How to take care of your Azalea Bonsai

Azalea are known for its bright pink blooms of stunning colors from bright red to pale pearl or red and white on the same bloom. It is commonly known as the "Royalty of the Garden". It is in Asia where it originated. The Buddhist monks cultivated Azaleas in different areas of Asia. Rhododendron which are Azalea Bonsai are probably the most common of the Bonsai Plants and there are many species to choose from. The nice thing about them is that they are very durable and pleasant to look at. Azalea Bonsai is one of the most popular bonsai in Japan and the Satsuki type is the chosen one among all the cultivar groups of azalea. The name Satsuki refers to the bloom period of the plant which is in the month of May to June (in accordance with the Asian lunar calendar) and they bloom later in the spring than other types, producing generous quantities of bright pink blossoms.

The Japanese believe in simplicity when it comes to aesthetics. And that is exactly what a tiny azalea bonsai reflects. Its culture is deeply rooted in the Asian culture and it adds not only a touch of class to your garden and home, but it also can provide a beautifully sedate focus for relaxation and meditation in your balcony.

The lovely thing about bonsai are that you can shape them in any style or design you desire. This is why it is an art. Although the Azalea can be used almost for all bonsai styles it is generally used for the root-over-rock, informal upright, slanting, semi-cascade style. Most bonsai artists will not shape one as a windswept or cascade style, as these do not reflect the natural growth habit of the Azalea. 

But we need to be aware that very few bonsai growers work with Azaleas because of the difficulty of keeping them healthy. There are, however, a few simple secrets that will allow just about anyone who is interested to grow a beautiful Azalea bonsai.

Azaleas come in roughly three varieties: Satsuki and Kurume, which are native to Japan, and the American Azalea, or Rhododendron, which is used extensively in landscaping in South America. The American varieties usually have larger leaves and flowers than the Japanese varieties. American Azaleas typically bloom in early spring. Satsuki and Kurume Azaleas typically have small leaves, which makes them better subjects for bonsai. 

The most common of the azalea bonsai tree to use is the Satsuki azalea bonsai. These types of flowers are by far the most popular in Japan to use as bonsai. The bonsai satsuki azalea is a hybrid that contains many distinct varieties of flowers within the species. They come in a wide variety of sizes and colors and often there are people that devote themselves to simply growing this species.

The Kurume azalea is also another species popular for use as a bonsai. It is a cross between the R kaempferi, R. obusum and R. kiusianum and has a wide range of colors with small funnel shaped flowers.

Unlike other Azaleas that bloom in early spring, the Chinzan can bloom frequently in late spring and summer, with many large 2″ salmon colored blooms. Satsuki Azaleas are known for their prized flowers and small evergreen leaves. Easy outdoor care.

Growing a bonsai from seed has its own merits. Most seeds will grow into plants inferior to the parents as the parents were selected from batches of hundreds of thousands of plants grown from seeds.  

Growing azalea from seed is a slow process at first. The good thing is that you can even create your own specie by the so called 'hybridizing'. By crossing two azaleas you can create many new azaleas that look different from both parents. Azalea and rhododendron seeds are very small as they are wind carried. The seedlings need special care. But they germinate well. An azalea will flower in 3 to 5 years when grown from seed. You can have something to put into a pot that will have one or more nice flowers in 5 or a bit more years. A real tree-like bonsai will take 10 more years. A big azalea will take 5 more. A big and old looking, add 10, 20 or more years. 

This is also why azalea or rhododendron seeds are often not available to be bought. 

Buying azalea nursery stock for bonsai is also often difficult. Especially if you want satsuki azalea, who have different flower aesthetics from western-bred azalea. In the west, different flowers on the same plant are an imperfection against which was selected strongly. 

Evergreen azaleas you can buy at almost all nurseries, but they are styled to be multi-trunk plants so they will make nice round bushes.

Satsuki azalea have several merits to them, but they are just another type of azalea cultivar. To me they are special because of the flower patterns.

In Europe, satsuki azalea are very rare. They are not used as garden plants and bonsai nurseries don't grow them themselves. They are all imported from Japan and importing cheaper smaller azalea is not worth the costs involved in importing. In the US we can have more luck as they grow well in the southern states close to the coasts (specially here in Miami). But strangely, in European countries with similar climates, they also don't seem available. Azalea should always be kept away from direct exposure to sunlight, especially in the summer season. It only needs partial sun. So it could be kept in a shade or a place which gets filtered sunlight. That is why it is a perfect option for your balcony. During the winter the tree should be protected from cold and chilly winds, ideally it should be placed in a greenhouse so that it gets shielded in a warm environment.

The type of soil to use for growing bonsai azaleas is one of the most important aspects of having a healthy plant. The soil needs to have good drainage, an acidic base of 5.0 to 6.0 and good ventilation. One way to accomplish this is to use a combination of 60 percent inorganic matter like perlite, sharp sand or Turface and 40 percent organic material such as pine bark or peat moss. Another good combination is to use 2 parts of peat moss, 2 parts of pine bark and 1 part of pumice.The soil mix used should not contain any small particles though, as it makes the watering of the plant difficult.

It is better to keep your Azalea in a damp soil, just damp enough to ensure that the plant is not in a drought condition. For this you need to monitor the soil and consider watering the plant whenever you find the soil to be dry. Just use your index finger to feel the moisture levels of the soil to determine if your bonsai needs watering. You should never let the soil completely dry out. If kept dry for too long, it could suffer serious damage. While watering you should always try to use natural water, using chlorinated water will result in the soil loosing its acidity and this could damage your bonsai.  If you need to use hard water, consider adding a teaspoon of vinegar to a gallon of water and using that once every month.  Make sure to water every other day during the summer hotter days and soak your Satsuki in a bucket of water for 10 minutes once a week.

For new azalea bonsai repotting should be donet every year, but once the plant gets old you could consider repotting it every two or three years. When repotting ensure, that you trim a third of the the root balls and any mats that have formed in the roots.  

Azalea should be pruned during the late summer (at the end of every flowering season) and wiring should be considered during the months of spring to summer.  You should be cautious while pruning the old branches as they are very delicate and easy to break off.  Do not trim the Azalea Bonsai tree until after flowering, then you remove all the dead flowers. Clip the branches according to your own design. Also place the wire loosely or not too tight so as not to hurt the wood.  

The Azalea is different from most plants used for bonsai. It grows most dominantly at the sides and base of the plant rather than at the top. So you need harder pruning at the bottom and sides. It responds well to being hard pruned and cut back to a stump after flowering. Do not do this two years in a row.  You should use aluminum wire instead of your traditional copper wire to shape your azalea bonsai because azaleas have brittle branches that can snap if you’re too aggressive with your wiring.

The azaleas need fertilizer but not while they have flowers. Begin in spring and do it every two weeks until you notice the buds. If you fertilize while the plant flowers, you will lose both flowers and buds. After the flowering begin the regime of fertilizing again but only do it once every month. Since this is an acid loving plant, use the fertilizer appropriate for that type of plant. Try to feed it with organic fertilizers.You could also consider using chemical fertilizers; generally you should use a half strength solution of any good Bonsai Fertilizer available at your local store. While using chemical fertilizers you should consider feeding the plant fortnightly.

Several pests like the azalea; like the caterpillars, aphids, scale insects and white flies. Remember that if you spray open flowers with a pesticide, they’ll wilt and fall. While you can use pesticides or insecticides to get rid of these pests, there is actually a more natural way to get rid of bugs without having to use pesticides. (For example you can use this home made Garlic Tea Spray by boiling a pint of water, throw in roughly chopped garlic cloves and steep until the water cools. Remove the garlic bits then spray).

I hope you have liked this post. Please leave your comment and let us know how we can improve our blog.