by George Buehler

I think this has been the best spring - when it comes to azalea blooms - we have had in quite some time. My azaleas have been blooming like crazy for the last several weeks. Of course with the cold wet weather we have had this May, they started blooming later than normal. I think this is the first time since we have been doing the Yew Dell show, that we didn't have an azalea in full bloom. I have 5 different varieties of Satsuki, and they bloom at slightly different times. This allows me to enjoy the flowers over an extended period. These little guys can give you a lot of enjoyment every year when they bloom. If you don’t have an azalea in your collection, I strongly recommend that you get one.

At this time of year, you may be able to find a good pre-bonsai at one of the local garden centers. When I recently talked to the manager of my local Frank Otte’s, he said that nurseries have difficulty selling azaleas after they have bloomed, so you may be able to get a good deal on one.

When looking for an azalea at one of these centers, look for one with a single trunk, unless you are planning on creating a clump style. These single trunk varieties may be hard to find, since most plants sold at garden centers generally have multiple trunks so that they cover a larger area in our landscapes. Of course, you can pick the largest trunk and sacrifice the others. But, before you purchase one, study it carefully to make sure you can get it into a bonsai style.

When you find the 'ideal' specimen, you can start training it this year, but I believe it is now too late in our area to repot it into a bonsai pot. Several articles I have read on transplanting azaleas state to transplant after they have bloomed. This is probably OK for some areas, but in the Ohio Valley – with our June weather – it would be a big risk. Transplanting of azaleas is done in early spring – Feb/Mar in our area – depending on the temperatures. Keeping the plant in the potting mix for the remainder of the year allows for styling and training, with little risk to the plant.

Azaleas like to have moist soil – not soggy, so as the year progresses, keep a watch on the soil moisture. Never let the soil (whether bonsai soil or potting soil) get completely dry. This is a sure method of losing the plant. Azaleas have a very fibrous root system and they typically grow close to the top of the soil.

Blooming in azaleas (like in other blooming plants) uses a lot of plant energy. Therefore, it is important to fertilize them. A good fertilizer regimen is to use full strength MiracleGro Azalea plant food (used to be called MirAcid) every other week, with a balanced fertilizer in the alternating week. I also use a granular slow release fertilizer (like Osmocote) spread on top of the soil so that the plant gets a little fertilizer every time I water.

Because blooming takes so much energy, I remove about 50% of the blooms as soon as they start to open. When the remaining blooms are spent, the dead blooms are removed as soon as possible. In the years when the plant has been transplanted, I only allow 3 or 4 blooms to remain on the plant to conserve energy.

Heavy pruning is normally done right after blooming is finished. Next year’s buds are formed during the growing season, so if you do heavy pruning later, the buds are lost. Maintenance pruning can be done throughout the growing season. This usually is to remove the heavy spring growth, shape up the tree, and refine the branches.

The only problem with azaleas in our area is lacebug. They can be controlled if the plant is sprayed with an insecticide, starting in early spring. Make sure the leaves are wetted with the insecticide on both the top and bottom. Normally, spraying every two weeks is satisfactory. Diazanon used to be the insecticide of choice, but it has been taken off the market. A product now offered for lacebug is Orthonex. I also use Ortho Systemic Insecticide (formerly Isotox) with caution since it is a powerful insecticide. I don’t know of any organic insecticide that will take care of lacebug.

Winter storage of azaleas takes place after a couple of hard frosts. They should be placed in a protected area like an unheated garage. If they are buried in mulch, they may suffer from leaf burn and potential loss of small branchlets.

For those interested, we will be having a trim and talk workshop on azaleas on June 10, 7-9PM at the Bon Air library. If you have questions, you should attend this meeting.