Learn how to care and shape Azalea Bonsai with tips on pruning., and watering for bright blooms and a healthy miniature tree.
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 habitat. Any styling is possible, just keep it coherent and attractive.
Azalea Bonsai Care and Shaping Guide
DIY bonsai: Refining an azalea
Satsuki azaleas can be very brittle and have a different growth style that requires some special techniques for success.
New growth needs to be significantly thinned: this can mean reducing four or more new stems to just two shoots.
Step 1: Removing the spent flowers
1. Remove the flowers as soon as their petals start to wilt. If wilted petals get wet, there is a high probability of fungal problems developing, so act promptly and remove the whole bloom, both the purple petals and the central ovular stem. If the ovule is left to develop, it will turn into a seed, and the tree will become exhausted.
2. Hold the branch steady with one hand just behind the tip, then pinch and twist off the petals and the central ovule. Take care not to pull too hard to avoid damaging the branch.
3. Foliage remains at the end of the branch, but the flower is removed entirely. From this point, you can expect at least two—and perhaps four or five—new shoots to develop within about two weeks.
4. With the flowers removed, it is time to start thinking about the styling of your azalea. This example has grown out of shape: there are several leggy branches, and the structure lacks definition (Long, leggy growth will need to be tackled).
Step 2: Create the basic skeleton
1. Thin out congested trunks. This azalea has an unsightly clump of six or seven stems originating from a single node near the base of the second trunk, which needs to be reduced down to just two (Start by removing the weakest stems and spindly growth)
2. Carefully remove the weakest growth with branch pruners. Gradually thin out the clump, continually assessing the tree’s overall structure until just two strong, well-positioned stems remain.
Treat the wound. The scar will form a small callus that will eventually become less obvious. The thinned tree now has a pleasing branch division with a natural-looking V-shape. Clean the wound and cover with sealant.
3. Thin out crowded branch tips. It may be difficult to decide which is the best placed pair: always remove branches growing directly up or down, back into the tree, or any that are very strong.
4. Horizontal branches can help to create a good structural skeleton. Here, the shoots that remain are relatively thin, but they are nicely placed and separate in a pleasing, well-balanced V-shape (two horizontal branches create a clear framework).
The pruned tree
Tertiary branches require hard pruning every few years to ensure the branch tips do not become too old and woody (lignified). Satsuki readily buds on old wood, so healthy plants generally recover from defoliation and branch pruning.
