Satsuki Azalea cutting

Hello all,

My first post on this forum, so please be kind!

I recently attended the retirement sale at Bristol (UK) based Glenbrook Bonsai as an avid beginner (started with a mallsai about 3 years ago and have progressed a little) and picked up a couple of field grown Pinus Mugo but also a 6 for £10.00 variety which included a small Satsuki Azalea. I didn't secure them properly and unfortunately on the journey home the Satsuki snapped, something I feel very guilty about. I have never done any propagation previously but in the vain attempt to save it I did a quick bit of investigation on basic Bonsai propagation. Having followed the instructions (tidy the broken area, trim around 10mm of the bark and dip in rooting compound hastily bought from a local garden centre) I potted the little branch in a mix of ericaceous peat/akadama put a clear sandwich bag over the top to retain moisture and increase humidity and then placed it on the windowsill fully expecting it to die off quite quickly.

Around 2 weeks later after constant monitoring what few leaves it still had still had life in them but the compost was drying out almost immediately as the indoor temperature was far too warm (although I would like to turn it down my wife isn't too keen), so I filled a shallow tub with water, placed a wooden block in the water and put the plastic pot on top so that the pot was not submerged, in the vain hope that this would keep the humidity up.

After 6 weeks it is looking ok and starting to show signs of budding which is totally unexpected. On gently pulling the branch it showed signs of resistance and rightly or wrongly I felt I should try and repot to give it better chance of survival, but on gently removing the soil I found there were no roots whatsoever, so I left it for a further 2 weeks and still it continues to do well. I checked last night and still no roots!

The little guy is fighting hard and I would love to help it but I'm lost at how I can force it to root - any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers

Patience is all that is really needed, your a little early for propagating azalea; I usually do them early summer, late spring. That it is pushing new leaves means that it is happy in its environment.

Just wait and see, it could take a while.

Merry Xmas

Paul

Hi.
WELCOME AND MERRY CHRISTMAS!

just leave it be. the more you checked on the roots the more you likely kill the tree. At this stage the small roots trying to come out are so soft and fragile. every time you moved the soil you stressed the tree further. plus the fact that the tree in your climate should be resting by now, just imagine them as human too trying to get asleep,,,they'll get pissed off too. In spring time you probably see changes but still don't dig the tree up.
Remember, the activity (growth) above the soil reflects the growth beneath the soil.

regards,
jun

Yes, to keep pulling at the cutting you are damaging any chance the twig has of issueing new roots. Leave well alone and dont be tempted to repot for at least a year. Good luck.

Will is right. Satsuki roots are extremely fine, white and fragile for several months, so if it had issued any roots you would just snap them off by moving it at all. I don't think it is likely to root at this time of year but if you provide the correct conditions, it may survive long enough to root next summer.

The base that was left is highly likely to pop buds all over, when it gets going again in spring.

Hi APW

The branches of satsuki can keep the leaves in life during very a long time
The secrecy, it is Humidité, heat and luminosity.
As we have said, don’t touch, the young roots is very, very fragile
More branch is bigger and more it will take time for rooting.

I hope that that will go. and I hope that you understand my English.

Regards

Welcome to the forum,

What everyone said about continuing to pull it out is right, you will only damage it. I have some recommendations for you though. First to keep it moist put some moss on top of the soil. Not the green moss your probably thinking of, but yamagoki mountain moss. http://www.satsukibonsai-en.com/misc.htm

Azaleas are like weeds and they can grow in pretty much anything with the right conditions. I put all my cuttings in kanuma and put yamagoki on top, and they love it! If you cant get yamagoki sphagnum moss will do.

Also regarding the buds, satsuki cuttings will do that. What you do is when the bud starts to swell to bloom, gently pick it off. DO NOT LET IT BLOOM!

Hope that helped, Happy Holidays!

Happy Holidays everyone.

Wow - thank you everyone for all of your advice! Sorry if it seems I have not replied - blame it on the holidays!

The advice that I originally used came from a Bonsai encyclopedia that I have been using and recommended checking after 6 weeks but as you are all saying the same thing I shall definately take your advice and leave it well alone.

Shimsuki - That looks like an interesting site, I shall order some and see how I get on.
Toche - Perfect English, better than my own and certainly better than my Flemish!
Kev, Will and Jun - Do you agree that I should pick off the buds when they swell and roughly when should I look to repot? Spring 2012?

Thank you once again

Phil

63pmp wrote:Patience is all that is really needed, your a little early for propagating azalea; I usually do them early summer, late spring. That it is pushing new leaves means that it is happy in its environment.

Just wait and see, it could take a while.

Merry Xmas

Paul

Thanks Paul,

It was an unfortunate accident whilst transporting them back home that caused it to snap, so I'm making the best of a bad situation. Whether it survives it just a matter of time it seems!!

Cheers

Phil

Bonsai encyclopedia

Say what? Can we have the title?

Good luck with your little cutting. I have several outside. They seem to have weathered the weather we've had recently -- 6 inches of snow and 15-degree (F) temps. So, just let yours be and hope for he best.

JimLewis wrote:

Bonsai encyclopedia

Say what? Can we have the title?

Good luck with your little cutting. I have several outside. They seem to have weathered the weather we've had recently -- 6 inches of snow and 15-degree (F) temps. So, just let yours be and hope for he best.

Hi Jim,

Of course, I can't remember the name now, but will post it when I get back home later - at work at the moment trying not to do too much!

Phil

APW wrote:
Wow - thank you everyone for all of your advice! Sorry if it seems I have not replied - blame it on the holidays!

Shimsuki - That looks like an interesting site, I shall order some and see how I get on.

You might want to check the webshop of bonsaifocus / bonsaiplaza ( www.bonsaifocus.com )first. They offer an 8ltr package of the same moss but for only a fraction of the price. And since they are in europe I think that the shippingcosts will be less.

Regards,
Alex

Alxb wrote:

APW wrote:
Wow - thank you everyone for all of your advice! Sorry if it seems I have not replied - blame it on the holidays!

Shimsuki - That looks like an interesting site, I shall order some and see how I get on.

You might want to check the webshop of bonsaifocus / bonsaiplaza ( www.bonsaifocus.com )first. They offer an 8ltr package of the same moss but for only a fraction of the price. And since they are in europe I think that the shippingcosts will be less.

Regards,
Alex

Wow, that really is a better price!

Thanks very much Alex,

Cheers,

Phil