Compact , low - growing , evergreen plant shrub that is twiggy and dense with a spreading to rounded form . Leaves are lance - shaped to oviform and notably pocket-sized , 1/2 to 2 inch long , than other azalea crossbreed making it the wonderful bonzai plant that it was primitively breed to be . Showy , funnel - mold , light pink to light purple flowers with small purplish - pink marking , 2 1/4 to 3 inches wide . Flowers are contain from May to June . Prune straightaway after flowering so you wo n’t cut off any of next yr ’s flower buds . Plant as you would any of the other azaleas : eminent and in well - drained , acid soil , plenteous with constituent matter . This is a front of the molding azalea because of its grim height . Perfect for the smaller garden . Satsukis seem to be capable to handle a small more sunshine than most azalea , but this does not mean “ red-hot ” sun . permeate light is still good . This Nipponese azalea is a hybridization between Rhododendron indicum and Rhododendron simsii . Though azaleas have a potentially large list of potential pest and disease problems , they are usually hassle free if imbed correctly in proper cultural conditions .
Google Plant Images : click here !
Characteristics
Requirements
Plant Care
Fertilizing
Light
You will notice that sun and shade patterns convert during the day . The westerly side of a house may even be fishy due to shadows cast by orotund trees or a structure from an adjacent property . If you have just bought a new dwelling or just beginning to garden in your old plate , take time to map sun and spook throughout the day . You will get a more precise feel for your site ’s true light-colored condition . Conditions : Filtered LightFor many plants that opt partially shadowy conditions , filtered lightis nonpareil . Good planting sites are under a mid to expectant sized Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree that lets some brightness through their arm or beneath tall plants that will provide some protection . Conditions : Partial Sun , Partial ShadePart sunorpart shadeplants prefer light that is filtered . Sunlight , though not lineal , is significant to them . Often dawn sunshine , because it is not as unattackable as good afternoon sun , can be considered part sun or part shade . If you live in an area that does not get much acute sunlight , such as the Pacific Northwest , a full sun exposure may be hunky-dory . In other country such as Florida , plant in a position where afternoon shade will be received . Conditions : Full to Partial SunFull sunlightis need for many plants to assume their full potential . Many of these plant will do fine with a small less sunlight , although they may not blossom as heavy or their foliage as vivacious . field on the southerly and western sides of construction usually are the sunniest . The only exception is when houses or buildings are so close together , shadows are drop from neighboring properties . Full Sunday usually means 6 or more 60 minutes of direct unobstructed sunlight on a gay day . Partial sun pick up less than 6 hours of Lord’s Day , but more than 3 hours . Plants able-bodied to take full Dominicus in some climates may only be able to tolerate part sun in other climate . Know the culture of the industrial plant before you buy and plant it!Conditions : Types of PruningTypes of pruning admit : pinching , cutting , shearing and rejuvenating .
Pinching is removing the stem tips of a new plant to encourage branching . Doing this avoids the demand for more severe pruning subsequently on .
cutting involves slay whole branches back to the torso . This may be done to open up up the interior of a plant to allow more light source in and to increase air circulation that can cut down on plant disease . The good way to commence thinning is to start by removing dead or diseased wood .
Shearing is leveling the surface of a shrub using hand or galvanising shears . This is done to maintain the desired shape of a hedge or topiary .
rejuvenate is remotion of previous outgrowth or the overall reduction of the size of it of a bush to doctor its original contour and size . It is recommended that you do not remove more than one third of a plant at a meter . Remember to murder branches from the interior of the plant as well as the outside . When rejuvenating plants with cane , such as nandina , cut back cane at various heights so that flora will have a more born look . condition : Light and Plant SelectionFor best works public presentation , it is suitable to match the correct flora with the available light conditions . Right plant life , right place ! plant which do not receive sufficient light may become pale in coloring , have few leave and a " leggy " stretched - out appearance . Also expect plant to grow slower and have few blooms when light is less than suitable . It is possible to bring home the bacon supplemental lighting for indoor plants with lamp . Plants can also have too much light . If a shade loving plant is exposed to direct sun , it may wilt and/or get leaves to be burn or otherwise damaged . condition : Full SunFull Sunis defined as photograph to more than 6 hours of continuous , verbatim Dominicus per day .
Watering
The samara to watering is water deeply and less frequently . When watering , water well , i.e. provide enough water to thoroughly saturate the stem ball . With in - ground plants , this think of thoroughly pluck the territory until urine has perforate to a deepness of 6 to 7 inches ( 1 ' being better ) . With container grown plants , apply enough water to allow water system to hang through the drainage holes .
essay to water plant life ahead of time in the day or afterwards in the good afternoon to conserve water and cut down on industrial plant focus . Do water early enough so that water has had a prospect to dry out from plant leaves prior to night fall . This is overriding if you have had fungus problems .
Do n’t wait to water until plant wilt . Although some plant will recover from this , all plants will die if they droop too much ( when they progress to the permanent wilting level ) .
see water conservation methods such as dripping irrigation , mulching , and xeriscaping . Drip system which slowly drop moisture straightaway on the root system can be purchased at your local home and garden marrow . Mulches can importantly chill the ancestor zone and conserve wet .
Consider tot up water - saving gels to the root zona which will hold a reserve of water for the plant life . These can make a cosmos of difference peculiarly under trying status . Be certain to follow label focusing for their manipulation .
Conditions : Normal Watering for Outdoor PlantsNormal wateringmeans that soil should be kept equally moist and watered regularly , as conditions postulate . Most plants like 1 column inch of water a week during the growing time of year , but take care not to over weewee . The first two years after a plant life is installed , veritable watering is crucial for establishment . The first yr is critical . It is better to urine once a week and water deep , than to water frequently for a few minutes .
Planting
A week to 10 days before planting , add 2 to 4 inches of senior manure or compost and work into the planting web site to improve fertility and increase water keeping and drainage . If filth composition is weak , a bed of topsoil should be see as well . No matter if your soil is sand or clay , it can be amend by adding the same thing : organic matter . The more , the better ; work deep into the territory . set beds to an 18 in cryptical for perennial . This will seem like a tremendous amount of work now , but will greatly give off later . Besides , this is not something that is well done afterward , once plant have been established . How - to : Pruning Flowering ShrubsIt is necessary toprune your deciduous blossoming shrubfor two reasons : 1 . By removing old , discredited or stagnant wood , you increase line stream , pay in less disease . 2 . You rejuvenate Modern ontogenesis which increase flush production .
Pruning deciduous shrubs can be part into 4 group : Those that requireminimal pruning(take out only dead , diseased , damaged , or crossed branch , can be done in early spring.);spring pruning(encourages vigorous , newfangled growth which produces summertime blossom - in other words , prime appear on newfangled wood);summer prune after flower(after efflorescence , cut back shoots , and take out some of the old development , down to the ground);suckering habit pruning(flowers appear on woodwind instrument from previous yr . Cut back flowered stems by 1/2 , to strong growing new shoots and remove 1/2 of the flowered stems a mates of inches from the ground ) Always remove dead , damaged or pathological Grant Wood first , no matter what character of pruning you are doing .
Examples : Minimal : Amelanchier , Aronia , Chimonanthus , Clethra , Cornus alternifolia , Daphne , Fothergilla , Hamamelis , Poncirus , Viburnum . leaping : Abelia , Buddleia , Datura , Fuchsia , Hibiscus , Hypericum , Perovskia , Spirea douglasii / japonica , Tamarix . Summer after bloom : 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 yap twice the size of the root ball and mysterious enough to implant at the same horizontal surface the bush was in the container . If soil is poor , dig hole even wide and make full with a mixture half original soil and half compost or soil amendment .
cautiously remove bush from container and gently separate roots . Position in centre of hole , good side facing forward . fulfil in with original grease or an amended mixture if needed as described above . For larger shrubs , build a weewee well . Finish by mulching and watering well .
If the industrial plant is balled - and - burlapped , take out fasteners and close back the top of innate gunny , tucking it down into muddle , after you ’ve positioned shrub . Make trusted that all burlap is buried so that it wo n’t wick water by from rootball during hot , ironical menses . If synthetic gunny , take out if possible . If not potential , reduce away or make slits to allow for roots to develop into the new grease . For heavy shrub , build a water well . Finish by mulching and watering well .
If shrub is bare - root , look for a discoloration somewhere near the base ; this chump is likely where the territory line was . If dirt is too sandy or too clayey , add organic matter . This will avail with both drainage and water holding capacity . Fill soil , firming just enough to bear bush . Finish by mulching and irrigate well . How - to : Preparing ContainersContainersare first-class when used as an ornamental feature film , a planting option when there is lilliputian or no soil to plant in , or for plants that require a soil type not incur in the garden or when filth drainage in the garden is inferior . If growing more than one flora in a container , ensure that all have similar ethnic requirements . Choose a container that is deep and turgid enough to allow tooth root growth and growth as well as proportional residuum between the fully developed plant and the container . institute large container in the place you intend them to stay . All containers should have drain holes . A interlocking concealment , broken mud heap pieces(crock ) or a theme deep brown filter placed over the hole will keep filth from washing out . The potting soil you take should be an appropriate mix for the plants you have chosen . Quality soils ( or soil - less medias ) absorb wet promptly and equally when wet . If water unravel off soil upon initial wetting , this is an indicator that your soil may not be as good as you reckon .
Prior to take a container with soil , wet pot grime in the bag or place in a vat or garden cart so that it is evenly moist . fulfil container about halfway full or to a level that will allow plants , when constitute , to be just below the lip of the locoweed . Rootballs should be level with ground stock when project is complete . Water well .
Problems
potential control : keep weed down ; manipulation sieve in windows to keep them out ; remove overrun plants away from non - infested plants ; employ a reflective mulch ( aluminum foil ) under plant life ( this repels whiteflies ) ; trap with yellow muggy cards , apply labeled pesticide ; encourage natural enemies such as leechlike wasps in the garden ; and sometimes a good regular exhibitor of body of water will wash them off the plant . Pest : AphidsAphids are modest , diffuse - incarnate , easy - move dirt ball that nurse fluids from plants . Aphidscome in many colors , ranging from unripe to brown to black , and they may have wings . They aggress a across-the-board range of plant coinage causing stunting , deformed leaves and bud . They can transmit harmful plant viruses with their piercing / sucking mouthparts . Aphids , generally , are merely a nuisance , since it takes many of them to cause serious plant life damage . However aphids do acquire a mellisonant pith send for honeydew ( covet by ant ) which can lead to an untempting calamitous surface growth called jet-black mold .
Aphids can increase quickly in numbers and each female can raise up to 250 unrecorded nymph in the line of a calendar month without mating . Aphids often look when the surround changes - fountain & fall . They ’re often massed at the tips of branches feed on lush tissue . aphid are attracted to the colour yellow and will often thumb on yellowish clothing .
Prevention and Control : Keep weeds to an absolute minimum , especially around desirable plants . On victuals , wash off infect area of industrial plant . Lady bugs and lacewings will feed on aphids in the garden . There are various product - organic and inorganic - that can be used to control aphids . Seek the passport of a professional and follow all label procedures to a tee . fungus kingdom : RustsMostrustsare host specific and overwinter on leave , stem and spend flower debris . Rust often appears as small , bright orange , yellow , or brown pustules on the undersurface of leaves . If touched , it will forget a colored spot of spores on the digit . triggered by kingdom Fungi and disseminate by splatter water or pelting , rust is bad when conditions is dampish .
Prevention and Control : Plant repellent variety and put up maximum melodic phrase circulation . scavenge up all debris , particularly around plants that have had a problem . Do not water from command overhead and water only during the twenty-four hour period so that flora will have enough time to dry before Nox . Apply a fungicide label for rusting on your plant . Fungi : Powdery MildewPowdery Mildewis usually get hold on plants that do not have enough air circulation or adequate light . Problems are worse where nights are cool and day are affectionate and humid . The powdery whitened or gray fungus is usually found on the upper surface of leaves or fruit . Leaves will often turn scandalmongering or brownish , draw in up , and neglect off . novel leafage emerges crinkled and misrepresented . Fruit will be dwarfed and often drop early .
Prevention and Control : set resistant varieties and infinite works decent so they receive tolerable light and air circulation . Always urine from below , keeping water off the leaf . This is paramount for roses . Go easily on the nitrogen fertilizer . practice fungicides accord to recording label directions before problem becomes severe and stick to directions exactly , not neglect any required treatments . Sanitation is a must - clean up and remove all leaves , blossom , or rubble in the fall and demolish . cuss : CaterpillarsCaterpillars are the young form of moths and butterflies . They are esurient feeders attacking a broad variety show of plants . They can be extremely destructive and are characterized as leaf feeders , stem turn borers , leaf rollers , cutworm and tent - formers .
Prevention and Control : keep weeds down , scout individual plants and dispatch caterpillar , apply labeled insecticides such as soaps and rock oil , take advantage of natural enemy such as parasitic white Anglo-Saxon Protestant in the garden and habituate Bacillus thuringiensis ( biological warfare ) for some caterpillar species . Diseases : Pythium and Phytophtora Root RotRot Rot , PythiumorPhytophthoraoccurs when grease moisture levels are excessively high-pitched and fungous spores present in the dirt , come in middleman with the susceptible flora . The base of stem discolor and recoil , and leaves further up the angry walk wilt and die out . leaf near foundation are affected first . The root will flex black and rot or break . This fungi can be introduced by using unsterilized soil mix or contaminated body of water .
Prevention and ControlRemove affected industrial plant and their roots , and discard surrounding soil . Replace with plants that are not susceptible , and only utilise fresh , unsex soil mix . nurse back on fertilizing too . Try not to over weewee plants and make indisputable that soil is well drained prior to planting . This fungus is not treatable by chemical substance .
Rhizoctonia Root and Stem Rot symptoms look similar to Pythium Root Rot , but the Rhizoctonia fungus seems to thrive in well drained soils . plague : Scale InsectsScales are insect , refer to mealy microbe , that can be a job on a wide variety of plants - indoor and out-of-door . youthful scales Australian crawl until they encounter a good feeding site . The grownup female then misplace their wooden leg and stay on a smirch protect by its unvoiced shell stratum . They appear as swelling , often on the lower side of leaf . They have piercing mouth part that give suck the sap out of industrial plant tissue . weighing machine can weaken a plant leading to yellow foliage and leaf drop . They also raise a sugared substance called honeydew ( covet by ants ) which can lead to an unattractive bleak surface fungal increment shout sooty mold .
Prevention and Control : Once give they are hard to hold . Isolate overrun plants off from those that are not infested . look up your local garden center professional or Cooperative Extension office in your county for a legal recommendation regarding their ascendancy . further natural enemy such as parasitic wasps in the garden . Diseases : southerly BlightPlants with southerly blight have lesion on the base at , or dear , the soil line . These lesions develop rapidly , girdling the stem and resulting in a sudden and permanent wilting of the plant . mellow temperatures ( above 85 degrees F , 29 degree C ) favor the disease . The fungus attacks a wide range of plants and survives for long period in grunge . To control , address with a recommended fungicide consort to label directions . cuss : LacebugsLacebugsare livid to pale brown , 1/8 in long , rectangular in shape with have lacy wings and unremarkably found on the underside of foliage where they suck sap . Nymphs may appear bristly and glum than adults . Lacebugs , which do not fly , are sometimes confused with whitefly that do fly . hurt ordinarily appears as stipples or " " decolor - looking " " fleck on the leave . Hard , black excrement can usually be encounter on the underside of leaves . Damage is most seeable during the summer , especially on tree diagram . Flowering bush , though alive , come along weak and almost lifeless .
Prevention and Control : If plague is mild , wash away with a jet of smarmy water or prune aside infest farewell or tree branch . Timing is important : spray according to the Growing Degree Days ( GDD ) in your area . To assure insects , spray underside of farewell with a recommended insecticide according to label way . Conditions : ChlorosisEntire leafage or area around veins in folio appear icteric . This is the result of diminish iron consumption from the soil due to higher pH or waterlogged soil . It is important to know the pH requirement of plants . Prior to planting , amend soil to meliorate drain and correct pH , if necessary . Chlorosis is common in plant life mature close to concrete or plant in alkaline soils . Treat with an branding iron supplement according to label directions .
Miscellaneous
The most significant thing to consider is get sufficient water take up into the cut shank . deficient water can result in wilting and short - inhabit heyday . crumpled neck opening of roses , where the flower brain sag , is the result of inadequate weewee consumption . To maximize water uptake , first re - cut down the stem at an angle so that the vascular system ( the " " plumbing " " of the radical ) is clear . Next immerse the cut stem in warm water .
Remember when the flower is trim , it is issue off from its food supplying . Once water is acquire care of , solid food is the resource that will go out next . The plant life stems course feed the flowers with sugars . If you bestow a moment of lettuce ( 1 tsp . ) to the vase weewee , this will help tip the flower stem and stretch forth their vase life .
Bacteria will build up in vase weewee and finally clog up the stem so the flower can not take up urine . To prevent this , change the vase water system oft and make a new cut in the stems every few sidereal day .
Floral preservatives , available from florists , contain sugars , dot and bactericide that can widen cut flower life story . These come in humble packets and are generally available where undercut bloom are sell . If used by rights , these can go the vase life of some thinned flower 2 to 3 metre when compare with just plain water in the vase . Glossary : TolerantTolerant refers to a plant ’s ability to abide exposure to an outside condition(s ) . It does not mean that the plant thrives or prefers this berth , but is able-bodied to adapt and bear on its life bike . Glossary : Growth BudsPlant stems contain legion bud that will grow and regenerate a industrial plant when stimulated by pruning . There are three canonic types of bud : terminal , lateral and hibernating . Terminal buds are at the tips of sprig or outgrowth . They grow to make the branch or twig longer . In some cases they may give rise to a bloom . If you cut the wind of a branch and polish off the terminal bud , this will advance the sidelong buds to grow into side branches resulting in a thicker , bushier flora . sidelong buds are low down on the sprig and are often at the point of leaf fond regard . Pruning them encourages the concluding bud , resulting in a long , thin offset . Dormant buds may remain inactive in the bark or stem and will only grow after the industrial plant is dilute back .
