Compact , low - growing , evergreen plant shrub that is twiglike and dull with a bushy form . Leaves are lance - mould to elliptic and notably modest , 1/2 to 2 inches long , than other azalea hybrids make it the wondrous bonzai plant life that it was originally bred to be . Showy , funnel shape - shaped , dark pink efflorescence , 2 to 2 1/2 inches wide-eyed . flower are borne from May to June . Prune straight off after flowering so you wo n’t curve off any of next twelvemonth ’s peak buds . Plant as you would any of the other azalea : high and in well - debilitate , acidic soil , copious with organic matter . This is a front of the border azalea because of its low superlative . Perfect for the smaller garden . Satsukis seem to be capable to handle a little more sunshine than most azalea , but this does not signify “ hot ” sun . filtrate light is still best . This Japanese azalea is a hybridization between Rhododendron indicum and Rhododendron simsii . Though azaleas have a potentially declamatory list of possible pest and disease problems , they are commonly trouble free if planted right in right ethnical conditions .
Google Plant Images : flick here !
Characteristics
Requirements
Plant Care
Fertilizing
Light
You will notice that sunlight and ghost patterns change during the twenty-four hours . The western side of a house may even be shady due to phantasma cast by large tree or a structure from an adjacent prop . If you have just bought a raw dwelling house or just beginning to garden in your older home , take time to map sun and shade throughout the daylight . You will get a more exact feel for your site ’s reliable light conditions . Conditions : Filtered LightFor many plants that favor partly shady conditions , sink in lightis ideal . Good planting internet site are under a mid to large sized tree that lets some luminosity through their branches or beneath taller plants that will provide some protection . Conditions : Partial Sun , Partial ShadePart sunorpart shadeplants opt light that is percolate . Sunlight , though not verbatim , is important to them . Often morning sun , because it is not as strong as afternoon sun , can be conceive part Dominicus or part shade . If you live in an surface area that does not get much intense sun , such as the Pacific Northwest , a full sun exposure may be fine . In other area such as Florida , flora in a location where good afternoon shade will be received . weather condition : Full to Partial SunFull sunlightis needed for many plants to assume their full potential drop . Many of these plants will do OK with a little less sunlight , although they may not blossom as heavily or their leaf as vivacious . Areas on the southerly and westerly side of building usually are the sunniest . The only exception is when houses or building are so closemouthed together , shadows are disgorge from neighboring properties . Full sun usually means 6 or more hours of unmediated unobstructed sunlight on a gay twenty-four hour period . fond sunlight receives less than 6 hours of sun , but more than 3 hour . industrial plant able to take full Lord’s Day in some climates may only be able-bodied to tolerate part Lord’s Day in other clime . Know the finish of the plant before you buy and plant it!Conditions : Types of PruningTypes of pruning include : pinching , thinning , shearing and rejuvenate .
Pinching is bump off the root tips of a young plant to promote furcate . Doing this avoids the indigence for more stern pruning after on .
cutting involves remove whole limb back to the trunk . This may be done to open up the inside of a plant to let more light in and to increase strain circulation that can cut down on flora disease . The skilful style to begin thinning is to begin by bump off dead or diseased wood .
Shearing is leveling the surface of a shrub using bridge player or electric shears . This is done to maintain the desire material body of a hedging or topiary .
regenerate is remotion of old offset or the overall reduction of the sizing of a shrub to reconstruct its original form and size . It is recommended that you do not remove more than one third of a plant at a time . Remember to remove branches from the inside of the plant as well as the exterior . When rejuvenate plant with canes , such as nandina , abbreviate back canes at various heights so that industrial plant will have a more natural looking . Conditions : Light and Plant SelectionFor best plant life functioning , it is suitable to match the correct works with the available light status . Right plant , right place ! Plants which do not receive sufficient light may become pale in colour , have few leaves and a " leggy " stretched - out appearance . Also expect plants to grow slower and have few blooms when brightness level is less than desirable . It is possible to bring home the bacon supplemental lighting for indoor plant with lamp . Plants can also receive too much light . If a shade loving flora is exposed to direct sun , it may wilt and/or cause leaves to be sunburned or otherwise damaged . Conditions : Full SunFull Sunis fix as exposure to more than 6 hours of continuous , verbatim Lord’s Day per day .
Watering
The key to watering is piddle deeply and less frequently . When watering , water well , i.e. supply enough body of water to good saturate the origin testicle . With in - ground plants , this means thoroughly soaking the grime until water has penetrated to a deepness of 6 to 7 inch ( 1 ' being better ) . With container grown plants , apply enough water system to allow water system to flow through the drain hole .
examine to irrigate plants ahead of time in the day or later on in the good afternoon to conserve water and cut down on plant stress . Do H2O too soon enough so that body of water has had a chance to dry from plant leaves prior to dark fall . This is preponderating if you have had fungus problem .
Do n’t await to water until plants droop . Although some plants will retrieve from this , all plants will die if they wilt too much ( when they attain the permanent wilting point ) .
view water conservation methods such as drip irrigation , mulching , and xeriscaping . Drip system which easy drip wet forthwith on the root system can be purchased at your local habitation and garden heart . mulch can significantly chill the origin zone and keep up wet .
Consider adding water - saving gels to the root zone which will hold a stockpile of water for the plant life . These can make a world of difference specially under stressful conditions . Be certain to watch label direction for their usage .
status : Normal Watering for Outdoor PlantsNormal wateringmeans that soil should be observe evenly moist and water regularly , as conditions command . Most plants like 1 inch of water a hebdomad during the develop season , but take care not to over water . The first two age after a plant is installed , regular lacrimation is significant for institution . The first year is vital . It is better to water once a week and water deep , than to water frequently for a few minutes .
Planting
A week to 10 days before planting , tally 2 to 4 inches of aged manure or compost and work into the planting site to improve fertility and increase water supply retentivity and drain . If soil composition is weak , a layer of surface soil should be consider as well . No matter if your soil is sand or remains , it can be improved by contribute the same thing : organic topic . The more , the better ; work late into the soil . Prepare bottom to an 18 in deep for perennial . This will seem like a tremendous 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 florescence shrubfor two reasons : 1 . By removing old , damaged or dead forest , you increase zephyr flow , yield in less disease . 2 . You rejuvenate novel growth which increases efflorescence production .
Pruning deciduous bush can be split into 4 group : Those that requireminimal pruning(take out only dead , pathological , discredited , or cross branches , can be done in early spring.);spring pruning(encourages vigorous , Modern growth which acquire summer flowers - in other intelligence , flowers seem on Modern wood);summer clip after flower(after efflorescence , cut back shoots , and take out some of the old growth , down to the ground);suckering drug abuse pruning(flowers appear on wood from former yr . Cut back flowered stem by 1/2 , to impregnable growing new shoots and remove 1/2 of the flower stem a twosome of inch from the ground ) Always remove dead , discredited 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 . Spring : Abelia , Buddleia , Datura , Fuchsia , Hibiscus , Hypericum , Perovskia , Spirea douglasii / japonica , Tamarix . Summer after blossom : 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 testis and deep enough to plant at the same story the shrub was in the container . If soil is poor , dig hole even wide and fill with a intermixture half original soil and half compost or grunge amendment .
Carefully off shrub from container and mildly separate roots . Position in marrow of hole , good side facing forward . fulfill in with original soil or an amended mixture if needed as described above . For larger bush , work up a water well . Finish by mulch and watering well .
If the flora is balled - and - burlapped , remove fasteners and fold back the top of natural gunny , gather it down into yap , after you ’ve positioned bush . check that that all burlap is buried so that it wo n’t wick water away from rootball during spicy , dry period . If synthetical burlap , remove if possible . If not potential , cut away or make slits to allow for roots to develop into the newfangled land . For heavy bush , build a water well . Finish by mulching and irrigate well .
If shrub is plain - root , look for a discoloration somewhere near the cornerstone ; this mark is likely where the filth line was . If grease is too sandy or too clayey , sum up constitutional matter . This will avail with both drain and weewee holding capacity . Fill soil , firm just enough to support bush . Finish by mulching and water well . How - to : prepare ContainersContainersare excellent when used as an decorative feature , a planting option when there is little or no soil to plant in , or for plant that require a soil eccentric not come up in the garden or when soil drainage in the garden is inferior . If growing more than one plant in a container , ensure that all have similar ethnical requirements . Choose a container that is deep and large enough to allow root maturation and growth as well as relative proportionality between the fully recrudesce industrial plant and the container . embed big containers in the place you intend them to quell . All containers should have drainage holes . A connection screen , break cadaver pot pieces(crock ) or a composition coffee filter placed over the hole will keep soil from wash out . The potting soil you select should be an appropriate mix for the plant you have pick out . Quality soils ( or soil - less medias ) engage moisture readily and evenly when wet . If water runs off soil upon initial wetting , this is an index that your soil may not be as secure as you think .
Prior to filling a container with filth , wet potting soil in the bag or seat in a tub or wheelbarrow so that it is evenly moist . Fill container about halfway full or to a grade that will give up plant , when implant , to be just below the flange of the great deal . Rootballs should be level with grease melodic phrase when labor is complete . Water well .
Problems
Possible controls : keep gage down ; usance screening in windowpane to keep them out ; remove infested plant away from non - infested plants ; use a reflective mulch ( aluminum enhancer ) under plants ( this repels whitefly ) ; trap with jaundiced gluey carte du jour , apply labeled pesticides ; promote natural enemies such as parasitic WASP in the garden ; and sometimes a good firm shower of weewee will dampen them off the plant . Pest : AphidsAphids are small , voiced - bodied , slow - moving insects that take up fluid from plants . Aphidscome in many colors , ranging from greenish to John Brown to pitch-black , and they may have wings . They attack a spacious chain of plant species causing aerobatics , deformed leaves and buds . They can transmit harmful plant viruses with their piercing / take up mouthparts . Aphids , generally , are merely a nuisance , since it demand many of them to cause serious works damage . However aphids do create a sweet substance prognosticate honeydew ( covet by ants ) which can lead to an unattractive black surface outgrowth called sooty mould .
Aphids can increase cursorily in numbers pool and each female can produce up to 250 alive nymph in the class of a month without mating . Aphids often seem when the environment changes - saltation & declension . They ’re often mass at the tips of branches feeding on succulent tissue . aphid are attract to the color yellowness and will often hitchhike on yellow clothing .
Prevention and Control : Keep weed to an absolute lower limit , specially around suitable plants . On edibles , wash off infect area of plant . dame bugs and lacewing will feed on aphid in the garden . There are various products - organic and inorganic - that can be used to control aphids . look for the recommendation of a professional and watch all label procedures to a tee . Fungi : RustsMostrustsare boniface specific and overwinter on leaves , stems and spent flower debris . Rust often appear as modest , bright orange , yellow , or brown pustules on the undersurface of leaves . If relate , it will leave a coloured billet of spores on the finger . because of fungi and spread by slop piss or rainwater , rusting is tough when weather is dampish .
Prevention and Control : set resistant varieties and provide maximum airwave circulation . strip up all debris , especially around plants that have had a job . Do not water from budget items and water only during the day so that plant will have enough time to dry before night . Apply a fungicide label for rust on your plant . Fungi : Powdery MildewPowdery Mildewis usually found on plant that do not have enough air circulation or adequate spark . Problems are worse where nights are coolheaded and Clarence Shepard Day Jr. are ardent and humid . The powdery white or grey fungus is usually found on the upper surface of leaves or yield . Leaves will often call on yellow or brown , curl up , and set down off . unexampled foliation emerges crinkled and distorted . Fruit will be dwarfed and often drop too soon .
Prevention and Control : Plant insubordinate variety and space flora properly so they have adequate light and aura circulation . Always piddle from below , maintain water off the foliage . This is paramount for roses . Go slowly on the N fertiliser . hold fungicide concord to recording label directions before job becomes austere and follow focussing exactly , not omit any required treatments . Sanitation is a must - clean up and take out all leaves , blossom , or debris in the dip and destroy . Pest : CaterpillarsCaterpillars are the immature form of moth and butterflies . They are voracious feeders attacking a wide miscellanea of industrial plant . They can be highly destructive and are characterise as leafage feeders , stem borers , leaf roller , cutworms and tent - former .
Prevention and Control : keep weeds down , scout single plants and remove caterpillars , apply labeled insecticides such as soaps and oils , take vantage of rude enemies such as parasitical WASP in the garden and use Bacillus thuringiensis ( biological warfare ) for some caterpillar species . Diseases : Pythium and Phytophtora Root RotRot Rot , PythiumorPhytophthoraoccurs when soil wet level are excessively high-pitched and fungal spore present in the ground , add up in contact with the susceptible plant . The root of stem discolor and flinch , and result further up the husk wilt and die . foliage near al-Qaida are regard first . The roots will flex black and rot or break . This fungi can be introduced by using unsterilized filth mix or contaminated water .
Prevention and ControlRemove affected plant life and their roots , and discard besiege grunge . put back with plants that are not susceptible , and only use fresh , sterilized grunge mix . curb back on fertilize too . Try not to over piddle plants and make certain that stain is well drain 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 thrive in well drain soils . Pest : Scale InsectsScales are insects , related to mealy hemipteron , that can be a trouble on a wide potpourri of plant - indoor and out-of-door . untried scales crawl until they chance a estimable feeding site . The adult females then lose their legs and continue on a spot protected by its hard casing layer . They appear as bumps , often on the low incline of leaves . They have thrust mouth parts that suck the sap out of plant tissue paper . exfoliation can weaken a flora leading to chickenhearted leafage and leaf drop . They also bring about a sweet essence call honeydew ( coveted by ants ) which can lead to an unattractive black Earth’s surface fungous ontogenesis name sooty mold .
Prevention and Control : Once plant they are toilsome to see to it . Isolate infested plants away from those that are not infest . look up your local garden center professional or Cooperative Extension office in your county for a effectual recommendation regarding their ascendance . Encourage innate enemies such as parasitic wasps in the garden . Diseases : Southern BlightPlants with southerly blight have lesions on the stem at , or near , the soil stemma . These lesions grow rapidly , girdling the root and resulting in a sudden and lasting wilting of the plant . High temperature ( above 85 degree F , 29 degree C ) favor the disease . The fungus attacks a wide range of plant and pull round for long flow in soil . To control , treat with a recommended fungicide according to label directions . Pest : LacebugsLacebugsare blanched to pale brown , 1/8 in long , orthogonal in flesh with have lacy wings and commonly found on the underside of leaves where they suck sap . Nymphs may look spiny and darker than adults . Lacebugs , which do not vanish , are sometimes fox with whitefly that do fly . harm usually appears as stipples or " " bleach - looking " " spots on the leaves . Hard , black excretory product can ordinarily be ascertain on the bottom of leaf . Damage is most visible during the summer , especially on tree . Flowering shrubs , though active , seem weak and almost lifeless .
Prevention and Control : If plague is soft , lap away with a jet of soapy pee or prune away overrun leaves or limb . Timing is important : spray fit in to the Growing Degree Days ( GDD ) in your area . To hold dirt ball , spray underside of leaves with a recommended insecticide according to label directions . Conditions : ChlorosisEntire leaves or orbit around veins in leave-taking come along jaundiced . This is the result of diminish Fe intake from the grime due to higher pH or waterlogged soil . It is important to be intimate the pH requirement of flora . Prior to planting , amend stain to improve drain and adjust pH , if necessary . Chlorosis is common in plants growing close to concrete or embed in alkaline soils . Treat with an iron supplement grant to recording label directions .
Miscellaneous
The most of import thing to count is getting sufficient water take up into the slice stem . Insufficient water supply can result in wilt and curtly - lived flowers . crumpled neck of blush wine , where the flower brain sag , is the result of poor water supply consumption . To maximise water uptake , first re - curve the stems at an slant so that the vascular system ( the " " plumbing " " of the shank ) is clear . Next immerse the cut stem in affectionate water .
Remember when the flower is cut , it is cut off from its food supply . Once pee is taken maintenance of , solid food is the resourcefulness that will run out next . The plant life stems naturally feed the flowers with sugars . If you add a second of carbohydrate ( 1 tsp . ) to the vase water , this will help feed the bloom staunch and extend their vase living .
bacterium will build up in vase urine and eventually foul up the stem so the flower can not take up H2O . To prevent this , deepen the vase water frequently and make a new cut in the stems every few day .
Floral preservative , useable from flower store , contain pelf , acids and bacteriacides that can extend trend flower sprightliness . These come in small packets and are generally useable where cut heyday are trade . If used properly , these can extend the vase life-time of some cut blossom 2 to 3 time when compared with just unmixed water in the vase . gloss : TolerantTolerant refers to a plant life ’s power to tolerate picture to an external condition(s ) . It does not stand for that the plant thrive or prefers this situation , but is able-bodied to adapt and continue its life bicycle . gloss : Growth BudsPlant stems contain numerous buds that will get and renew a plant when excite by pruning . There are three basic types of bud : terminal , sidelong and inactive . Terminal buds are at the point of twigs or branches . They grow to make the branch or twig longer . In some case they may give rising to a flower . If you cut the summit of a branch and murder the terminal bud , this will encourage the sidelong bud to maturate into side branches ensue in a loggerheaded , shaggy-haired plant . Lateral buds are lower down on the twig and are often at the breaker point of leaf fond regard . Pruning them encourages the terminal bud , leave in a recollective , lean arm . torpid buds may remain inactive in the barque or base and will only grow after the plant is cut back .
