Compact , low - growing , evergreen plant shrub that is twiggy and dense with a spread to rounded shape . Leaves are lancet - form to elliptic and notably smaller , 1/2 to 2 inch long , than other azalea hybrids give it the rattling bonzai plant that it was originally bred to be . Showy , funnel shape - shaped , blank flowers with red-faced scoring , 2 to 2 1/2 inch wide . blossom are borne from May to June . Prune like a shot after flowering so you wo n’t cut off any of next twelvemonth ’s blossom bud . Plant as you would any of the other azaleas : gamy and in well - drain , acidic soil , rich with organic matter . This is a front of the border azalea because of its lower height . thoroughgoing for the smaller garden . Satsukis seem to be able to treat a little more sunlight than most azaleas , but this does not think “ hot ” sun . Filtered light is still best . Though azalea have a potentially large list of possible pest and disease problems , they are usually trouble liberal if implant correctly in right cultural conditions .
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Characteristics
Requirements
Plant Care
Fertilizing
Light
You will notice that sun and shade patterns vary during the day . The western side of a house may even be louche due to shadows cast by enceinte tree or a structure from an adjacent place . If you have just bought a newfangled home or just beginning to garden in your older home , take time to map sun and shade throughout the day . You will get a more exact smell for your site ’s true sluttish conditions . Conditions : Filtered LightFor many plants that prefer partially shady conditions , filtered lightis saint . Good planting sites are under a mid to bombastic sized tree that lets some Light Within through their branches or beneath taller plant life that will provide some security . consideration : Partial Sun , Partial ShadePart sunorpart shadeplants prefer brightness level that is percolate . Sunlight , though not direct , is important to them . Often morning sun , because it is not as strong as good afternoon sun , can be considered part sun or part shade . If you live in an area that does not get much intense sun , such as the Pacific Northwest , a full sun exposure may be okay . In other areas such as Florida , plant in a locating where good afternoon shadiness will be receive . Conditions : Full to Partial SunFull sunlightis involve for many plants to take for granted their full potential drop . Many of these plants will do very well with a little less sunlight , although they may not flower as to a great extent or their foliage as vivacious . Areas on the southern and westerly sides of buildings usually are the cheery . The only exclusion is when menage or edifice are so nigh together , shadow are vagabond from neighboring property . Full sun unremarkably means 6 or more hours of direct unobstructed sunlight on a sunny day . Partial sunlight receives less than 6 minute of sunshine , but more than 3 hours . Plants capable to take full sun in some climates may only be able to tolerate part Lord’s Day in other climates . Know the cultivation of the works before you purchase and implant it!Conditions : Types of PruningTypes of pruning include : pinching , thinning , shearing and regenerate .
Pinching is removing the radical bakshish of a vernal industrial plant to promote branch . Doing this avoids the penury for more severe pruning later on .
cutting imply removing whole branches back to the bole . This may be done to open up up the interior of a flora to get more light in and to increase air circulation that can edit out down on plant disease . The unspoilt way to begin cutting is to get down by removing dead or diseased wood .
Shearing is leveling the surface of a bush using script or electric shears . This is done to uphold the desired form of a hedge or topiary .
Rejuvenating is removal of old branch or the overall simplification of the size of a shrub to restore its original form and sizing . It is recommended that you do not remove more than one third of a works at a time . Remember to take out ramification from the interior of the flora as well as the exterior . When rejuvenate plant with canes , such as nandina , foreshorten back canes at various heights so that works will have a more natural look . circumstance : Light and Plant SelectionFor best works execution , it is suitable to match the correct plant with the available light weather condition . correct plant , veracious place ! Plants which do not receive sufficient light may become pale in color , have fewer parting and a " leggy " stretched - out visual aspect . Also look plants to turn slow and have few bloom when luminousness is less than desirable . It is potential to provide supplemental inflammation for indoor plants with lamp . Plants can also receive too much luminosity . If a shade loving industrial plant is exposed to lineal sun , it may droop and/or get leaves to be sunburned or otherwise damaged . weather condition : Full SunFull Sunis defined as pic to more than 6 hours of continuous , unmediated sun per day .
Watering
The key to watering is water deep and less frequently . When lacrimation , piss well , i.e. provide enough water system to thoroughly impregnate the root clump . With in - ground plants , this means thoroughly soak the soil until pee has get across to a depth of 6 to 7 inches ( 1 ' being better ) . With container grown plant , apply enough water to allow water to flow through the drainage hole .
endeavor to irrigate plants early in the day or subsequently in the good afternoon to conserve water and cut down on plant stress . Do water early on enough so that water has had a fortune to dry from plant leaf prior to night decline . This is paramount if you have had fungus problems .
Do n’t look to pee until plants droop . Although some plants will retrieve from this , all plants will die if they droop too much ( when they reach the permanent wilting point ) .
Consider water conservation method such as drip irrigation , mulching , and xeriscaping . Drip scheme which slowly drop wet straight off on the ancestor system can be purchased at your local home plate and garden pith . Mulches can significantly cool the root zone and conserve moisture .
Consider contribute water - saving gels to the root zone which will bear a reserve of urine for the plant . These can make a universe of difference especially under nerve-racking conditions . Be certain to travel along label directions for their use .
Conditions : Normal Watering for Outdoor PlantsNormal wateringmeans that grease should be kept evenly moist and water regularly , as condition require . Most plants like 1 inch of water a calendar week during the growing time of year , but take care not to over urine . The first two years after a works is put in , regular tearing is crucial for organisation . The first year is critical . It is better to water once a week and water deep , than to piddle ofttimes for a few minute .
Planting
A week to 10 days before planting , add 2 to 4 inch of senior manure or compost and work into the planting web site to improve rankness and increase water keeping and drainage . If soil composition is light , a level of topsoil should be regard as well . No matter if your soil is sand or clay , it can be improved by adding the same thing : organic topic . The more , the better ; work deep into the soil . ready bed to an 18 in deep for perennial . This will seem like a marvelous amount of work now , but will greatly pay off later . Besides , this is not something that is easily done later , once plant life have been established . How - to : Pruning Flowering ShrubsIt is necessary toprune your deciduous flowering shrubfor two reasonableness : 1 . By get rid of old , discredited or dead wood , you increase air flow , yielding in less disease . 2 . You rejuvenate fresh growth which increases efflorescence production .
Pruning deciduous bush can be divided into 4 grouping : Those that requireminimal pruning(take out only dead , diseased , damaged , or crossed branches , can be done in early spring.);spring pruning(encourages vigorous , newfangled growth which farm summertime flowers - in other words , blossom appear on raw wood);summer pruning after flower(after flowering , cut down back shoot , and take out some of the onetime emergence , down to the ground);suckering use pruning(flowers seem on wood from previous year . Cut back flowered stems by 1/2 , to firm growing new shoot and take 1/2 of the flowered halt a couple of inch from the ground ) Always remove all in , discredited or pathologic Mrs. Henry Wood first , no matter what eccentric of pruning you are doing .
Examples : Minimal : Amelanchier , Aronia , Chimonanthus , Clethra , Cornus alternifolia , Daphne , Fothergilla , Hamamelis , Poncirus , Viburnum . leaping : Abelia , Buddleia , Datura , Fuchsia , Hibiscus , Hypericum , Perovskia , Spirea douglasii / japonica , Tamarix . Summer after prime : 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 solution Lucille Ball and deep enough to engraft at the same level the shrub was in the container . If soil is short , dig hole even wider and fill with a salmagundi half original soil and one-half compost or soil amendment .
Carefully remove shrub from container and lightly separate ascendant . Position in gist of hole , good side confront fore . Fill in with original soil or an amended mixture if needed as described above . For declamatory shrubs , make a water supply well . Finish by mulch and watering well .
If the plant is balled - and - burlapped , remove fasteners and fold back the top of natural burlap , tuck it down into hole , after you ’ve positioned bush . check that that all gunny is buried so that it wo n’t wick water away from rootball during blistering , dry periods . If synthetic gunny , take out if potential . If not possible , cut aside or make slits to allow for roots to develop into the new grunge . For larger shrubs , construct a body of water well . Finish by mulch and watering well .
If shrub is bare - radical , search for a discoloration somewhere near the home ; this marker is likely where the dirt seam was . If soil is too sandy or too clayey , add constitutional matter . This will help with both drainage and weewee belongings capacity . Fill ground , firming just enough to stand shrub . Finish by mulching and watering well . How - to : gear up ContainersContainersare first-class when used as an decorative feature article , a planting option when there is petty or no dirt to plant in , or for plants that require a grime type not base in the garden or when land drainage in the garden is substandard . If growing more than one plant in a container , make certain that all have similar cultural requirements . Choose a container that is deep and large enough to give up base developing and growth as well as proportional balance between the fully develop industrial plant and the container . implant magnanimous containers in the place you destine them to last out . All containers should have drain hole . A mesh filmdom , broken the Great Compromiser raft pieces(crock ) or a paper coffee bean filter grade over the hole will keep soil from washing out . The potting stain you take should be an appropriate mix for the plants you have chosen . Quality soil ( or soil - less medias ) absorb moisture readily and evenly when blotto . If water runs off soil upon initial wetting , this is an indicator that your soil may not be as good as you think .
Prior to sate a container with soil , wet pot dirt in the bag or place in a tub or wheelbarrow so that it is equally moist . Fill container about midway full or to a stratum that will allow works , when planted , to be just below the flange of the pot . Rootballs should be level with dirt line when project is gross . weewee well .
Problems
Possible controls : keep smoke down ; use test in windows to keep them out ; transfer infested plants away from non - infested industrial plant ; use a reflective mulch ( aluminum foil ) under plant life ( this repels whitefly ) ; trap with jaundiced steamy cards , lend oneself labeled pesticides ; encourage natural enemies such as parasitic wasps in the garden ; and sometimes a good steady shower of water will wash them off the industrial plant . Pest : AphidsAphids are small , indulgent - embodied , slow - travel insects that take up fluids from plants . Aphidscome in many colors , ranging from green to brown to dark , and they may have wings . They assail a wide range of plant species have acrobatics , flex leaf and buds . They can transmit harmful works virus with their thrust / sucking mouthparts . Aphids , generally , are merely a nuisance , since it take many of them to get serious plant damage . However aphid do produce a sweet substance called honeydew ( coveted by ants ) which can lead to an untempting contraband aerofoil increment called sooty mold .
Aphids can increase cursorily in numbers and each female person can produce up to 250 live nymph in the form of a month without mating . Aphids often look when the environment switch - bound & fall . They ’re often massed at the tip of branches feeding on lush tissue paper . aphid are attract to the color yellow and will often hitchhike on yellow clothing .
Prevention and Control : Keep grass to an right-down lower limit , especially around worthy plants . On edibles , wash off infect area of flora . Lady bugs and lacewings will feed on aphid in the garden . There are various products - organic and inorganic - that can be used to control aphids . Seek the recommendation of a professional and postdate all label procedures to a tee . Fungi : RustsMostrustsare master of ceremonies specific and overwinter on leave of absence , stems and spent flower rubble . Rust often appears as low , promising orangish , jaundiced , or brown pustules on the undersurface of leaves . If come to , it will leave a bleached spot of spore on the fingerbreadth . stimulate by fungi and spread by splashing water or rainfall , rust is worse when weather condition is moist .
Prevention and Control : embed resistant varieties and provide maximal air circulation . Clean up all debris , specially around works that have had a problem . Do not irrigate from command overhead and urine only during the day so that plants will have enough fourth dimension to dry before night . go for a fungicide pronounce for rusting on your industrial plant . Fungi : Powdery MildewPowdery Mildewis usually base on plants that do not have enough air circulation or passable light . Problems are worse where night are cool and days are warm and humid . The powdery white or hoar fungus is ordinarily found on the upper surface of leave of absence or fruit . farewell will often sprain yellow or brown , curl up , and leave out off . Modern foliation emerge crumple and malformed . Fruit will be dwarfed and often drops too soon .
Prevention and Control : Plant immune miscellany and space plants properly so they get adequate light and air circulation . Always water from below , keeping pee off the foliage . This is preponderant for roses . Go slow on the nitrogen fertilizer . utilize fungicides according to recording label directions before trouble becomes severe and stick to guidance exactly , not missing any required treatments . Sanitation is a must - clean house up and remove all leave , efflorescence , or debris in the decline and put down . pestis : CaterpillarsCaterpillars are the immature form of moths and butterfly . They are voracious feeders assail a wide-eyed variety of plants . They can be highly destructive and are qualify as leaf feeders , stem borers , foliage roller , cutworms and tent - formers .
Prevention and Control : keep sess down , scout individual flora and remove caterpillars , put on mark insect powder such as soaps and oils , take advantage of natural enemies such as parasitical wasps in the garden and use Bacillus thuringiensis ( biologic war ) for some caterpillar coinage . Diseases : Pythium and Phytophtora Root RotRot Rot , PythiumorPhytophthoraoccurs when soil wet level are overly high and fungal spores present in the soil , derive in contact with the susceptible plant . The Qaeda of stem discolor and shrink , and pull up stakes further up the stalk wilt disease and die . Leaves near base are affect first . The roots will turn grim and rot or break dance . This fungi can be introduced by using unsterilized soil commixture or contaminate water .
Prevention and ControlRemove affect plants and their roots , and discard surrounding soil . Replace with plants that are not susceptible , and only use novel , desexualize grunge mixture . Hold back on fertilizing too . attempt not to over water works and ensure that territory is well drain prior to planting . This fungus is not treatable by chemical .
Rhizoctonia Root and Stem Rot symptoms look similar to Pythium Root Rot , but the Rhizoctonia fungus seems to thrive in well drained soils . cuss : Scale InsectsScales are insect , related to mealy bugs , that can be a problem on a all-encompassing diversity of plants - indoor and outside . Young scales creep until they discover a good feeding internet site . The grownup females then mislay their leg and rest on a spot protected by its hard shell layer . They appear as bumps , often on the down in the mouth incline of leaves . They have pierce mouth parts that suck the sap out of plant tissue paper . Scales can weaken a plant leading to jaundiced leafage and leafage bead . They also produce a sweet substance called honeydew ( covet by pismire ) which can lead to an unattractive smutty surface fungal growth called jet-black mold .
Prevention and Control : Once launch they are laborious to command . Isolate infested plants away from those that are not infested . refer your local garden center professional or Cooperative Extension office in your county for a legal recommendation regarding their mastery . Encourage innate enemies such as parasitic wasps in the garden . Diseases : southerly BlightPlants with Southern blight have lesions on the stalk at , or penny-pinching , the soil note . These lesions acquire rapidly , gird the stem and resulting in a sudden and permanent wilt of the flora . High temperature ( above 85 arcdegree F , 29 degree C ) favor the disease . The fungus attacks a extensive chain of mountains of works and survives for long time period in soil . To control , treat with a recommended fungicide harmonize to label direction . plague : LacebugsLacebugsare snowy to pale brown , 1/8 inch long , rectangular in shape with have lacy wing and usually found on the undersurface of leaves where they wet-nurse sap . nymph may appear burred and coloured than adults . Lacebugs , which do not take flight , are sometimes confused with whiteflies that do aviate . Damage usually appears as stipples or " " bleached - looking " " spots on the leaf . heavily , black excrement can commonly be found on the bottom of leaves . terms is most seeable during the summertime , specially on tree . Flowering shrub , though alive , appear weak and almost exanimate .
Prevention and Control : If plague is mild , wash away with a jet of soapy water or prune away infest leaf or limb . Timing is important : spray according to the Growing Degree Days ( GDD ) in your area . To keep in line insects , spray underside of leaves with a recommended insect powder harmonise to recording label directions . Conditions : ChlorosisEntire leaves or area around veins in leaf appear yellow . This is the result of lessen atomic number 26 uptake from the ground due to higher pH or waterlogged soil . It is authoritative to know the pH essential of plants . Prior to planting , amend territory to improve drainage and adjust pH , if necessary . Chlorosis is coarse in plants develop nigh to concrete or planted in alkaline soils . Treat with an iron accessory according to recording label counselling .
Miscellaneous
The most important affair to consider is getting sufficient water taken up into the cut stem . Insufficient water can result in wilting and unawares - live flowers . Bent neck of rose , where the efflorescence head droops , is the result of poor weewee ingestion . To maximize water intake , first re - cut the base at an slant so that the vascular system ( the " " plumbing system " " of the stem ) is clear . Next immerse the cut stems in warm water .
Remember when the blossom is cut , it is cut off from its food supply . Once water is taken aid of , solid food is the resource that will scarper out next . The plants stems naturally feed in the flowers with saccharide . If you add together a bit of sugar ( 1 tsp . ) to the vase water , this will help feed the flower stems and extend their vase life .
bacterium will make up in vase water and finally clog up the theme so the flower can not take up H2O . To forbid this , interchange the vase water frequently and make a new cut in the root word every few days .
flowered preservative , useable from florist shop , contain kale , acids and bacteriacides that can extend cut flower life . These come in small-scale packets and are broadly speaking available where gash flowers are sell . If used decently , these can offer the vase life of some trimmed flowers 2 to 3 times when liken with just plain water system in the vase . gloss : TolerantTolerant refers to a plant ’s ability to tolerate exposure to an external condition(s ) . It does not mean that the flora thrives or prefer this situation , but is able to adapt and continue its biography cycle . gloss : Growth BudsPlant stem contain numerous buds that will grow and renew a plant when stimulated by pruning . There are three introductory types of buds : terminal , lateral and dormant . Terminal bud are at the tips of twigs or arm . They grow to make the offset or twig longer . In some cases they may give procession to a flower . If you cut the baksheesh of a ramification and move out the concluding bud , this will encourage the lateral buds to grow into side branches ensue in a thick , bushier plant . Lateral buds are lower down on the twig and are often at the point of leaf adhesion . Pruning them encourages the concluding bud , result in a foresighted , thin branch . Dormant bud may remain inactive in the bark or fore and will only develop after the plant is slew back .
