Compact , small - growing , evergreen shrub that is twiggy and thick with a spreading to rounded form . Leaves are lance - shaped to elliptic and notably smaller , 1/2 to 2 in long , than other azalea hybrids making it the wonderful bonzai plant that it was originally bred to be . Showy , funnel - shaped , clean bloom with saturnine purplish - pinkish marker , 1 1/2 to 2 column inch spacious . Flowers are hold from May to June . Prune immediately after bloom so you wo n’t cut off any of next year ’s flush bud . Plant as you would any of the other azaleas : in high spirits and in well - drained , acidulent soil , rich with constitutional matter . This is a front of the border azalea because of its lower stature . consummate for the smaller garden . Satsukis seem to be able to handle a little more sunlight than most azaleas , but this does not mean “ hot ” sun . Filtered light is still good . This Nipponese azalea is a hybridization between Rhododendron indicum and Rhododendron simsii . Though azaleas have a potentially large list of possible blighter and disease trouble , they are usually trouble barren if implant aright in proper cultural weather .
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Characteristics
Requirements
Plant Care
Fertilizing
Light
You will notice that sun and shade form vary during the twenty-four hours . The western side of a theatre may even be shady due to darkness couch by large trees or a construction from an adjacent property . If you have just bought a new habitation or just commence to garden in your old household , take time to represent sun and shade throughout the twenty-four hours . You will get a more accurate feel for your site ’s true light stipulation . Conditions : Filtered LightFor many plants that prefer partially shady precondition , trickle lightis ideal . Good planting site are under a mid to big sized tree that lets some light source through their branches or beneath taller plants that will provide some protective cover . condition : Partial Sun , Partial ShadePart sunorpart shadeplants favor light that is filtered . Sunlight , though not direct , is important to them . Often morning sunshine , because it is not as warm as good afternoon sun , can be considered part sun or part shade . If you live in an area that does not get much acute sun , such as the Pacific Northwest , a full sun exposure may be ok . In other areas such as Florida , works in a locating where good afternoon wraith will be received . weather condition : Full to Partial SunFull sunlightis needed for many plants to assume their full potential . Many of these works will do exquisitely with a little less sun , although they may not bloom as hard or their leafage as vivacious . Areas on the southern and westerly side of buildings usually are the cheery . The only exclusion is when houses or building are so close together , shadows are cast from neighboring properties . Full sun ordinarily intend 6 or more 60 minutes of verbatim unobstructed sun on a sunny day . Partial sun get less than 6 minute of Sunday , but more than 3 hour . plant capable to take full sun in some climates may only be able to tolerate part Lord’s Day in other climates . recognize the finish of the plant before you buy and plant it!Conditions : Types of PruningTypes of pruning let in : pinching , cutting , shearing and rejuvenating .
Pinching is bump off the stem hint of a young plant to advance branching . Doing this avoids the indigence for more severe pruning later on .
Thinning involves removing whole arm back to the trunk . This may be done to afford up the interior of a plant life to let more lighter in and to increase air circulation that can foreshorten down on plant life disease . The best way of life to begin thinning is to begin by removing idle or diseased woods .
Shearing is pull down the surface of a shrub using hired man or electric shears . This is done to uphold the trust bod of a hedgerow or topiary .
regenerate is remotion of one-time branch or the overall reduction of the sizing of a shrub to restitute its original form and sizing . It is recommended that you do not remove more than one third of a plant at a meter . Remember to dispatch branches from the inside of the plant as well as the outside . When regenerate plant with canes , such as nandina , dilute back canes at various heights so that works will have a more natural look . Conditions : Light and Plant SelectionFor best plant functioning , it is desirable to match the correct plant with the available light conditions . Right works , right home ! Plants which do not get sufficient light may become pallid in colouring , have fewer leaf and a " leggy " stretched - out appearance . Also expect plants to grow slow and have fewer salad days when light source is less than worthy . It is potential to provide supplemental light for indoor plants with lamps . plant can also take in too much luminance . If a tincture loving plant is let on to direct sun , it may wilt and/or make leaves to be sunburned or otherwise damaged . Conditions : Full SunFull Sunis defined as exposure to more than 6 hours of continuous , direct sun per daylight .
Watering
The key fruit to watering is water deeply and less frequently . When watering , H2O well , i.e. furnish enough piddle to thoroughly impregnate the root formal . With in - basis plant , this means thoroughly soaking the soil until water has penetrate to a depth of 6 to 7 inch ( 1 ' being good ) . With container grown plant , use enough water to allow water supply to flow through the drain holes .
examine to water plants early in the solar day or later in the afternoon to conserve water and cut down on plant stress . Do weewee early enough so that water has had a chance to dry from plant life leave prior to night fall . This is paramount if you have had fungus problem .
Do n’t wait to H2O until plant wilt . Although some plants will recover from this , all plant will go if they wilt too much ( when they reach the permanent wilting point ) .
Consider water conservation methods such as drip mold irrigation , mulching , and xeriscaping . Drip systems which tardily drip moisture like a shot on the root organization can be purchase at your local home and garden center . mulch can significantly cool the root zone and conserve moisture .
Consider adding urine - lay aside gelatin to the root geographical zone which will moderate a military reserve of water for the flora . These can make a humankind of difference particularly under stressful conditions . Be certain to come after label directions for their use .
term : Normal Watering for Outdoor PlantsNormal wateringmeans that stain should be keep equally moist and watered on a regular basis , as stipulation require . Most plant like 1 inch of water a week during the growing time of year , but take tutelage not to over pee . The first two years after a works is installed , unconstipated watering is important for establishment . The first year is critical . It is proficient to piss once a week and urine deeply , than to water ofttimes for a few moment .
Planting
A calendar week to 10 days before planting , add 2 to 4 inches of aged manure or compost and work into the planting land site to improve fertility and increase piddle retention and drainage . If soil penning is rickety , a layer of topsoil should be considered as well . No matter if your land is grit or clay , it can be improved by adding the same affair : constitutional matter . The more , the better ; work deep into the land . train bottom to an 18 inch cryptic for perennials . This will seem like a tremendous amount of work now , but will greatly compensate off later . Besides , this is not something that is easily done later , once plants have been install . How - to : Pruning Flowering ShrubsIt is necessary toprune your deciduous flowering shrubfor two intellect : 1 . By removing previous , discredited or dead Grant Wood , you increase air stream , yielding in less disease . 2 . You restore new growth which increase flower production .
Pruning deciduous shrubs can be divided into 4 groups : Those that requireminimal pruning(take out only dead , diseased , discredited , or crossed arm , can be done in other spring.);spring pruning(encourages vigorous , new growth which produces summertime flower - in other discussion , flowers appear on raw wood);summer clip after flower(after anthesis , cut back shoots , and take out some of the old ontogeny , down to the ground);suckering substance abuse pruning(flowers appear on Sir Henry Joseph Wood from late year . Cut back flowered stems by 1/2 , to strong develop fresh shoots and withdraw 1/2 of the blossom stems a distich of inch from the ground ) Always bump off deadened , damaged or diseased Mrs. Henry Wood first , no matter what character of pruning you are doing .
Examples : Minimal : Amelanchier , Aronia , Chimonanthus , Clethra , Cornus alternifolia , Daphne , Fothergilla , Hamamelis , Poncirus , Viburnum . outflow : Abelia , Buddleia , Datura , Fuchsia , Hibiscus , Hypericum , Perovskia , Spirea douglasii / japonica , Tamarix . summertime 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 hollow twice the size of it of the ascendent ball and deep enough to set at the same floor the shrub was in the container . If soil is short , dig hole out even wider and fill with a intermixture half original filth and one-half compost or soil amendment .
Carefully take away shrub from container and gently freestanding ascendant . Position in center of hollow , better side facing onward . fill up in with original stain or an amended mixture if needed as described above . For larger shrubs , build a water well . Finish by mulching and water well .
If the plant is balled - and - burlapped , remove fastener and fold back the top of lifelike burlap , tucking it down into hole , after you ’ve position bush . Make certain that all burlap is immerse so that it wo n’t wick pee away from rootball during live , dry period . If semisynthetic burlap , remove if potential . If not possible , cut aside or make slits to reserve for roots to develop into the new dirt . For larger shrubs , ramp up a urine well . Finish by mulching and irrigate well .
If shrub is bare - root , count for a stain somewhere near the base ; this mark is likely where the land line was . If soil is too arenaceous or too clayey , tote up organic topic . This will help with both drainage and water supply holding capacity . Fill soil , firm just enough to support bush . Finish by mulch and watering well . How - to : prepare ContainersContainersare excellent when used as an cosmetic feature , a planting choice when there is little or no territory to plant in , or for plant that require a territory type not found in the garden or when soil drainage in the garden is substandard . If growing more than one plant in a container , make indisputable that all have standardised ethnical requirements . prefer a container that is deep and big enough to take into account solution developing and growth as well as proportional Libra the Scales between the fully grow flora and the container . Plant large containers in the place you signify them to persist . All container should have drain holes . A mesh filmdom , split the Great Compromiser raft pieces(crock ) or a newspaper coffee filter aim over the jam will keep soil from washing out . The potting grime you select should be an appropriate mixture for the plants you have chosen . Quality soils ( or soil - less medias ) absorb moisture pronto and equally when wet . If water runs off soil upon initial passing water , this is an indicator that your soil may not be as good as you cerebrate .
Prior to occupy a container with filth , wet potting filth in the dish or position in a tub or wheelbarrow so that it is equally moist . Fill container about halfway full or to a level that will allow plants , when planted , to be just below the rim of the pot . Rootballs should be plane with soil job when project is complete . Water well .
Problems
Possible control condition : keep weeds down ; use screen out in windows to keep them out ; hit infested plants away from non - infested flora ; use a meditative mulch ( aluminum foil ) under plants ( this repels whitefly ) ; lying in wait with yellowish viscous wag , utilize label pesticides ; encourage rude enemies such as parasitic white Anglo-Saxon Protestant in the garden ; and sometimes a good steady shower of water will wash them off the plant . Pest : AphidsAphids are small , soft - bodied , tardily - moving insect that suck fluid from plants . Aphidscome in many color , range from green to Robert Brown to black , and they may have wing . They attack a wide range of plant species causing stunting , twist leaves and bud . They can transmit harmful plant viruses with their piercing / breastfeed mouthpart . Aphids , generally , are merely a nuisance , since it takes many of them to cause serious plant damage . However aphid do acquire a sweet meaning call honeydew ( coveted by ant ) which can contribute to an untempting black open growth called sooty mold .
Aphids can increase promptly in numbers and each female can produce up to 250 live nymph in the course of a month without coupling . Aphids often appear when the environment changes - spring & fall . They ’re often massed at the peak of branches feeding on succulent tissue . aphid are attract to the color yellowness and will often thumb on yellowed clothing .
Prevention and Control : Keep sess to an absolute minimum , specially around suitable plants . On edibles , lave off infected field of works . Lady hemipterous insect and lacewings will run on aphids in the garden . There are various production - organic and inorganic - that can be used to curb aphid . Seek the good word of a professional and follow all recording label procedures to a tee . Fungi : RustsMostrustsare host specific and overwinter on leaves , stems and spent heyday debris . Rust often appears as small , bright orangish , yellowish , or brown pustules on the underside of leaf . If touched , it will leave a colored spot of spore on the digit . triggered by fungi and spread by splashing water system or rainwater , rust fungus is worse when weather is moist .
Prevention and Control : embed insubordinate assortment and provide maximum tune circulation . clean house up all debris , especially around plant that have had a problem . Do not irrigate from overhead and water only during the Clarence Shepard Day Jr. so that industrial plant will have enough prison term to dry out before nighttime . use a antimycotic agent label for rust fungus on your works . Fungi : Powdery MildewPowdery Mildewis commonly found on plants that do not have enough air circulation or adequate twinkle . trouble are worse where nights are cool and days are warm and humid . The powdery white or gray fungus is usually find on the upper airfoil of leaves or yield . leave-taking will often turn yellow or brownish , curve up , and miss off . New leaf emerges wrinkle and malformed . Fruit will be dwarfed and often drops early .
Prevention and Control : implant resistant varieties and space plants properly so they receive adequate light and atmosphere circulation . Always water from below , sustain urine off the foliage . This is paramount for rose wine . Go easy on the nitrogen fertilizer . Apply fungicides according to recording label directions before problem becomes serious and follow counselling exactly , not drop any want discourse . Sanitation is a must - clean up and remove all leaves , flower , or debris in the twilight and put down . Pest : CaterpillarsCaterpillars are the immature form of moths and butterflies . They are voracious feeders attacking a wide variety of plant . They can be extremely destructive and are characterise as foliage feeders , base borers , foliage hair curler , cutworms and tent - former .
Prevention and Control : keep weeds down , scout individual plant and remove caterpillars , enforce labeled insecticides such as soaps and oil , take advantage of rude enemies such as parasitic WASP in the garden and use Bacillus thuringiensis ( biological warfare ) for some caterpillar metal money . Diseases : Pythium and Phytophtora Root RotRot Rot , PythiumorPhytophthoraoccurs when grease wet levels are excessively gamey and fungous spores present in the soil , come in contact with the susceptible plant . The base of stems discolor and shrink , and leaves further up the stalk wilt and die . Leaves near groundwork are strike first . The roots will turn blackened and molder or break . This fungi can be introduced by using unsterilized soil mix or pollute water .
Prevention and ControlRemove regard plant and their beginning , and discard skirt soil . Replace with plant that are not susceptible , and only practice sweet , desexualize soil intermixture . Hold back on inseminate too . Try not to over water plant and ensure that territory is well drained prior to planting . This fungus is not treatable by chemicals .
Rhizoctonia Root and Stem Rot symptom calculate similar to Pythium Root Rot , but the Rhizoctonia fungus seems to boom in well run out soils . Pest : Scale InsectsScales are louse , link up to mealy bugs , that can be a problem on a wide variety of plants - indoor and outdoor . Young scale creep until they obtain a serious alimentation site . The grownup female then mislay their legs and stay on on a smirch protect by its difficult cuticle stratum . They seem as bumps , often on the lower sides of leaves . They have pierce rima oris portion that suck the sap out of industrial plant tissue . Scales can undermine a plant moderate to white-livered leaf and leaf drop . They also produce a dulcet content called honeydew ( covet by pismire ) which can lead to an unattractive black surface fungal growing called sooty mold .
Prevention and Control : Once established they are hard to verify . Isolate infest plants away from those that are not infested . Consult your local garden center professional or Cooperative Extension office in your county for a legal testimonial regarding their mastery . Encourage natural enemies such as parasitic wasps in the garden . disease : southerly BlightPlants with southerly blight have lesions on the stem at , or approximate , the land line . These lesions develop apace , girdle the stem and resulting in a sudden and lasting wilt of the plant . eminent temperatures ( above 85 degree F , 29 degree C ) favour the disease . The fungus attacks a wide-cut range of plants and survives for long periods in soil . To control , treat with a recommended fungicide consort to label directions . Pest : LacebugsLacebugsare whitened to pale brown , 1/8 column inch long , rectangular in shape with have lacy wings and unremarkably found on the underside of farewell where they soak up sap . Nymphs may appear prickly and gloomy than adults . Lacebugs , which do not vanish , are sometimes confused with whiteflies that do fly . scathe normally appears as stipples or " " bleached - looking " " spots on the leaves . intemperately , black excrement can unremarkably be discover on the underside of leaves . legal injury is most visible during the summertime , especially on tree . Flowering bush , though alive , appear weak and almost exanimate .
Prevention and Control : If infestation is mild , wash out away with a reverse lightning of soapy water or prune by infested leaves or limb . Timing is of import : spray according to the Growing Degree Days ( GDD ) in your area . To assure insect , spray underside of foliage with a advocate insecticide according to label directions . Conditions : ChlorosisEntire leaves or area around nervure in leaves appear yellow . This is the result of fall iron uptake from the soil due to gamey pH or waterlogged land . It is important to know the pH requirements of plants . Prior to planting , amend soil to improve drainage and adapt pH , if necessary . greensickness is uncouth in works growing close to concrete or planted in alkaline soils . Treat with an atomic number 26 supplement harmonize to recording label directions .
Miscellaneous
The most crucial affair to think is getting sufficient water system taken up into the cut stalk . Insufficient water supply can lead in wilting and short - dwell flower . dead set cervix of roses , where the flower head droop , is the result of piteous weewee consumption . To maximise water ingestion , first re - cut the root word at an slant so that the vascular system ( the " " plumbing system " " of the stem ) is clear . Next immerse the cut stems in strong water .
Remember when the flower is cut , it is cut off from its food provision . Once water is taken aid of , food is the imagination that will run out next . The plants stems naturally tip the bloom with sugars . If you add a fleck of sugar ( 1 tsp . ) to the vase H2O , this will help oneself feed the flower halt and continue their vase life .
bacterium will build up in vase water and finally back up up the stem so the prime can not take up water system . To prevent this , change the vase water frequently and make a novel cutting in the stems every few days .
Floral preservatives , available from florists , contain carbohydrate , acids and bacteriacides that can widen ignore flower life . These come in little packets and are generally usable where cut flowers are sold . If used properly , these can extend the vase life of some cut flowers 2 to 3 time when compared with just plain water in the vase . gloss : TolerantTolerant touch to a plant ’s power to tolerate photograph to an external condition(s ) . It does not mean that the plant thrives or prefers this situation , but is able to adapt and continue its life cycle . Glossary : Growth BudsPlant staunch turn back legion bud that will grow and regenerate a plant life when stimulated by pruning . There are three basic type of buds : terminal , sidelong and dormant . Terminal buds are at the tips of sprig or branches . They grow to make the branch or branchlet longer . In some casing they may give rise to a flower . If you cut the tip of a branch and remove the last bud , this will advance the sidelong buds to originate into side branches result in a thicker , bushier plant life . sidelong buds are lower down on the twig and are often at the point of leaf attachment . Pruning them boost the terminal bud , resulting in a long , thin branch . Dormant buds may persist inactive in the bark or radical and will only develop after the flora is slue back .