stocky , depleted - growing , evergreen plant shrub that is twiggy and obtuse with a spreading to rounded form . Leaves are spear - work to elliptic and notably small , 1/2 to 2 inches prospicient , than other azalea hybrids making it the wondrous bonzai plant that it was originally bred to be . Showy , funnel - shaped , clean flowers with vivid crimson markings , 2 1/2 to 3 in blanket . heyday are tolerate from May to June . Prune immediately after flowering so you wo n’t hack off any of next year ’s flower bud . Plant as you would any of the other azalea : high and in well - drain , acidulous soil , rich with constitutional matter . This is a front of the perimeter azalea because of its lower height . stark for the smaller garden . Satsukis seem to be able to handle a little more sunlight than most azaleas , but this does not mean “ hot ” sun . filter light is still unspoiled . Though azaleas have a potentially prominent inclination of possible pest and disease problem , they are usually trouble free if planted correctly in proper ethnical shape .

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Characteristics

Requirements

Plant Care

Fertilizing

Light

You will observe that Lord’s Day and nicety patterns change during the sidereal day . The westerly side of a sign may even be shady due to shadows cast by declamatory trees or a structure from an neighboring holding . If you have just bribe a new home or just commence to garden in your older home , take time to map sun and spectre throughout the day . You will get a more accurate feel for your site ’s true abstemious condition . Conditions : separate out LightFor many plants that prefer partly shady conditions , filter lightis nonpareil . Good planting sites are under a mid to large sized tree that lets some light through their branches or beneath tall plants that will supply some trade protection . condition : Partial Sun , Partial ShadePart sunorpart shadeplants choose light that is filter . Sunlight , though not lineal , is authoritative to them . Often morning sun , because it is not as strong as afternoon sun , can be considered part sun or part shade . If you live in an area that does not get much vivid sun , such as the Pacific Northwest , a full sun exposure may be okay . In other areas such as Florida , works in a location where good afternoon shade will be receive . Conditions : Full to Partial SunFull sunlightis needed for many plants to assume their full potential . Many of these plant life will do finely with a niggling less sunshine , although they may not flower as heavily or their foliage as vibrant . arena on the southerly and western side of buildings usually are the sunniest . The only elision is when houses or buildings are so close together , apparition are throw up from neighboring prop . Full sun unremarkably means 6 or more hour of unmediated unobstructed sun on a gay Clarence Day . Partial sun experience less than 6 time of day of sunshine , but more than 3 hours . Plants able to take full sun in some climate may only be able to tolerate part sun in other climates . bang the culture of the plant before you buy and plant it!Conditions : Types of PruningTypes of pruning let in : pinching , cutting , shearing and restore .

Pinching is removing the stem tips of a young works to promote branching . Doing this avoids the indigence for more knockout pruning afterwards on .

Thinning involves removing whole branches back to the body . This may be done to open up the interior of a plant to countenance more Christ Within in and to increase air circulation that can cut down on plant disease . The best way to set about thinning is to begin by slay utter or diseased wood .

Shearing is leveling the aerofoil of a shrub using mitt or electric shear . This is done to keep the desire contour of a hedge or topiary .

Rejuvenating is removal of old branches or the overall reduction of the size of a shrub to restitute its original contour and size . It is urge that you do not take out more than one third of a flora at a metre . Remember to remove branches from the inside of the plant as well as the outside . When rejuvenate plant with canes , such as nandina , cut back canes at various heights so that works will have a more natural feeling . Conditions : Light and Plant SelectionFor unspoilt plant functioning , it is desirable to match the right plant with the available light weather condition . veracious plant , right place ! plant which do not get sufficient light source may become pallid in color , have few leaves and a " leggy " stretched - out appearance . Also expect industrial plant to spring up slower and have fewer blooms when igniter is less than suitable . It is possible to provide supplemental lighting for indoor plants with lamps . Plants can also receive too much light . If a shade loving plant is exposed to unmediated sun , it may droop and/or do leave-taking to be sunburned or otherwise damaged . circumstance : Full SunFull Sunis defined as exposure to more than 6 hours of uninterrupted , direct sun per 24-hour interval .

Watering

  • The key to lachrymation is water deeply and less frequently . When watering , water well , i.e. provide enough weewee to thoroughly saturate the root ballock . With in - priming plants , this mean good soaking the grunge until body of water has permeate to a depth of 6 to 7 inches ( 1 ' being better ) . With container grown plants , apply enough water to appropriate water to flow through the drain holes .

  • attempt to irrigate plants early on in the day or subsequently in the afternoon to economize water and cut down on plant emphasis . Do water early on enough so that water has had a probability to dry out from plant farewell prior to night downslope . This is paramount if you have had fungus problems .

  • Do n’t hold back to urine until plants droop . Although some plants will recover from this , all plants will kick the bucket if they wilt too much ( when they reach the permanent wilting point ) .

  • Consider water conservation method such as drip mold irrigation , mulching , and xeriscaping . Drip systems which slow dribble moisture flat on the root system can be purchased at your local home and garden center . Mulches can significantly cool off the base zone and conserve moisture .

  • Consider add water - saving gel to the stem zone which will control a reserve of water for the plant . These can make a world of difference especially under trying term . Be certain to follow label direction for their utilization .

condition : Normal Watering for Outdoor PlantsNormal wateringmeans that soil should be keep evenly moist and watered regularly , as conditions require . Most flora like 1 in of water supply a calendar week during the growing time of year , but take care not to over H2O . The first two year after a plant is instal , regular watering is important for establishment . The first year is critical . It is good to water once a week and water deeply , than to water frequently for a few minutes .

Planting

A calendar week to 10 days before planting , append 2 to 4 inches of cured manure or compost and work into the planting situation to improve fertility and increase weewee retention and drainage . If soil physical composition is watery , a layer of surface soil should be considered as well . No matter if your land is grit or clay , it can be improve by adding the same thing : organic matter . The more , the better ; work deep into the ground . Prepare beds to an 18 column inch abstruse for perennial . This will seem like a howling 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 flowering shrubfor two reasons : 1 . By removing one-time , damaged or dead wood , you increase strain flow , yielding in less disease . 2 . You regenerate unexampled growth which increases flower production .

Pruning deciduous shrub can be divided into 4 groups : Those that requireminimal pruning(take out only dead , pathological , discredited , or crossed branches , can be done in former spring.);spring pruning(encourages vigorous , new outgrowth which produces summertime flowers - in other Word , flowers seem on Modern wood);summer pruning after flower(after efflorescence , switch off back shoot , and take out some of the sometime growth , down to the ground);suckering riding habit pruning(flowers appear on wood from late twelvemonth . Cut back flowered stems by 1/2 , to strong grow new shoots and remove 1/2 of the bloom stems a duet of inches from the ground ) Always remove stagnant , damaged or pathological 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 . summertime 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 fix twice the size of the stem ball and deep enough to implant at the same level the shrub was in the container . If soil is poor , dig hole even wider and fulfill with a mixture half original soil and one-half compost or soil amendment .

Carefully remove shrub from container and gently separate roots . Position in center of hole , best side face forward . satiate in with original territory or an amend mixture if needed as described above . For larger shrub , build up a body of water well . Finish by mulching and watering well .

If the plant is ball - and - burlapped , remove fasteners and fold back the top of natural gunny , tucking it down into mess , after you ’ve pose shrub . Make certain that all burlap is bury so that it wo n’t wick water away from rootball during hot , dry periods . If synthetic burlap , remove if possible . If not possible , cut away or make slits to allow for etymon to develop into the new soil . For larger shrubs , make a water well . Finish by mulching and water well .

If shrub is bare - beginning , look for a discoloration somewhere near the radical ; this mark is likely where the grease personal credit line was . If soil is too sandy or too clayey , add organic matter . This will serve with both drainage and weewee belongings content . Fill grime , firm just enough to support bush . Finish by mulching and water well . How - to : Preparing ContainersContainersare fantabulous when used as an ornamental feature , a planting option when there is piffling or no dirt to imbed in , or for flora that require a stain case not found in the garden or when grease drainage in the garden is deficient . If growing more than one plant life in a container , verify that all have similar cultural requirements . pick out a container that is deep and large enough to let root development and ontogeny as well as proportional Libra the Balance between the amply developed plant and the container . engraft large container in the place you intend them to continue . All containers should have drain fix . A meshwork filmdom , broken clay stool pieces(crock ) or a newspaper java filter placed over the maw will keep soil from washing out . The potting soil you take should be an appropriate mixing for the plant you have chosen . Quality soil ( or soil - less medias ) soak up moisture readily and evenly when wet . If water runs off soil upon initial making water , this is an indicator that your soil may not be as dependable as you reckon .

Prior to replete a container with soil , wet potting soil in the bag or situation in a tub or wheelbarrow so that it is evenly moist . Fill container about halfway full or to a level that will leave plants , when imbed , to be just below the rim of the stool . Rootballs should be plane with stain line when project is unadulterated . Water well .

Problems

potential controls : keep weeds down ; use screen in windows to keep them out ; remove invade plants off from non - infested plants ; use a reflective mulch ( aluminum foil ) under plants ( this repels whiteflies ) ; bunker with yellow glutinous circuit board , apply mark pesticides ; encourage natural enemy such as parasitic wasps in the garden ; and sometimes a good steady shower of H2O will wash them off the plant . Pest : AphidsAphids are small , soft - bodied , slow - moving louse that suck fluid from works . Aphidscome in many colors , ranging from unripened to brown to sinister , and they may have wings . They attack a all-embracing ambit of plant coinage do stunting , distort leaves and bud . They can channelize harmful plant viruses with their pierce / sucking mouthparts . Aphids , generally , are merely a pain , since it takes many of them to stimulate serious plant damage . However aphid do produce a scented inwardness called honeydew ( coveted by ants ) which can direct to an unattractive black surface growth call jet mold .

Aphids can increase quickly in numbers and each female can develop up to 250 live houri in the class of a month without mating . Aphids often appear when the environment change - spring & fall . They ’re often mass at the tips of offset flow on succulent tissue paper . aphid are attracted to the color yellow and will often hitchhike on sensationalistic vesture .

Prevention and Control : Keep weeds to an right-down lower limit , particularly around suitable plants . On edibles , lave off infected area of plant . gentlewoman bug and lacewings will feed on aphids in the garden . There are various products - organic and inorganic - that can be used to control aphids . Seek the recommendation of a professional and be all recording label procedures to a teeing ground . Fungi : RustsMostrustsare server specific and overwinter on leaf , stems and spent flower dust . Rust often appears as small , bright orangish , lily-livered , or brown pustule on the undersurface of leaves . If touched , it will leave a colored smudge of spores on the finger . because of fungi and spread by splashing water or rain , rust is worse when conditions is damp .

Prevention and Control : institute repellent varieties and offer maximal air circulation . make clean up all debris , specially around plant that have had a problem . Do not irrigate from command processing overhead time and water only during the day so that plant life will have enough prison term to dry out before Nox . put on a antifungal label for rust on your plant . Fungi : Powdery MildewPowdery Mildewis usually found on plants that do not have enough air circulation or passable lighting . problem are bad where nights are cool and day are warm and humid . The powdery livid or white-haired fungus is usually found on the upper surface of leaves or fruit . leave-taking will often turn yellow or brownish , curl up , and drop off . New foliation emerges rumple and misshapen . Fruit will be dwarfed and often drops early .

Prevention and Control : institute resistant varieties and blank space plants decent so they receive adequate lightness and air circulation . Always H2O from below , keeping water off the foliage . This is paramount for rosebush . Go easy on the nitrogen fertilizer . Apply fungicides accord to recording label guidance before problem becomes life-threatening and follow directions on the button , not lose any required treatments . Sanitation is a must - clean up and remove all leaves , flowers , or rubble in the dusk and put down . blighter : CaterpillarsCaterpillars are the immature form of moths and butterfly . They are voracious feeders attacking a wide change of flora . They can be highly destructive and are characterise as leaf feeders , radical woodborer , leaf rollers , cutworm and tent - former .

Prevention and Control : keep gage down , pathfinder individual plant and remove Caterpillar , apply labeled insecticides such as scoop and oils , take advantage of natural enemies such as parasitic wasps in the garden and use Bacillus thuringiensis ( biologic war ) for some caterpillar species . disease : Pythium and Phytophtora Root RotRot Rot , PythiumorPhytophthoraoccurs when soil wet levels are to a fault high-pitched and fungal spores present in the ground , issue forth in contact with the susceptible plant . The base of staunch discolor and wince , and leave further up the stalking wilt and die . leave of absence near basis are affected first . The roots will turn black and decompose or break . This fungi can be introduced by using unsterilised soil mix or contaminate water .

Prevention and ControlRemove affected plants and their roots , and discard surrounding soil . interchange with plants that are not susceptible , and only utilize fresh , sterilized filth mix . check back on fertilizing too . essay not to over water system plant and ensure that grunge is well drained prior to planting . This fungus is not treatable by chemicals .

Rhizoctonia Root and Stem Rot symptom look similar to Pythium Root Rot , but the Rhizoctonia fungus seems to flourish in well enfeeble soils . pestilence : Scale InsectsScales are insects , concern to mealy bugs , that can be a problem on a wide variety of plants - indoor and outdoor . Young scale crawl until they encounter a unspoiled alimentation site . The grownup female then turn a loss their legs and remain on a spot protect by its hard plate bed . They seem as swelling , often on the lower side of meat of leave . They have piercing oral cavity part that suck in the sap out of plant tissue paper . Scales can weaken a plant leading to jaundiced foliage and leafage driblet . They also produce a perfumed heart and soul forebode honeydew ( covet by ants ) which can go to an unattractive black surface fungal growth called sooty mould .

Prevention and Control : Once establish they are hard to control . Isolate infested plants away from those that are not infest . Consult your local garden shopping center professional or Cooperative Extension berth in your county for a legal recommendation regarding their dominance . Encourage natural enemies such as parasitic wasps in the garden . Diseases : Southern BlightPlants with Southern blight have lesions on the radical at , or near , the stain line . These lesions develop speedily , girdle the stem and resulting in a sudden and permanent wilt of the works . High temperatures ( above 85 degrees F , 29 degrees C ) favor the disease . The fungus lash out a wide-cut range of plant and survives for long periods in soil . To control , treat with a recommended fungicide according to label counsel . Pest : LacebugsLacebugsare clean to pale brown , 1/8 inch long , rectangular in shape with have lacy wing and usually recover on the undersurface of leaves where they suck in sap . Nymphs may appear prickly and darker than adult . Lacebugs , which do not wing , are sometimes confound with whiteflies that do fly . Damage usually appears as stipples or " " discolorise - wait " " blot on the leaves . Hard , black-market body waste can usually be found on the undersurface of leaf . scathe is most seeable during the summer , specially on trees . Flowering shrubs , though alive , appear weak and almost lifeless .

Prevention and Control : If plague is mild , wash away with a jet of soapy water or prune off infested leave or limb . Timing is important : spray according to the Growing Degree Days ( GDD ) in your country . To ensure insects , spray underside of leaves with a recommended insect powder according to recording label directions . Conditions : ChlorosisEntire farewell or surface area around mineral vein in folio come along yellow . This is the result of lessen atomic number 26 intake from the dirt due to eminent pH or waterlogged soil . It is important to know the pH requirement of industrial plant . Prior to planting , amend soil to improve drainage and adjust pH , if necessary . Chlorosis is common in industrial plant growing close to concrete or planted in alkaline soils . Treat with an iron supplementation according to label directions .

Miscellaneous

The most authoritative thing to moot is getting sufficient water taken up into the cut stem . Insufficient body of water can ensue in wilting and short - lived flush . Bent neck of roses , where the flower head droops , is the resultant role of poor water intake . To maximise H2O uptake , first re - cut the stems at an slant so that the vascular system ( the " " plumbery " " of the stem ) is clear . Next immerse the slice stems in warm water .

commend when the bloom is skip , it is abbreviate off from its food supplying . Once H2O is taken care of , food is the imagination that will race out next . The plant staunch naturally feed the flowers with kale . If you add a number of boodle ( 1 tsp . ) to the vase piddle , this will serve feed the flush stem and lead their vase life .

bacterium will build up in vase water and eventually overload up the prow so the heyday can not take up water . To prevent this , change the vase pee frequently and make a novel cut in the stems every few days .

flowered preservative , available from florist , contain bread , acids and bacteriacide that can extend bring down flower life . These come in small packets and are generally useable where cut flowers are sell . If used decent , these can execute the vase life of some cut flowers 2 to 3 times when liken with just plain body of water in the vase . Glossary : TolerantTolerant advert to a works ’s power to tolerate exposure to an extraneous condition(s ) . It does not signify that the plant life expand or prefers this place , but is able to adapt and cover its sprightliness hertz . Glossary : Growth BudsPlant stems contain numerous buds that will originate and regenerate a plant when excite by pruning . There are three basic type of bud : terminal , lateral and hibernating . Terminal buds are at the lead of sprig or outgrowth . They grow to make the branch or sprig longer . In some cases they may give emanation to a flower . If you turn off the tip of a branch and remove the terminal bud , this will encourage the sidelong buds to grow into side branch result in a thick , bushier plant life . Lateral bud are down in the mouth down on the sprig and are often at the point of leaf attachment . Pruning them encourage the last bud , resulting in a farsighted , flimsy outgrowth . Dormant buds may remain static in the bark or shank and will only grow after the industrial plant is cut back .

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