AZALEA - HELP FROM EXPERIENCED

Hi folks,

I'm from Brazil and I used to post here some uears ago... Now I want to come back..

Hope you understand my english....

I need a help from the experienced...

I got this Azalea about 2 years ago and had to "cause" a big scar on the front side of the trunk....

Right under this scar, there is a "fail" on the nebari...

Please help me on how to "help" this scar to go sealed faster?? Maybe an Approach Grafting ?? Does it work on azaleas ?

Here is the tree :

( My hand is on the photo to show the size of the tree... )



Close up :



Hope you help me, cause I think this can become a GOOD tree...

BEST REGARDS

RENAN CAMPARA BRAIDO

It looks to me you have used a knob cutter to hollow the wound, that wound needs to be smoothed out a bit but don't make it more hollow if you want it to heal over flat. Azalea bark is thin and they don't heal in the same way as a trident would for example. I think the roots could be improved with approach grafting.

And YES, it will become a very nice tree

I think you should remove the really straight branch/ leader. Then wire and grow on ,one of those shoots, around the branches base.

Hopefully you live in an area of Brazil where azaleas will thrive, otherwise it will be difficult to keep the tree healthy enough to heal over. I agree with the two prior comments, especially Will's about reducing the long skinny leader.

Hi Renan.

Your English is fine!

It will be difficult to fix this damage, but it looks like this azalea is one of the Southern Indian hybrids and they are strong and fast growing. At least that works in your favor.

Henrik is absolutely correct: NEVER make concave cuts on an azalea. Cuts should be flat and smooth. First, remove the branch and leave a stub. Then, with a concave cutter or a root cutter, start biting it down until it is nearly flat. Finish by using a sharp knife (I use a Japanese grafting knife) to smooth the edges and surface of the cut. Keep your dirty fingers off of the cut, and don't put spit on it either. Immediately seal the cut with a liquid, glue-type sealer that dries like a skin over the cut. Clay-type sealers (cut paste) don't work as well on azaleas.

The problem with removing these large, low branches is that these are actually secondary trunks on azaleas. When azaleas are collected from gardens or nursery containers we are usually faced with numerous trunks and must decide what we will keep and what needs to be removed. The older the azaleas is the slower you must go. Starting in the spring with a big, old garden azalea I'd start by deciding my "line", then cut the remaining low trunks/branches back to 3 -5 inches and seal the cuts. Through the summer these shortened branches will pop out with wild growth. The next spring cut back the wild growth as needed, then with a fine sharp saw cut almost all of the way through the branch against the trunk as if you were going to remove it completey. Leave the bottom 1/3 connected to the tree and make another cut a little farther out to remove a wedge of wood from the top. The life-line from the bottom connecting to the roots is the most important part. Use the knife and seal it as I mentioned above. Make sure the first cut is where you want it because you are sealing it and making that part your finished cut and don't touch that part again. It may take 2 or 3 years of growth before the azalea has adjusted to this cut and you can finally completely remove the branch safely without causing dieback in the trunk and down into the roots.

Azaleas need time to adjust and recuperate after being collected, cut back and potted. If you don't rush the process you will be rewarded with a strong, healthy plant. Hopefully, your azalea will pop some new growth on the edges of that big cut helping it to heal over.

I hope this is clear to you, please let me know if I need to better explain this process.

Russell

The best thing to do with the scar is to flaten it like Henrik said and then just give it time.