Satsuki Semicascade

Just though I would share this image of our White Satsuki in flower before it gets de-frocked! We don't know the variant any ideas?

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It's hard to say which, but 'hakata-jiro' is a good start.

If I may add...

This is the worst kind of pot for a satsuki. Azaleas have shallow, fine roots that need soil surface area so they can breathe. For a trunk this massive this pot is way too restrictive. Even as a cascade or semi-casacade the roots aren't going to grow down into that pot, and it won't be long before water just stands on what little soil surface there is. When that happens azaleas literally choke. Pick a pot that is wider and shallower, it will be a happier satsuki - and, IMO, look more powerful and stable.

Russell

Russell Coker wrote:It's hard to say which, but 'hakata-jiro' is a good start.

If I may add...

This is the worst kind of pot for a satsuki. Azaleas have shallow, fine roots that need soil surface area so they can breathe. For a trunk this massive this pot is way too restrictive. Even as a cascade or semi-casacade the roots aren't going to grow down into that pot, and it won't be long before water just stands on what little soil surface there is. When that happens azaleas literally choke. Pick a pot that is wider and shallower, it will be a happier satsuki - and, IMO, look more powerful and stable.

Russell

Russell, that's super information. Just the kind of thing I need to know.
Thanks,
Ed

Absolutely on the ball! the new shallower and wider pot is standing by and is just waiting for the flowering to end.

Mahalo Russell for the information. I have a satsuki that I'm training as a semi-cascading and it's good to know about surface area.

A Hui Hou,
-Tim

I agree with Russell. Surface feeder roots on a Satsuki are vitally important, hence a three stage root prune technique. Slice the bottom, reduce the fine roots to the sides and then carefully deal with the surface. Having so said, one cannot...absolutely cannot criticise the outward looking quality of your Satsuki. Methinks however, it may be beneficial to pot on to a more suitable container to get a more lateral spread...just as Russell has detailed.

Looked through the books but it would be a wild guess as the flower looks very much like one of several.

Guys, you're welcome. Glad to help. This isn't the first time I've suggested to someone here that they get a bigger pot for their satsuki. You know the saying "You can lead a horse to water..."

Anyway, pmjos, you may want to go ahead and remove those flowers and get to repotting. Maybe it's different for you but here in the southeast USA repotting after flowering in May or June is very dangerous. People always say "but that's when the Japanese say to do it", but what they don't realize is that Japan has cool Rainy Season that starts in June and goes to the middle of July. I know it totally surprised me when I lived there. I'm eager to see it in the new pot so don't forget to share the pictures.

Oh, and my suggestion of Hakata-jiro was based on a couple of thing. First, the color is pure white with no pink tint, and no random odd flowers that I could see. The flowers have a slight ruffle and the shape is right too. Also the color of the foliage and the shape of the leaves fits Hakata-jiro. It is also an old, strong and still popular variety so it makes sense that an old satsuki like this one would have been for sale. The color of the trunk and those "muscles" also fits Hakata-jiro and the other satsukis like Eikan and Fuji-nishiki that came out of the same seed lot. Can't get all that from pictures of white satsukis in a book!

Russell