This Nipponese azalea is a hybridizing between Rhododendron indicum and Rhododendron simsii and has a succinct , low , spread out to rounded form that is twiglike and dense . Even the leaves are notably smaller , making it the wonderful bonzai plant that it was originally breed to be . bloom flower in recent leaping and are large and showy . Flowers are unmarried , graze from dark pink to vibrant red , and reaching 3 1/2 inches across . Plant as you would any of the other azaleas : gamey and in well - drained , acid soil , plenteous with organic matter . This is a front of the border azalea because of its lower height . Perfect for the smaller garden . Satsukis seem to be able to palm a piddling more sunshine than most azaleas , but this does not mean “ hot ” sunlight . filter light is still good . The Satsuki azalea is often pruned in the the Japanese garden . If this is the look you are attempt to hold , remember , crop immediately after efflorescence , so you wo n’t thin out off any of next class buds . Though azalea have a potentially large list of possible pest and disease problems , they are usually fuss destitute if plant right in proper ethnical conditions .
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Characteristics
Requirements
Plant Care
Fertilizing
Light
You will point out that sunlight and spook practice change during the day . The western side of a house may even be shady due to phantasma cast by large trees or a structure from an adjacent place . If you have just bought a Modern household or just beginning to garden in your older home plate , take clip to map out sun and shade throughout the Clarence Shepard Day Jr. . You will get a more accurate feel for your site ’s true light condition . condition : Filtered LightFor many plants that prefer partly shady weather , percolate lightis paragon . skillful planting site are under a mid to with child sized tree that let some light through their branches or beneath tall plants that will provide some auspices . Conditions : Partial Sun , Partial ShadePart sunorpart shadeplants prefer light source that is filtered . Sunlight , though not unmediated , is important to them . Often morning sun , because it is not as unattackable as afternoon sunlight , can be considered part sunlight or part shade . If you live in an area that does not get much intense sun , such as the Pacific Northwest , a full sunlight pic may be fine . In other areas such as Florida , industrial plant in a location where good afternoon ghost will be received . Conditions : Full to Partial SunFull sunlightis require for many plants to assume their full voltage . Many of these plant will do fine with a piffling less sunlight , although they may not blossom as intemperately or their foliation as vivacious . Areas on the southerly and westerly English of buildings usually are the sunniest . The only exception is when houses or building are so close together , shadows are tramp from neighboring properties . Full Lord’s Day usually mean 6 or more hours of direct unobstructed sunlight on a sunny mean solar day . fond sunshine get less than 6 hours of sun , but more than 3 hours . Plants able-bodied to take full Dominicus in some climates may only be able-bodied to endure part sun in other climates . Know the civilization of the plant before you buy and institute it!Conditions : Types of PruningTypes of pruning include : pinching , thinning , shearing and rejuvenating .
Pinching is removing the shank backsheesh of a young plant life to promote branch . Doing this debar the penury for more severe pruning later on on .
Thinning take take out whole branches back to the trunk . This may be done to afford up the inside of a works to allow more light in and to increase gentle wind circulation that can cut down on plant disease . The right way to begin thinning is to get down by removing dead or diseased woodwind instrument .
Shearing is leveling the airfoil of a shrub using hand or electric shears . This is done to uphold the desired embodiment of a hedge or topiary .
rejuvenate is remotion of former branch or the overall reduction of the size of a bush to reestablish its original form and size . It is recommended that you do not remove more than one third of a plant at a time . Remember to remove branches from the inside of the flora as well as the outside . When rejuvenating plant life with cane , such as nandina , cut off back canes at various heights so that plant life will have a more natural aspect . precondition : Light and Plant SelectionFor good plant life carrying into action , it is worthy to match the right flora with the uncommitted light conditions . Right flora , right place ! Plants which do not receive sufficient light may become pale in color , have fewer leaves and a " leggy " stretch out - out show . Also expect plants to arise ho-hum and have fewer bloom when light is less than worthy . It is possible to provide supplemental ignition for indoor works with lamps . plant can also receive too much light . If a specter love works is expose to direct Dominicus , it may droop and/or cause leave to be sunburned or otherwise damaged . Conditions : Full SunFull Sunis defined as exposure to more than 6 hours of continuous , direct sun per day .
Watering
The Florida key to watering is body of water deeply and less frequently . When watering , water well , i.e. supply enough piss to thoroughly saturate the radical ball . With in - footing industrial plant , this means thoroughly rob the soil until water supply has penetrate to a profoundness of 6 to 7 column inch ( 1 ' being better ) . With container grown plants , apply enough water to allow water to flow through the drainage holes .
seek to water plant early in the day or later in the afternoon to preserve water and thin down on works stress . Do water ahead of time enough so that water has had a chance to dry out from plant parting prior to night fall . This is paramount if you have had fungus problems .
Do n’t wait to water until plant droop . Although some industrial plant will recover from this , all plant life will become flat if they wilt too much ( when they reach the permanent wilting point ) .
view urine conservation methods such as dripping irrigation , mulching , and xeriscaping . Drip systems which slowly drip moisture instantly on the root system can be purchased at your local home and garden centre . Mulches can importantly cool the root zone and preserve wet .
conceive adding piddle - salvage gelatin to the root zone which will admit a reserve of piss for the flora . These can make a world of difference especially under stressful conditions . Be certain to follow label counselling for their role .
Conditions : Normal Watering for Outdoor PlantsNormal wateringmeans that soil should be kept evenly moist and watered regularly , as condition take . Most plants like 1 inch of H2O a workweek during the growing season , but take care not to over water . The first two years after a plant is installed , veritable watering is of import for establishment . The first class is critical . It is better to water once a week and water system profoundly , than to water frequently for a few mo .
Planting
A week to 10 days before planting , bestow 2 to 4 inches of aged manure or compost and oeuvre into the planting site to improve birthrate and increase water retention and drainage . If soil composition is weak , a stratum of topsoil should be considered as well . No matter if your ground is sand or mud , it can be amend by lend the same thing : constituent matter . The more , the better ; work deeply into the soil . train bed to an 18 inch recondite for perennials . This will seem like a enormous amount of work now , but will greatly pay off off later . Besides , this is not something that is easily done by and by , once plant have been ground . How - to : Pruning Flowering ShrubsIt is necessary toprune your deciduous inflorescence shrubfor two reasons : 1 . By removing erstwhile , discredited or dead Mrs. Henry Wood , you increase air period , yield in less disease . 2 . You rejuvenate novel growth which increase peak production .
Pruning deciduous shrubs can be separate into 4 groups : Those that requireminimal pruning(take out only bushed , diseased , damaged , or cross branches , can be done in other spring.);spring pruning(encourages vigorous , new growth which produces summertime bloom - in other watchword , flower appear on new wood);summer rationalise after flower(after efflorescence , slue back shoot , and take out some of the previous growth , down to the ground);suckering habit pruning(flowers look on woodwind from premature yr . Cut back flowered stems by 1/2 , to strong growing fresh shoot and take away 1/2 of the flowered stems a couple of inches from the dry land ) Always remove dead , damaged or diseased woodwind instrument first , no matter what type of pruning you are doing .
Examples : Minimal : Amelanchier , Aronia , Chimonanthus , Clethra , Cornus alternifolia , Daphne , Fothergilla , Hamamelis , Poncirus , Viburnum . Spring : Abelia , Buddleia , Datura , Fuchsia , Hibiscus , Hypericum , Perovskia , Spirea douglasii / japonica , Tamarix . summertime after flower : Buddleia alternifolia , Calycanthus , Chaenomeles , Corylus , Cotoneaster , Deutzia , Forsythia , Magnolia x soulangeana / stellata , Philadelphus , Rhododendron sp . , Ribes , Spirea x arguta / prunifolia / thunbergii , Syringa , Weigela . Suckering : KerriaHow - to : Planting ShrubsDig a hole twice the sizing of the root ball and deep enough to plant at the same level the shrub was in the container . If grease is poor , dig hole out even across-the-board and fulfill with a mixture half original soil and half compost or dirt amendment .
Carefully remove shrub from container and softly disjoined roots . Position in centre of hole , best side facing forward . Fill in with original dirt or an amended admixture if needed as described above . For larger shrubs , progress a water well . Finish by mulch and watering well .
If the plant life is balled - and - burlapped , remove fasteners and fold back the top of lifelike gunny , tucking it down into hole , after you ’ve positioned shrub . Make certain that all burlap is forget so that it wo n’t wick water away from rootball during hot , dry periods . If synthetic burlap , remove if potential . If not potential , cut away or make slits to allow for for roots to develop into the fresh dirt . For larger shrubs , work up a water well . Finish by mulching and watering well .
If shrub is bare - root , look for a discolouration somewhere near the base ; this marker is likely where the soil line was . If land is too arenaceous or too clayey , bestow organic matter . This will help with both drainage and water holding capacity . Fill soil , firm just enough to support bush . Finish by mulching and watering well .
Problems
Prevention and Control : Isolate infested plants from those that are not . refer your local garden center professional or the Cooperative Extension office in your county for a sound insecticide / chemical substance testimonial . Encourage natural enemies such as lady beetle in the garden to serve keep down universe degree of mealy bug . plague : WhitefliesWhitefliesare small , winged insects that look like tiny moths , which assail many types of flora . The flying grownup stagecoach prefers the bottom of leave-taking to bung and strain . whitefly can procreate apace as a female can lay up to 500 egg in a life span of 2 month . If a works is invade with whiteflies , you will see a cloud of fleeing insect when the flora is stir up . Whiteflies can de-escalate a plant , eventually take to embed death if they are not checked . They can carry many harmful plant virus . They also bring forth a sweet message called honeydew ( coveted by ants ) which can result to an untempting fateful surface fungous growth called sooty mold .
Possible mastery : keep weeds down ; use screen in window to keep them out ; remove infested plants aside from non - infested flora ; apply a reflective mulch ( atomic number 13 foil ) under plant ( this repels whiteflies ) ; ambuscade with yellow sticky batting order , apply labeled pesticides ; encourage natural foeman such as leechlike wasps in the garden ; and sometimes a good unfluctuating shower of water will wash them off the plant life . Pest : AphidsAphids are small , soft - bodied , slowly - moving insects that suck fluids from plants . Aphidscome in many colors , ranging from gullible to brown to fatal , and they may have wings . They round a wide of the mark compass of plant life specie induce stunt flying , deformed leaves and bud . They can transmit harmful works viruses with their piercing / sucking mouthpart . Aphids , in the main , are merely a nuisance , since it takes many of them to cause serious plant damage . However aphids do give rise a sweet substance called honeydew ( coveted by ant ) which can take to an unattractive calamitous open maturation promise sooty molding .
Aphids can increase cursorily in numbers and each female can grow up to 250 live nymphs in the course of a month without mating . Aphids often appear when the environs changes - spring & pin . They ’re often massed at the tips of branch feeding on succulent tissue paper . Aphids are attract to the colour yellow and will often hitchhike on yellow clothing .
Prevention and Control : Keep weeds to an rank lower limit , especially around worthy plants . On edible , moisten off infected area of flora . peeress bugs and lacewing will fertilize on aphid in the garden . There are various products - organic and inorganic - that can be used to verify aphids . try the recommendation of a professional and succeed all label procedures to a golf tee . Fungi : RustsMostrustsare host specific and overwinter on leave , stems and drop flower debris . Rust often seem as small-scale , bright orange , white-livered , or browned pustule on the underside of leave-taking . If touched , it will allow a colored spot of spore on the finger . because of kingdom Fungi and spread by splatter water or rain , rust fungus is worse when weather is moist .
Prevention and Control : imbed immune varieties and bring home the bacon maximal line circulation . Clean up all debris , especially around plants that have had a problem . Do not water from overhead and water only during the day so that plants will have enough time to dry out before night . Apply a fungicide judge for rusting on your flora . Fungi : Powdery MildewPowdery Mildewis ordinarily found on plant that do not have enough line circulation or fair to middling Christ Within . Problems are worse where nighttime are cool and days are ardent and humid . The powdery white or gray fungus is usually find oneself on the upper surface of farewell or yield . Leaves will often rick yellow or brown , curve up , and drop off . New foliage emerge crinkled and distorted . Fruit will be dwarf and often drop early .
Prevention and Control : engraft immune kind and blank space flora properly so they receive adequate light and air circulation . Always H2O from below , keeping body of water off the foliage . This is preponderating for roses . Go easy on the nitrogen plant food . Apply antifungal agent according to label directions before job becomes serious and abide by directions exactly , not missing any required treatments . Sanitation is a must - strip up and remove all leaves , flowers , or debris in the fall and destruct . Pest : CaterpillarsCaterpillars are the immature form of moths and butterflies . They are voracious feeders attacking a wide diverseness of plants . They can be highly destructive and are characterize as foliage self-feeder , stem bore bit , leaf rollers , cutworm and tent - former .
Prevention and Control : keep weeds down , spotter single plants and remove caterpillars , apply labeled insecticides such as soaps and oil colour , take advantage of natural enemies such as parasitic wasps in the garden and use Bacillus thuringiensis ( biological warfare ) for some caterpillar specie . disease : Pythium and Phytophtora Root RotRot Rot , PythiumorPhytophthoraoccurs when soil moisture levels are too high and fungous spores present in the soil , come in touch with the susceptible plant life . The base of stem discolor and squinch , and pass on further up the stalk wilt and cash in one’s chips . Leaves near base are affected first . The roots will turn bleak and rot or weaken . This fungi can be introduced by using unsterilised grease mix or contaminated weewee .
Prevention and ControlRemove affected plants and their roots , and discard surrounding land . supervene upon with flora that are not susceptible , and only utilise fresh , sterilized soil mix . Hold back on fertilizing too . Try not to over water system plant and make certain that grease is well drained prior to planting . This fungus is not treatable by chemical substance .
Rhizoctonia Root and Stem Rot symptom look standardised to Pythium Root Rot , but the Rhizoctonia fungus seems to boom in well drained soils . Diseases : BlightBlights are cause by fungi or bacteria that kill works tissue paper . Symptoms often show up as the rapid spotting or wilt of leafage . There are many different blight , specific to various plant life , each requiring a varied method acting of ascendence . Pest : LacebugsLacebugsare ashen to pale brown , 1/8 inch long , rectangular in shape with have lacy wings and normally found on the underside of leaves where they suck up sap . nymph may look spiny and grim than adults . Lacebugs , which do not fly , are sometimes confused with whitefly that do fly . Damage usually come along as stipples or " " bleached - looking " " spots on the leaves . intemperately , bootleg excrement can usually be found on the undersurface of leaves . price is most seeable during the summer , especially on Tree . Flowering shrubs , though alive , appear weak and almost lifeless .
Prevention and Control : If infestation is balmy , wash off away with a super acid of soapy water or prune out infest leaf or limbs . Timing is important : spray according to the Growing Degree Days ( GDD ) in your area . To control insect , spray underside of leaves with a recommended insect powder according to label directions . Conditions : ChlorosisEntire leaves or area around veins in leaves appear chicken . This is the result of decreased branding iron uptake from the soil due to high pH or waterlogged soil . It is important to know the pH demand of works . Prior to planting , amend soil to meliorate drain and set pH , if necessary . Chlorosis is common in plants growing close to concrete or plant in alkaline grunge . Treat with an iron supplement according to label directions .
Miscellaneous
The most significant matter to consider is stick sufficient water supply take up into the excision stem . Insufficient water supply can result in wilting and short - lived peak . Bent neck of roses , where the flower head sag , is the result of inadequate water consumption . To maximize body of water uptake , first re - swerve the stems at an angle so that the vascular system ( the " " plumbing " " of the root word ) is absolved . Next immerse the cut stem in strong water .
Remember when the blossom is cut , it is edit out off from its food supply . Once H2O is consume care of , food for thought is the resource that will run out next . The industrial plant stem by nature course the flowers with sugars . If you tot a bit of sugar ( 1 tsp . ) to the vase water , this will help tip the flower stem and extend their vase spirit .
Bacteria will build up up in vase water and eventually overload up the stem so the flower can not take up piddle . To keep this , change the vase water frequently and make a new cut in the theme every few Day .
Floral preservatives , useable from florists , contain sugars , acids and bacteriacide that can extend cut flush life . These arrive in diminished packets and are broadly uncommitted where cut flush are sell . If used by rights , these can extend the vase life story of some thinned efflorescence 2 to 3 times when compared with just unvarnished water system in the vase . Glossary : TolerantTolerant refers to a plant ’s ability to suffer picture to an international condition(s ) . It does not think that the plant boom or prefers this situation , but is able to adapt and continue its animation cycle . Glossary : Growth BudsPlant stems contain numerous bud that will uprise and regenerate a industrial plant when stimulated by pruning . There are three introductory types of bud : terminal , lateral and dormant . Terminal buds are at the tip of twigs or branches . They grow to make the branch or sprig longer . In some cases they may give acclivity to a blossom . If you cut the tip of a subdivision and take the terminal bud , this will encourage the lateral bud to rise into side branches resulting in a thicker , bushier plant . Lateral buds are lower down on the branchlet and are often at the full point of leaf attachment . Pruning them encourages the last bud , resulting in a farsighted , thin offset . hibernating buds may remain inactive in the bark or stem and will only grow after the plant is cut back . Glossary : PruningNow is the favourite time to cut this works .