has a few varieties available. They are not grown for bonsai though and are all multi trunked bushes and they are not always available in the sales area all year round. You really need to be out there often and search through the place to get the good ones. He does however have some older stock that is worthwhile if you can get it.

So the best bet is for you to come over for the AABC next year, come along to our Satsuki society AGM which we will probably try to co-incide with it, and take a bunch of stuff home with you. Quarantine doesn't mind it going out of the state!
and if you can't make it over I'm sure a few will and will be taking stuff back with them.

I don't know what of the new stuff will be available by then but it is coming. I'm hanging out for them all too!!!

Just to whet your appetite of stuff that is in the production line but not ready yet there will be Akemi no tsuki, Kakuo, Hatsukansetsu, Miamamangetsu, Nikko, Kozan, Chiyo no homare, Yama no Hikari, Suzu no Homare, Juko just off the top of my head, there are others too

Just a few corrections to make. It is just Arthur who is propagating all these new varieties, not 3WM and the AGM for the satsuki club won't be in May when the AABC occurs. Sorry However we will have an ordinary meeting in May, which anyone is welcome to attend, its GENERALLY held on the third sunday of the month (I'm not sure when exactly the AABC is).

neal.