AusBonsai

These are some of the Azalea's i plan to remove from the terraces and start their journey into bonsai trainers .I planted 78 x 3 and 4 yo different varieties 17 years ago and have trimmed them every year with hedge trimmers .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 . 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

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

Your collection is crazy.

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

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

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

alpineart wrote: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.

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

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

Cheers Alpineart

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

Ken

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 flowerThe 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

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

Ken

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

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

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