Page 122 - Ebook cây cảnh Art of Bonsai

Refining an azalea The finished tree,

six months later
A combination of late spring/early summer
flowers, small leaves, and an ability to bud on
old wood make Satsuki azaleas a popular choice
for bonsai. They can be very brittle and have a

different growth style that requires some special
techniques for success.

‘Hoshi-no-kagayaki’.
Small, star-shaped
flowers are almost
spent and need to
be removed
Special points for Satsuki
Success with azaleas is often more
of a horticultural challenge: they
demand a particular, slightly more
acidic pH of soil and water, and keeping
them well-fed, well-watered, and pest
free can be difficult in the hot summer
months. Left to their own devices,
Satsuki azaleas are multistemmed,
clump-forming shrubs. In bonsai
they are usually styled into artificial
classical or abstract shapes that are
very different from their natural
habit—any styling is possible, just
keep it coherent and attractive.

∙New growth needs to be significantly
thinned: this can mean reducing four
or more new stems to just two shoots.
∙Tertiary branches require hard
pruning every few years to ensure
the branch tips do not become too
old and woody (lignified). Satsuki
readily bud on old wood, so healthy
plants generally recover from a
defoliation and branch pruning.