Soil for an Azalea

Hello all!!

My azalea (don't know what species it is) finished flowering and i'm thinking in transplanting it to a new por. What do you think about this soil:

1/3 Kanuma
1/3 leca
1/3 peat (for aquarium filters)

Should i change anything???


thanx

It depends entirely on what it is in now. With Azaleas, the important thing is not to change anything too rapidly. If it is in peat, make the move to any kanuma mix slowly. They all tend to have very fibrous roots, so care is necesxary not to damage too much when repotting.

What is the pH of the fired clay Leca?

Why use aquarium filter peat? That would be a much more expensive source than gardeners peat where I live.

One important consideration is to keep the pot size only slightly larger than the size of the rootball. Too much soil with no root tends to lead to waterlogging and root rot.

I think 100 kanuma is better for azalea

Penjing wrote:I think 100 kanuma is better for azalea

Same here, I keep all my azalea on 100% kanuma mixed with a litle bit of fine spaghnummos.
Only cuttings are planted in 100% peat for ericaseus plants.

Peter

My azalea is in an original pot (not bonsai pot) with vegetable soil and i'm doing it's first transplant to a training pot (a kind of a draining pot which in portuguese we call - "escorredor"), so i think an 100% kanuma soil will be a too dramatical change. Mr Kev, i don't know what is the pH of the leca but my intention in using it is for keeping an high level of drainage, About the aquarium peat, i'm thinking in using it instead of other inexpensive kind because i have one box of it and i don't use any in my aquarium since 3 or 4 years.


So, what kind of soil mix should i use??

cut the roots back to 2/3 and fil the rest of the container with kanuma, the next years you change more and more old soil with kanuma.

Peter

"cut the roots back to 2/3 and fil the rest of the container with kanuma, the next years you change more and more old soil with kanuma."

So, let's see if a understand:

i cut 1/3 of the old mass of roots and soil and take the remaining 2/3 (without touching in it) and make a "fake transplant" to the new container filling the remaining space (i.e., the bottom and laterals) with only kanuma. Is it what i should do???

Azaleas are ericaceous plants. As I said above, if they are in kanuma now they will do best in kanuma. If they are not, use a similar mix to what they are in and only change over to kanuma very slowly, if you wish to. A changeover that is too rapid kills them. Read the Basic Satsuki Requirements section in Alexander Kennedy's "Floral treasures of Japan" for details. Tatemori Gondo in International Bonsai 2001 No3 also confirmed this. He said "DO NOT change from Kanuma soil if the tree was planted in peat moss." (his emphasis)

It also depends on where your tree is in terms of its development. Kennedy says that "Kanuma does not seem to offer a particular advantage for young plants being rapidly grown on. I have found that young cuttings consistently put on more growth in a peat-based mix than in Kanuma."

Mine are certainly happy enough in a peat based mix and have been for 15+ years.

capo_regime wrote:"cut the roots back to 2/3 and fil the rest of the container with kanuma, the next years you change more and more old soil with kanuma."

So, let's see if a understand:

i cut 1/3 of the old mass of roots and soil and take the remaining 2/3 (without touching in it) and make a "fake transplant" to the new container filling the remaining space (i.e., the bottom and laterals) with only kanuma. Is it what i should do???

'

Yes thats exactly what I mean, dont forget to cut the rootball underneath aswell and put some kanuma under and poke some kanuma in the rootball.

Peter

"dont forget to cut the rootball underneath aswell and put some kanuma under and poke some kanuma in the rootball"

Well, i did not make it..... just cut off the lower 1/3 of the root ball and filled the rest of the container with a mix of 1/2 kanuma and 1/2 peat. What do you think?? Hope the roots don't rot....

capo_regime wrote:"dont forget to cut the rootball underneath aswell and put some kanuma under and poke some kanuma in the rootball"

Well, i did not make it..... just cut off the lower 1/3 of the root ball and filled the rest of the container with a mix of 1/2 kanuma and 1/2 peat. What do you think?? Hope the roots don't rot....

I used a similar mix in the old days, but the peat when it becomes dry its very hard to get some moisture in it again.
Rootrot no problem I think, keep us posted!

Kind regards
Peter

Hello all!!

After my azalea transplant now i'm thinking to prune it. I think the best timing for doing it is now, after the flowering. What do you think? See a picture of it and help me in my decision.



thanx