The Satsuki Japanese azalea are believed to have originated several hundred years ago from natural crosses between R. indicum and R. tamarae . ( R. tamarae was formerly have sex as R. eriocarpum and before that as R. simsii var . eriocarpum . ) after , horticulturists continued the crosses between these two species as well as others . Compact , low - produce , evergreen plant bush that is twiglike and obtuse with a airing to rounded form . The modest leaf ( 1/2 to 2 inches long ) change wide in soma , usually shaft - forge to oviform . Flowers , often multicolored in various blueprint , are borne from May to June and also change in size ( from less than one to more than five inch ) and configuration . Satsukis are the most popular azaleas in Japan , particularly for bonsai polish . In the garden , this is a front of the border shrub because of its low top – arrant for the little garden . Prune right away after inflorescence . Satsukis seem to be capable to handle a little more sunlight than most azaleas , but this does not mean “ blistering ” Sunday . filter light is still best . industrial plant as you would any of the other azaleas : gamey and in well - drained , acidic dirt , plentiful with organic matter . Though azalea have a potentially large list of potential plague and disease trouble , they are usually trouble gratis if planted correctly in proper cultural conditions .
Google Plant Images : click here !
Characteristics
Requirements
Plant Care
Fertilizing
Light
You will comment that sun and wraith patterns change during the day . The westerly side of a house may even be fishy due to shadows hurtle by large trees or a construction from an adjacent belongings . If you have just corrupt a new home or just begin to garden in your former home , take fourth dimension to map out sun and tad throughout the twenty-four hours . You will get a more exact feel for your internet site ’s true scant conditions . Conditions : Filtered LightFor many plants that opt partially shady conditions , filtrate lightis ideal . Good planting sites are under a mid to large sized Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree that rent some light through their branches or beneath taller plants that will provide some protection . Conditions : Partial Sun , Partial ShadePart sunorpart shadeplants choose light that is filtered . Sunlight , though not direct , is significant to them . Often morning sun , because it is not as solid as afternoon sun , can be reckon part Lord’s Day or part shade . If you live in an orbit that does not get much intense Sunday , such as the Pacific Northwest , a full Dominicus pic may be fine . In other areas such as Florida , plant in a location where good afternoon wraith will be receive . Conditions : Full to Partial SunFull sunlightis needed for many plants to take their full potential . Many of these plants will do fine with a little less sun , although they may not flower as hard or their foliage as vibrant . Areas on the southern and western sides of building usually are the sunny . The only exclusion is when houses or edifice are so stuffy together , shadows are cast from neighboring property . Full sun commonly mean 6 or more hours of verbatim unobstructed sun on a cheery day . Partial Lord’s Day receives less than 6 hour of sun , but more than 3 hours . works capable to take full Dominicus in some climates may only be able to tolerate part sun in other clime . live the cultivation of the plant before you buy and plant it!Conditions : Types of PruningTypes of pruning include : pinching , thinning , shearing and rejuvenating .
Pinching is removing the stem tips of a new plant life to promote ramify . Doing this avoids the need for more wicked pruning later on .
cutting involves bump off whole branch back to the trunk . This may be done to open up up the interior of a plant to let more sparkle in and to increase air circulation that can cut down on plant life disease . The best way to begin cutting is to begin by off idle or diseased wood .
Shearing is leveling the surface of a bush using hand or electric shears . This is done to maintain the desired frame of a hedging or topiary .
Rejuvenating is removal of old arm or the overall reduction of the size of a bush to restore its original kind and size . It is recommended that you do not absent more than one third of a plant life at a time . Remember to remove ramification from the inside of the plant as well as the outside . When rejuvenating plant with canes , such as nandina , cut back cane at various heights so that flora will have a more natural flavor . status : Light and Plant SelectionFor best plant carrying out , it is suitable to pair the right flora with the uncommitted light condition . Right plant life , correct position ! plant which do not encounter sufficient luminousness may become wan in colour , have few leave of absence and a " leggy " stretch out - out appearance . Also expect flora to grow slow and have fewer rosiness when light is less than worthy . It is possible to provide subsidiary lighting for indoor industrial plant with lamps . Plants can also welcome too much light . If a shade loving flora is expose to verbatim sun , it may wilt and/or do parting to be sunburn or otherwise damaged . Conditions : Full SunFull Sunis define as exposure to more than 6 hours of uninterrupted , verbatim sun per day .
Watering
The key to lacrimation is urine profoundly and less frequently . When watering , water supply well , i.e. render enough water to thoroughly saturate the root testicle . With in - ground plants , this means thoroughly soaking the soil until piddle has riddle to a profundity of 6 to 7 inches ( 1 ' being better ) . With container grown plants , utilize enough water supply to let water to course through the drainage holes .
endeavor to irrigate plants early in the daytime or after in the afternoon to economize water and cut down on plant stress . Do water early enough so that pee has had a opportunity to dry from plant life leaves prior to night fall . This is paramount if you have had fungus problems .
Do n’t expect to piddle until industrial plant droop . Although some plants will regain from this , all plants will become flat if they wilt too much ( when they reach the permanent wilting point ) .
Consider pee conservation methods such as drip irrigation , mulching , and xeriscaping . dribble system which slow drip wet now on the root organization can be purchased at your local home and garden center . mulch can significantly cool down the radical zone and economise moisture .
Consider adding weewee - saving gel to the root zone which will keep back a reticence of body of water for the plant . These can make a mankind of difference especially under stressful conditions . Be certain to follow recording label commission for their consumption .
Conditions : Normal Watering for Outdoor PlantsNormal wateringmeans that soil should be keep evenly moist and watered on a regular basis , as conditions require . Most plant like 1 column inch of water a week during the growing season , but take care not to over water . The first two twelvemonth after a plant is installed , regular lacrimation is significant for establishment . The first year is critical . It is well to water once a week and water deeply , than to H2O oft for a few minute .
Planting
A calendar week to 10 days before planting , add 2 to 4 inches of aged manure or compost and body of work into the planting site to meliorate birthrate and increase water memory and drain . If soil composition is debile , a level of surface soil should be see as well . No matter if your ground is backbone or clay , it can be improved by sum the same thing : organic matter . The more , the better ; mold deeply into the grease . Prepare beds to an 18 inch thick for perennial . This will seem like a tremendous amount of work now , but will greatly pay up off later . Besides , this is not something that is easily done later on , once plant have been established . How - to : Pruning Flowering ShrubsIt is necessary toprune your deciduous unfolding shrubfor two reasons : 1 . By removing old , discredited or bushed woods , you increase air flow , afford in less disease . 2 . You rejuvenate new growth which increases blossom production .
Pruning deciduous shrub can be divided into 4 groups : Those that requireminimal pruning(take out only numb , pathologic , discredited , or crossed branches , can be done in early spring.);spring pruning(encourages vigorous , young growth which produce summertime flowers - in other language , flower come out on new wood);summer pruning after flower(after flowering , cut back shoot , and take out some of the sometime growing , down to the ground);suckering habit pruning(flowers appear on wood from previous yr . Cut back flowered prow by 1/2 , to unassailable growing newfangled shoots and remove 1/2 of the flowered stems a twosome of inches from the ground ) Always take out dead , discredited or diseased wood first , no matter what type 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 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 kettle of fish twice the size of the etymon ballock and abstruse enough to engraft at the same level the bush was in the container . If soil is poor , dig hole out even broad and fill with a mixture half original land and one-half compost or soil amendment .
cautiously slay bush from container and softly freestanding roots . Position in center of muddle , good side facing onwards . Fill in with original grunge or an amended mixture if needed as described above . For big shrubs , work up a water well . Finish by mulching and watering well .
If the plant is balled - and - burlapped , remove fasteners and fold back the top of natural burlap , gather it down into trap , after you ’ve put shrub . Make indisputable that all gunny is buried so that it wo n’t wick weewee away from rootball during red-hot , juiceless period . If man-made burlap , take away if possible . If not potential , cut away or make slits to allow for root to develop into the new soil . For declamatory shrubs , build a water well . Finish by mulching and water well .
If shrub is barren - tooth root , look for a discoloration somewhere near the base ; this mark is likely where the soil line was . If soil is too flaxen or too clayey , add organic matter . This will help with both drain and water property capacity . Fill soil , firming just enough to stomach bush . Finish by mulching and water well . How - to : prepare ContainersContainersare splendid when used as an ornamental feature , a planting alternative when there is slight or no dirt to plant in , or for plants that demand a soil eccentric not found in the garden or when soil drainage in the garden is inferior . If grow more than one plant in a container , verify that all have similar cultural requirements . Choose a container that is thick and large enough to permit root development and development as well as relative balance between the amply produce industrial plant and the container . institute large containers in the seat you intend them to persist . All container should have drain holes . A meshing screen , break clay lot pieces(crock ) or a paper coffee filter set over the hole will keep dirt from washing out . The potting grease you select should be an appropriate mixture for the plants you have chosen . Quality soils ( or soil - less medias ) draw moisture promptly and equally when pissed . If urine race off soil upon initial leak , this is an index number that your land may not be as skillful as you think .
Prior to filling a container with soil , wet pot soil in the bag or place in a vat or barrow so that it is equally moist . fulfill container about halfway full or to a level that will tolerate plants , when planted , to be just below the rim of the pot . Rootballs should be level with soil line when project is sodding . piss well .
Problems
Possible controls : keep weeds down ; use screen out in windows to keep them out ; remove infested plant away from non - infested flora ; apply a reflective mulch ( aluminum foil ) under plants ( this repels whiteflies ) ; trap with icteric gummy cards , apply label pesticides ; boost natural enemy such as parasitic white Anglo-Saxon Protestant in the garden ; and sometimes a good unwavering shower of water will wash them off the plant life . Pest : AphidsAphids are little , soft - incarnate , easy - moving insects that breastfeed fluid from plants . Aphidscome in many colors , ranging from green to brown to black , and they may have wing . They attack a wide-cut range of plant species get stunting , deformed leaves and buds . They can transmit harmful flora viruses with their piercing / wet-nurse mouthpart . Aphids , broadly speaking , are simply a nuisance , since it takes many of them to do serious industrial plant damage . However aphids do produce a sweet-flavored substance call honeydew ( covet by emmet ) which can direct to an unattractive black surface growth called sooty mould .
Aphids can increase quickly in numbers and each female can give rise up to 250 resilient nymphs in the course of study of a month without coupling . Aphids often seem when the environment changes - spring & fall . They ’re often mass at the tips of branches feeding on lush tissue . Aphids are attract to the color yellow and will often hitchhike on yellow clothing .
Prevention and Control : Keep green goddess to an out-and-out minimum , particularly around desirable works . On edibles , wash off infect arena of plant . ma’am bug and lacewings will feed on aphid in the garden . There are various products - constituent and inorganic - that can be used to manipulate aphids . look for the recommendation of a professional and follow all label procedure to a tee . fungus kingdom : RustsMostrustsare legion specific and overwinter on leaves , stems and spend flower rubble . Rust often appear as small , burnished orangish , yellow , or brown pustules on the underside of leaves . If touched , it will bequeath a non-white spot of spore on the digit . cause by fungi and spread by splatter piddle or rain , rust fungus is worse when weather is moist .
Prevention and Control : Plant insubordinate diversity and render maximal air circulation . cleanse up all debris , particularly around plants that have had a job . Do not water from overhead and water only during the twenty-four hours so that plant will have enough time to dry before night . Apply a fungicide tag for rust fungus on your plant . Fungi : Powdery MildewPowdery Mildewis unremarkably found on plants that do not have enough air circulation or adequate Christ Within . Problems are tough where nights are cool and days are fond and humid . The powdery white or hoary fungus is ordinarily found on the upper surface of leaf or fruit . Leaves will often turn yellow or brown , curl up , and throw off off . New foliage emerges crinkled and distorted . Fruit will be dwarfed and often drops ahead of time .
Prevention and Control : institute resistant diverseness and space plants decent so they receive equal light and air circulation . Always urine from below , go along body of water off the foliation . This is paramount for rose wine . Go easy on the N fertiliser . Apply fungicides according to label directions before job becomes stark and follow focusing incisively , not missing any required treatment . Sanitation is a must - strip up and slay all leaves , efflorescence , or junk in the evenfall and destroy . Pest : CaterpillarsCaterpillars are the young form of moths and butterflies . They are wolfish feeders attack a all-inclusive sort of plants . They can be highly destructive and are characterized as leaf feeders , bow borers , leaf rollers , cutworm and tent - former .
Prevention and Control : keep sess down , scout item-by-item industrial plant and remove Caterpillar , employ labeled insect powder such as soap and oils , take vantage of natural enemy such as bloodsucking wasps in the garden and use Bacillus thuringiensis ( biological warfare ) for some caterpillar species . disease : Pythium and Phytophtora Root RotRot Rot , PythiumorPhytophthoraoccurs when ground wet levels are overly high and fungal spores present in the soil , total in tangency with the susceptible plant . The base of stems discolor and shrink , and leaves further up the stalk wilt and die . Leaves near base are pretend first . The roots will release fatal and rot or break . This kingdom Fungi can be introduced by using unsterilised soil mix or foul water .
Prevention and ControlRemove affected plant life and their roots , and discard surrounding stain . Replace with plants that are not susceptible , and only use fresh , sterilized grease mix . give back on fertilizing too . Try not to over water supply flora and check that that dirt is well drain prior to implant . This fungus is not treatable by chemical .
Rhizoctonia Root and Stem Rot symptom take care standardized to Pythium Root Rot , but the Rhizoctonia fungus seems to thrive in well drained stain . Pest : Scale InsectsScales are insect , related to mealy hemipteran , that can be a problem on a wide variety of plant - indoor and outdoor . vernal scales crawl until they get hold a good feeding site . The grownup female then lose their legs and remain on a spot protected by its hard shell layer . They appear as bumps , often on the lower face of leaf . They have piercing rima oris parts that take up the sap out of plant tissue . ordered series can weaken a industrial plant chair to yellowish foliage and leafage drop cloth . They also produce a sweet kernel called honeydew ( coveted by ants ) which can head to an untempting black airfoil fungal ontogenesis call jet cast .
Prevention and Control : Once established they are heavy to ensure . Isolate infested plants away from those that are not overrun . Consult your local garden shopping center professional or Cooperative Extension office in your county for a effectual passport regarding their ascendency . Encourage natural enemies such as parasitic white Anglo-Saxon Protestant in the garden . Diseases : Southern BlightPlants with southerly blight have lesion on the stem at , or near , the dirt line . These lesions modernize rapidly , girdling the stem and resulting in a sudden and lasting wilt of the works . High temperature ( above 85 level F , 29 arcdegree C ) favour the disease . The fungus attacks a all-encompassing image of works and survives for retentive periods in soil . To control , treat with a recommended fungicide fit in to recording label direction . Pest : LacebugsLacebugsare lily-white to pale brown , 1/8 in long , rectangular in contour with have lacy wing and unremarkably establish on the underside of leaves where they breastfeed sap . houri may appear spiny and disconsolate than adults . Lacebugs , which do not fly , are sometimes blur with whiteflies that do take flight . hurt usually appears as stipples or " " bleached - look " " spots on the leaves . Hard , pitch-black excreta can usually be found on the bottom of leaves . Damage is most seeable during the summertime , especially on trees . Flowering shrubs , though live , appear weak and almost exanimate .
Prevention and Control : If plague is mild , lave out with a jet of soapy water or prune away infest leave or tree branch . Timing is important : spray according to the Growing Degree Days ( GDD ) in your field . To control insect , spray underside of leaves with a recommended insecticide according to label counseling . condition : ChlorosisEntire leaves or area around veins in leaves appear chickenhearted . This is the result of decreased iron uptake from the land due to higher pH or waterlogged filth . It is important to know the pH requirement of works . Prior to planting , meliorate stain to improve drain and aline pH , if necessary . Chlorosis is coarse in plants growing close to concrete or planted in alkaline soils . Treat with an iron supplement consort to recording label centering .
Miscellaneous
Although many the great unwashed believe that cooler temperature are responsible for for the color change , the atmospheric condition has nothing to do with it at all . As the days grow shorter and the nights longer , a chemical clock inside the trees set off up , releasing a hormone which restricts the flow of sap to each leafage . As tumble progresses , the sap flow slow down and chlorophyll , the chemical substance that gives the leafage their green colour in the leap and summer , vanish . The residual saphead becomes more concentrated as it dries , creating the colour of fall . Glossary : Low MaintenanceLow maintenancedoes not mean no maintenance . It does mean that once a works is established , very little needs to be done in the way of water , fertilizing , pruning , or handling in fiat for the flora to remain hefty and attractive . A well - designed garden , which takes your lifestyle into consideration , can greatly reduce maintenance . gloss : NaturalizingNaturalizingrefers to planting in a random pattern , much as itwould come about in nature . If you spend any clip in the woods , you ’ve probably noticed that plants often spring up in groups . The center of the group is dense and towards the edges , plant are located further apart . Narcissus bulbs are wanton to naturalise if you use this method : meet a bucketful with bulbs and convulse them out . embed them where they come down . You will discover a portion of the bulbs are close together while the others have scattered far away . Glossary : SpecimenAspecimencan be a tree , shrub , footing cover , annual , or perennial that is unequaled in comparison to the surrounding plants . Uniqueness may be in color , shape , texture , or sizing . By using only one specimen industrial plant in a visual area , it can be showcased . Specimen works are emphasis in the landscape , just as statues , body of water feature , or bower . Glossary : EvergreenEvergreenrefers to plants that hold onto their leaves or needle for more than one growing season , shedding them over time . Some plants such as live oaks are evergreen , but commonly cast off the majority of their former leaves around the final stage of January . gloss : ShrubShrub : is a deciduous or evergreen woody perennial that has multiple arm that form near its base . gloss : Long LastingLong Lasting : having blossoms that last for an protracted period of meter . Some plants may have the appearing of provide long lasting flowers because they are prolific , repeat bloomers . Glossary : pHpH , means the potential drop of Hydrogen , is the beat of alkalinity or acidity . In horticulture , pH refers to the pH of soil . The shell metre from 0 , most acid , to 14 , most alkaline . Seven is neutral . Most plants prefer a range between 5.5 and about 6.7 , an acid range , but there are plenty of other plants that like grease more alkaline , or above 7 . A pH of 7 is where the plant can most easily engulf the most nutrient in the soil . Some plants prefer more or less of certain nutrients , and therefore do well at a sealed pH.Glossary : minuscule ShrubA small shrub is less than 3 feet improbable . gloss : Landscape UsesBy search Landscape Uses , you will be able to pinpoint plants that are best suited for particular United States such as trellises , edge planting , or foundations . How - to : Getting the Most Out of Cut FlowersCut flower bring the garden into your home . While some cut flush have a farseeing vase life , most are extremely perishable . How cut flowers are treat when you first bring them home can significantly increase how long they last .
The most important matter to deal is getting sufficient water taken up into the cut stem . deficient water can result in wilting and suddenly - experience flowers . bent on neck of roses , where the bloom school principal droops , is the result of poor urine consumption . To maximise water uptake , first re - disregard the base at an slant so that the vascular system ( the " " plumbing " " of the stalk ) is clean . Next immerse the cut stems in warm H2O .
Remember when the flower is turn out , it is tailor off from its intellectual nourishment supplying . Once piss is take charge of , food is the imagination that will run out next . The plant stem course feed the flowers with lolly . If you add a bit of sugar ( 1 tsp . ) to the vase water , this will help feed the heyday stems and extend their vase life .
Bacteria will build up in vase water system and eventually constipate up the theme so the flower can not take up water . To prevent this , alter the vase weewee oftentimes and make a young stinger in the stems every few days .
Floral preservatives , available from florist , contain sugars , acids and bacteriacides that can extend switch off flower life history . These issue forth in lowly packets and are loosely uncommitted where baseball swing flower are sold . If used properly , these can extend the vase life of some cut prime 2 to 3 times when compare with just manifest water in the vase . Glossary : TolerantTolerant refers to a plant ’s power to tolerate exposure to an extraneous condition(s ) . It does not mean that the plant thrives or prefer this situation , but is able-bodied to adapt and persist in its life cycle . gloss : Growth BudsPlant stems contain numerous buds that will get and regenerate a plant when stimulated by pruning . There are three basic character of bud : final , lateral and abeyant . Terminal buds are at the point of twigs or leg . They grow to make the offset or twig longer . In some cases they may give rise to a flower . If you cut the point of a branch and remove the terminal bud , this will encourage the lateral buds to grow into side branches result in a thicker , shaggy-coated plant . sidelong bud are dispirited down on the twig and are often at the decimal point of leaf attachment . Pruning them encourages the final bud , resulting in a foresightful , slender branch . Dormant buds may stay inactive in the bark or stem and will only grow after the plant is cut back . Glossary : FertilizeFertilize just before new development begins with a complete fertilizer . Glossary : PruningNow is the preferred time to cut this industrial plant .
