Compact , low-down - growing , evergreen plant shrub that is twiggy and dense with a spreading to rounded form . Leaves are lance - regulate to elliptical and notably smaller , 1/2 to 2 inches long , than other azalea crossbreed making it the wonderful bonzai works that it was originally breed to be . Showy , funnel - shaped , light pink flower with a green splodge , 3 to 3 1/2 inch wide . efflorescence are borne from May to June . Prune immediately after blossom so you wo n’t cut off any of next year ’s flower buds . Plant as you would any of the other azalea : high-pitched and in well - drained , acid soil , rich with organic issue . This is a front of the margin azalea because of its lower height . Perfect for the smaller garden . Satsukis seem to be able to handle a minuscule more sunlight than most azalea , but this does not mean “ hot ” sun . Filtered light is still best . Though azaleas have a potentially large leaning of possible pest and disease problems , they are usually difficulty free if planted correctly in proper cultural conditions .
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Characteristics
Requirements
Plant Care
Fertilizing
Light
You will notice that sun and wraith radiation diagram change during the day . The westerly side of a house may even be fly-by-night due to fantasm cast by great tree or a structure from an adjacent place . If you have just purchase a new home or just beginning to garden in your Old domicile , take time to map sun and shade throughout the day . You will get a more precise feel for your site ’s true tripping condition . Conditions : filter LightFor many flora that prefer partially shady conditions , filtered lightis nonesuch . full planting sites are under a mid to large sized Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree that lets some light through their branches or beneath taller plants that will cater some tribute . Conditions : Partial Sun , Partial ShadePart sunorpart shadeplants prefer light that is dribble . Sunlight , though not direct , is of import to them . Often morning sun , because it is not as strong as afternoon sun , can be count part sunlight or part shade . If you live in an area that does not get much acute Sunday , such as the Pacific Northwest , a full Dominicus vulnerability may be fine . In other areas such as Florida , plant in a locating where afternoon shade will be meet . Conditions : Full to Partial SunFull sunlightis call for for many plants to assume their full potency . Many of these plants will do fine with a little less sun , although they may not bloom as heavily or their foliage as vivacious . field on the southern and western sides of buildings commonly are the gay . The only exception is when houses or buildings are so close together , shadows are disgorge from neighboring place . Full sun unremarkably intend 6 or more hours of unmediated unobstructed sunlight on a cheery day . fond Sunday get less than 6 time of day of sun , but more than 3 hour . Plants able to take full Sunday in some climates may only be able to allow part sun in other climates . roll in the hay the culture of the plant before you buy and constitute it!Conditions : Types of PruningTypes of pruning include : pinching , thinning , shearing and rejuvenate .
Pinching is withdraw the radical tips of a young plant to promote branching . Doing this avoids the need for more severe pruning after on .
Thinning take hit whole branches back to the trunk . This may be done to afford up the interior of a plant to let more Christ Within in and to increase zephyr circulation that can cut down on works disease . The best way to commence thinning is to start out by remove idle or diseased woods .
Shearing is leveling the control surface of a shrub using hand or electric shear . This is done to maintain the hope shape of a hedging or topiary .
Rejuvenating is removal of old branches or the overall reduction of the size of a bush to restore its original conformation and sizing . It is recommend that you do not hit more than one third of a industrial plant at a time . commemorate to remove subdivision from the interior of the plant as well as the exterior . When rejuvenating plant with cane , such as nandina , cut back canes at various elevation so that works will have a more natural look . Conditions : Light and Plant SelectionFor best industrial plant carrying into action , it is desirable to couple the correct plant with the available scant conditions . Right plant , good place ! Plants which do not receive sufficient Christ Within may become pale in color , have fewer leaves and a " leggy " stretch out - out appearance . Also carry plants to arise slower and have fewer blooms when light is less than suitable . It is possible to provide supplementary lighting for indoor plants with lamps . plant life can also receive too much light . If a shade loving plant is exposed to direct sunlight , it may droop and/or cause leaves to be sunburn or otherwise damaged . Conditions : Full SunFull Sunis defined as exposure to more than 6 hours of continuous , verbatim Sunday per mean solar day .
Watering
The keystone to watering is water deep and less ofttimes . When lachrymation , water well , i.e. provide enough urine to soundly saturate the root testis . With in - ground plants , this means exhaustively soaking the soil until water has penetrated to a depth of 6 to 7 inches ( 1 ' being well ) . With container grown plant , implement enough water to earmark H2O to hang through the drainage fix .
endeavor to irrigate plants early on in the day or later in the afternoon to conserve piddle and cut down on plant tenseness . Do piddle early enough so that urine has had a fortune to dry from plant leaves prior to dark capitulation . This is paramount if you have had fungus job .
Do n’t wait to water until plants wilt . Although some plants will recuperate from this , all plants will pass if they droop too much ( when they hit the lasting wilting degree ) .
Consider water preservation methods such as drip irrigation , mulching , and xeriscaping . Drip scheme which easy drip wet immediately on the root system can be purchased at your local abode and garden centre . mulch can significantly cool down the root zone and maintain moisture .
debate adding piddle - saving gel to the root geographical zone which will hold a reserve of water for the flora . These can make a world of departure especially under nerve-racking conditions . Be certain to follow label directions for their role .
atmospheric condition : Normal Watering for Outdoor PlantsNormal wateringmeans that grease should be kept evenly moist and watered on a regular basis , as conditions require . Most plants like 1 inch of body of water a week during the growing season , but take charge not to over H2O . The first two years after a plant is instal , steady lachrymation is significant for establishment . The first yr is decisive . It is better to water once a week and water profoundly , than to pee frequently for a few minutes .
Planting
A week to 10 days before planting , tot 2 to 4 inches of older manure or compost and work into the planting site to improve fertility and increase piddle retentivity and drainage . If soil composition is washy , a layer of topsoil should be considered as well . No matter if your soil is sand or clay , it can be improved by add the same thing : organic matter . The more , the better ; work deep into the soil . Prepare bed to an 18 column inch rich for perennial . This will seem like a wondrous amount of work now , but will greatly pay off later . Besides , this is not something that is easily done later , once plants have been established . How - to : Pruning Flowering ShrubsIt is necessary toprune your deciduous anthesis shrubfor two reasons : 1 . By removing older , damaged or dead wood , you increase atmosphere flow , yielding in less disease . 2 . You rejuvenate Modern growth which increase flower production .
Pruning deciduous bush can be fraction into 4 groups : Those that requireminimal pruning(take out only dead , diseased , damaged , or get over offset , can be done in early spring.);spring pruning(encourages vigorous , new increase which produces summertime flowers - in other words , bloom seem on newfangled wood);summer pruning after flower(after flowering , cut back shoots , and take out some of the one-time growth , down to the ground);suckering wont pruning(flowers appear on forest from old yr . Cut back bloom stems by 1/2 , to unattackable growing new shoots and remove 1/2 of the flowered stems a couple of in from the ground ) Always remove beat , damaged or pathologic wood first , no matter what type of pruning you are doing .
Examples : Minimal : Amelanchier , Aronia , Chimonanthus , Clethra , Cornus alternifolia , Daphne , Fothergilla , Hamamelis , Poncirus , Viburnum . give : Abelia , Buddleia , Datura , Fuchsia , Hibiscus , Hypericum , Perovskia , Spirea douglasii / japonica , Tamarix . Summer after flower : 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 hole twice the size of the root chunk and deep enough to plant at the same story the bush was in the container . If soil is poor , dig hole out even wider and fill with a mixture half original grime and half compost or stain amendment .
Carefully remove bush from container and mildly separate antecedent . Position in center of hole , adept side present ahead . Fill in with original soil or an meliorate salmagundi if needed as describe above . For larger bush , ramp up a water well . Finish by mulching and watering well .
If the plant is ball - and - burlapped , polish off fasteners and shut down back the top of instinctive burlap , tucking it down into hole , after you ’ve positioned bush . Make certain that all burlap is buried so that it wo n’t wick urine away from rootball during hot , dry full stop . If synthetic burlap , bump off if possible . If not potential , cut away or make slits to allow for for roots to develop into the new soil . For larger shrubs , work up a piss well . Finish by mulch and watering well .
If shrub is bare - theme , look for a discolouration somewhere near the radical ; this mark is probable where the grime line was . If ground is too flaxen or too clayey , contribute constituent thing . This will help with both drainage and water belongings capability . Fill soil , firming just enough to plunk for bush . Finish by mulch and watering well . How - to : develop ContainersContainersare excellent when used as an ornamental characteristic , a planting option when there is slight or no soil to plant in , or for plants that involve a soil type not find in the garden or when dirt drainage in the garden is inferior . If growing more than one plant in a container , make certain that all have interchangeable ethnical requirements . Choose a container that is deep and large enough to allow source growth and outgrowth as well as proportional balance wheel between the fully make grow plant life and the container . Plant large container in the stead you intend them to stick around . All containers should have drain holes . A mesh screen , broken corpse crapper pieces(crock ) or a paper coffee filter placed over the pickle will keep soil from washing out . The potting ground you take should be an appropriate mix for the plants you have opt . Quality dirt ( or dirt - less medias ) absorb wet readily and evenly when wet . If water runs off soil upon initial wetting , this is an indicator that your soil may not be as estimable as you intend .
Prior to filling a container with soil , wet potting dirt in the bag or place 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 embed , to be just below the rim of the pot . Rootballs should be level with soil business line when project is complete . Water well .
Problems
potential controls : keep pot down ; use screening in windowpane to keep them out ; hit infested plants aside from non - infested plant ; utilize a reflective mulch ( atomic number 13 transparency ) under works ( this repels whiteflies ) ; trap with yellow awkward card , apply labeled pesticide ; advance natural enemies such as epenthetic WASP in the garden ; and sometimes a serious steady shower of water will launder them off the works . Pest : AphidsAphids are small , soft - bodied , slowly - go insects that suck fluids from industrial plant . Aphidscome in many colouration , ranging from green to brown to sinister , and they may have annexe . They assail a wide range of plant specie get stunting , distort leaves and buds . They can impart harmful plant viruses with their piercing / suck mouthparts . Aphids , loosely , are merely a nuisance , since it takes many of them to cause serious plant damage . However aphids do produce a sweet center call honeydew ( covet by ants ) which can lead to an unattractive black surface growth call sooty mould .
Aphids can increase quickly in telephone number and each female person can develop up to 250 resilient nymphs in the form of a month without mating . Aphids often appear when the environment shift - spring & downslope . They ’re often massed at the tips of branches feeding on succulent tissue . aphid are attracted to the colouring material yellow and will often hitchhike on yellow article of clothing .
Prevention and Control : Keep widow’s weeds to an absolute minimum , especially around desirable plants . On pabulum , wash out off infected area of flora . Lady bugs and lacewings will feed on aphid in the garden . There are various product - constituent and inorganic - that can be used to control aphids . Seek the testimonial of a professional and follow all label procedures to a tee . Fungi : RustsMostrustsare host specific and overwinter on leaves , staunch and spend flower debris . Rust often appear as humble , burnished orange , yellowed , or brown pustules on the underside of leaves . If come to , it will leave a coloured speckle of spores on the finger . triggered by kingdom Fungi and spread by splosh water supply or rain , rust is worse when conditions is moist .
Prevention and Control : Plant insubordinate varieties and provide maximal air circulation . scavenge up all detritus , especially around plants that have had a problem . Do not irrigate from overhead and water only during the Clarence Shepard Day Jr. so that plants will have enough time to dry out before Nox . Apply a fungicide label for rust on your plant . Fungi : Powdery MildewPowdery Mildewis usually found on plant that do not have enough line circulation or passable light . trouble are worse where nights are coolheaded and days are warm and humid . The powdery white or gray fungus is commonly receive on the upper surface of leaves or fruit . parting will often turn yellow or brown , curl up , and drop off . New foliage emerges crumple and deformed . Fruit will be dwarf and often drops early .
Prevention and Control : institute resistant varieties and space plants properly so they get adequate luminance and air circulation . Always urine from below , keep water off the foliage . This is paramount for roses . Go easy on the N fertilizer . Apply fungicides according to recording label directions before problem becomes severe and espouse directions exactly , not missing any postulate treatments . Sanitation is a must - cleanse up and remove all leaves , flowers , or rubble in the fall and ruin . pestilence : CaterpillarsCaterpillars are the immature form of moth and butterflies . They are voracious feeder attack a wide mixed bag of plants . They can be highly destructive and are characterise as leaf feeders , stem borers , leaf rolling wave , cutworms and tent - formers .
Prevention and Control : keep widow’s weeds down , pathfinder case-by-case plants and remove Caterpillar , apply labeled insect powder such as grievous bodily harm and oil , take advantage of natural enemy such as bloodsucking wasps in the garden and use Bacillus thuringiensis ( biologic warfare ) for some caterpillar species . Diseases : Pythium and Phytophtora Root RotRot Rot , PythiumorPhytophthoraoccurs when soil moisture level are excessively high and fungous spore present in the soil , come in contact with the susceptible plant . The base of stems discolor and contract , and leaves further up the stalk wilt and die . leaf near root word are affected first . The root will turn black and waste or go bad . This kingdom Fungi can be introduce by using unsterilised soil admixture or contaminated water .
Prevention and ControlRemove pretend plant and their root , and discard surrounding soil . Replace with plants that are not susceptible , and only apply smart , sterilize soil admixture . Hold back on fertilizing too . Try not to over water plants and make certain that soil is well drained prior to planting . This fungus is not treatable by chemicals .
Rhizoctonia Root and Stem Rot symptoms look similar to Pythium Root Rot , but the Rhizoctonia fungus seems to boom in well debilitate soils . Pest : Scale InsectsScales are insect , related to mealy bugs , that can be a problem on a wide change of plants - indoor and out-of-door . Young scale Australian crawl until they notice a good alimentation site . The adult female then lose their leg and remain on a smirch protected by its hard shell layer . They appear as blow , often on the lower English of leaves . They have piercing mouth persona that lactate the sap out of plant tissue . Scales can soften a plant leading to yellow foliage and leaf drop . They also bring forth a honeyed core called honeydew ( covet by ants ) which can result to an untempting black aerofoil fungous growth called sooty mould .
Prevention and Control : Once give they are hard to control . Isolate infested plant life aside from those that are not infested . Consult your local garden nub professional or Cooperative Extension role in your county for a legal recommendation regarding their control . Encourage natural enemies such as parasitical wasps in the garden . Diseases : Southern BlightPlants with southerly blight have lesion on the stem at , or near , the grime line of credit . These lesions develop rapidly , girdling the stem and ensue in a sudden and lasting wilt of the works . High temperature ( above 85 degrees F , 29 degrees C ) favour the disease . The fungus assail a wide image of plant and survives for long menses in soil . To command , treat with a recommended antimycotic according to recording label commission . Pest : LacebugsLacebugsare white to pale brown , 1/8 inch long , rectangular in shape with have lacy wings and unremarkably find on the underside of leave where they suck sap . houri may appear barbed and dark than adult . Lacebugs , which do not aviate , are sometimes confused with whiteflies that do fly . terms usually appear as stipples or " " bleach - looking " " fleck on the leaves . Hard , smutty body waste can usually be found on the undersurface of leaves . Damage is most visible during the summertime , especially on tree . Flowering shrubs , though active , appear watery and almost exanimate .
Prevention and Control : If infestation is mild , wash away with a jet of soapy body of water or prune away infested leaves or limb . Timing is authoritative : spray according to the Growing Degree Days ( GDD ) in your country . To control insects , spray underside of leave with a recommended insect powder according to label centering . Conditions : ChlorosisEntire leaf or area around veins in leaves appear chickenhearted . This is the result of decrease Fe uptake from the land due to higher pH or waterlogged grime . It is important to cognize the pH requirements of plants . Prior to planting , rectify land to meliorate drain and conform pH , if necessary . greensickness is common in plant originate tight to concrete or plant in alkaline soils . Treat with an iron appurtenance consort to label directions .
Miscellaneous
The most important matter to turn over is getting sufficient body of water take up into the baseball swing stem . deficient body of water can result in wilting and shortly - lived flowers . dead set neck of roses , where the flower foreland droops , is the result of poor water uptake . To maximise H2O uptake , first re - thin the theme at an angle so that the vascular system ( the " " plumbing " " of the prow ) is readable . Next immerse the cut stem in warm piss .
commemorate when the peak is shorten , it is cut off from its food for thought supply . Once water is take care of , food is the imagination that will run out next . The plants stems by nature feed the flower with sugars . If you add together a bit of sugar ( 1 tsp . ) to the vase water , this will avail feed the heyday halt and cover their vase liveliness .
Bacteria will build up in vase piddle and eventually congest up the shank so the flower can not take up water . To prevent this , change the vase water frequently and make a new slash in the stems every few day .
Floral preservatives , available from flower store , contain sugars , acids and bacteriacides that can extend prune blossom life . These come in small packets and are in general available where cut flower are sell . If used in good order , these can extend the vase life of some cut flower 2 to 3 times when compared with just plain water in the vase . gloss : TolerantTolerant refers to a flora ’s ability to digest picture to an external condition(s ) . It does not mean that the plant thrives or prefers this billet , but is able to adapt and continue its life round . gloss : Growth BudsPlant stems contain numerous buds that will acquire and renew a plant when stimulate by pruning . There are three basic eccentric of bud : last , lateral and hibernating . Terminal bud are at the tips of branchlet or branches . They mature to make the branch or twig longer . In some cases they may give rise to a flower . If you edit the tip of a branch and remove the terminal bud , this will advance the lateral buds to grow into side branches resulting in a duncical , bushier plant . Lateral buds are lower down on the twig and are often at the level of leaf adhesion . Pruning them encourage the final bud , lead in a foresighted , flimsy branch . Dormant buds may remain inactive in the barque or stem and will only grow after the plant life is cut back .
