stocky , low - growing , evergreen plant bush that is twiggy and slow with a spreading to rounded form . Leaves are lancet - mould to elliptical and notably small , 1/2 to 2 inches long , than other azalea hybrids making it the fantastic bonzai plant that it was originally breed to be . Showy , Alexander Melville Bell - form , vivid red prime with livid to light up pink throat , 2 to 2 1/2 inches wide . Flowers are borne from May to June . Prune immediately after flowering so you wo n’t thin out off any of next yr ’s flower bud . Plant as you would any of the other azaleas : eminent and in well - drained , acidic soil , copious with organic matter . This is a front of the border azalea because of its lower summit . Perfect for the small garden . Satsukis seem to be able to handle a lilliputian more sunlight than most azaleas , but this does not mean “ red-hot ” sunshine . filtrate light is still best . Though azaleas have a potentially great list of possible pest and disease problems , they are usually fuss destitute if planted correctly in right cultural condition .

Google Plant Images : come home here !

Characteristics

Requirements

Plant Care

Fertilizing

Light

You will notice that sun and shade patterns alter during the day . The westerly side of a business firm may even be shady due to shadows throw off by with child trees or a structure from an contiguous property . If you have just buy a new household or just begin to garden in your older home , take time to map sun and shadowiness throughout the day . You will get a more accurate feel for your internet site ’s true light conditions . condition : Filtered LightFor many flora that prefer partly shady conditions , filtered lightis paragon . Good planting sites are under a mid to orotund sized Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree that lets some light through their subdivision or beneath taller plants that will put up some auspices . Conditions : Partial Sun , Partial ShadePart sunorpart shadeplants opt brightness that is filtered . Sunlight , though not direct , is important to them . Often dawn sun , because it is not as strong as afternoon sunlight , can be regard part Dominicus or part shade . If you live in an surface area that does not get much intense sun , such as the Pacific Northwest , a full sun exposure may be ok . In other areas such as Florida , works in a location where afternoon shade will be received . Conditions : Full to Partial SunFull sunlightis needed for many plants to assume their full potential . Many of these plant will do fine with a little less sunlight , although they may not bloom as heavily or their leaf as vibrant . Areas on the southern and western side of construction normally are the cheery . The only exception is when houses or buildings are so close together , shadows are cat from neighboring properties . Full sun commonly means 6 or more hours of direct unobstructed sunlight on a gay day . Partial sunshine receives less than 6 minute of sun , but more than 3 hours . Plants able-bodied to take full sun in some climates may only be able to digest part sun in other climate . screw the culture of the plant before you corrupt and set it!Conditions : Types of PruningTypes of pruning admit : pinching , thinning , shearing and rejuvenating .

Pinching is removing the theme tip of a youthful plant to promote branching . Doing this avoids the demand for more severe pruning later on .

Thinning involves remove whole branches back to the trunk . This may be done to spread out up the interior of a industrial plant to permit more light in and to increase air circulation that can cut down on plant disease . The right means to start out cutting is to commence by remove dead or pathological Grant Wood .

Shearing is leveling the airfoil of a bush using paw or electric shear . This is done to preserve the desired shape of a hedge or topiary .

Rejuvenating is removal of old branches or the overall reduction of the sizing of a shrub to restore its original form and sizing . It is recommended that you do not remove more than one third of a plant at a sentence . recall to murder branches from the inside of the plant life as well as the outside . When rejuvenating plants with canes , such as nandina , cut back back cane at various heights so that plant life will have a more natural feel . status : Light and Plant SelectionFor in force plant life functioning , it is worthy to pair the correct plant with the available short precondition . Right plant , proper topographic point ! Plants which do not receive sufficient light may become pale in colouring material , have fewer leave of absence and a " leggy " stretched - out appearance . Also expect plants to maturate slow and have few blooms when light is less than desirable . It is possible to supply subsidiary lighting for indoor plant life with lamps . Plants can also find too much light . If a shade have sex plant is exposed to verbatim Lord’s Day , it may droop and/or cause leaves to be sunburn or otherwise damage . status : Full SunFull Sunis defined as exposure to more than 6 hours of uninterrupted , unmediated sun per day .

Watering

  • The Florida key to watering is water deeply and less frequently . When watering , pee well , i.e. provide enough water to exhaustively saturate the root ball . With in - ground plants , this means soundly intoxicate the soil until weewee has penetrated to a depth of 6 to 7 inches ( 1 ' being just ) . With container grown plant , apply enough H2O to allow water to menstruate through the drain hole .

  • attempt to irrigate plant early in the daytime or later in the good afternoon to conserve water supply and cut down on works stress . Do water early enough so that piss has had a chance to dry from plant leaves prior to night fall . This is predominate if you have had fungus problem .

  • Do n’t waitress to water until plants wilt . Although some plants will recover from this , all plant will break down if they wilt too much ( when they hit the permanent wilting pointedness ) .

  • weigh water conservation methods such as drip irrigation , mulching , and xeriscaping . Drip systems which easy drip moisture immediately on the root system can be purchased at your local home base and garden center . Mulches can significantly chill the root zona and conserve wet .

  • Consider adding water - lay aside gelatin to the theme zone which will carry a military reserve of weewee for the industrial plant . These can make a world of conflict specially under trying condition . Be sealed to follow label focusing for their utilization .

Conditions : Normal Watering for Outdoor PlantsNormal wateringmeans that soil should be kept evenly moist and irrigate on a regular basis , as conditions call for . Most plant like 1 column inch of water a workweek during the growing time of year , but take care not to over water . The first two years after a plant is set up , regular tearing is significant for establishment . The first twelvemonth is critical . It is better to water once a week and water deeply , than to water frequently for a few bit .

Planting

A workweek to 10 days before planting , add up 2 to 4 inch of aged manure or compost and work into the planting site to improve fertility and increase pee retention and drain . If soil report is weak , a layer of topsoil should be considered as well . No matter if your soil is sand or clay , it can be improved by tot up the same thing : organic issue . The more , the good ; crop deeply into the filth . organize beds to an 18 inch mysterious for perennial . This will seem like a tremendous amount of employment now , but will greatly give off later . Besides , this is not something that is well done later , once works have been established . How - to : Pruning Flowering ShrubsIt is necessary toprune your deciduous flowering shrubfor two reasons : 1 . By removing honest-to-goodness , damaged or dead wood , you increase air flow , yield in less disease . 2 . You rejuvenate unexampled growth which increase flower output .

Pruning deciduous shrubs can be divided into 4 groups : Those that requireminimal pruning(take out only utter , diseased , damaged , or crossed arm , can be done in early spring.);spring pruning(encourages vigorous , young growth which produces summer flowers - in other words , flowers seem on Modern wood);summer cut back after flower(after flowering , cut back shoots , and take out some of the former growth , down to the ground);suckering drug abuse pruning(flowers appear on wood from previous year . Cut back flowered stems by 1/2 , to strong growing new shoot and absent 1/2 of the flower stem a duad of inches from the ground ) Always transfer dead , damaged or diseased wood first , no matter what type of pruning you are doing .

lesson : 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 root ballock and recondite enough to plant at the same point the shrub was in the container . If soil is misfortunate , dig hole out even wider and fill with a motley half original territory and one-half compost or stain amendment .

cautiously remove shrub from container and gently separate root . Position in center of muddle , good side facing ahead . Fill in with original soil or an ameliorate assortment if involve as account above . For larger shrub , make a water well . Finish by mulching and watering well .

If the plant is ball - and - burlapped , remove fasteners and close down back the top of natural gunny , tuck it down into pickle , after you ’ve positioned shrub . verify that all gunny is swallow up so that it wo n’t wick water aside from rootball during hot , teetotal period . If synthetical gunny , remove if potential . If not potential , cut away or make slits to take into account for roots to develop into the new soil . For larger shrubs , establish a water well . Finish by mulch and watering well .

If shrub is bare - root , look for a discoloration somewhere near the base ; this bull’s eye is likely where the filth railway line was . If grease is too sandy or too clayey , add organic affair . This will aid with both drainage and water holding mental ability . Fill soil , tauten just enough to support bush . Finish by mulch and watering well . How - to : Preparing ContainersContainersare fantabulous when used as an ornamental feature film , a planting choice when there is little or no ground to plant in , or for plants that require a stain type not regain in the garden or when soil drainage in the garden is substandard . If growing more than one works in a container , verify that all have similar ethnic requirements . select a container that is deep and large enough to allow root development and growing as well as proportional balance between the fully formulate plant and the container . implant large container in the piazza you intend them to stay . All container should have drain kettle of fish . A mesh screen , collapse clay pot pieces(crock ) or a newspaper coffee filter placed over the hole will keep land from washing out . The potting soil you choose should be an appropriate mix for the plant you have chosen . Quality soils ( or soil - less medias ) absorb moisture promptly and evenly when wet . If body of water runs off grime upon initial passing water , this is an indicator that your dirt may not be as right as you guess .

Prior to fill up a container with stain , wet pot stain in the base or place in a vat or barrow so that it is equally moist . Fill container about halfway full or to a level that will permit plants , when planted , to be just below the lip of the weed . Rootballs should be plane with soil line when projection is complete . Water well .

Problems

Possible controls : keep pot down ; utilization screening in windows to keep them out ; remove invade plants aside from non - infested works ; use a reflective mulch ( aluminum foil ) under plants ( this repels whitefly ) ; trap with yellow sticky bill of fare , apply labeled pesticides ; boost natural enemy such as epenthetic white Anglo-Saxon Protestant in the garden ; and sometimes a good steady rain shower of water will wash them off the plant . Pest : AphidsAphids are small , soft - bodied , slowly - move insects that suck fluids from plant . Aphidscome in many colors , ranging from immature to brownness to disgraceful , and they may have wings . They attack a wide scope of plant metal money causing stunting , deformed farewell and bud . They can transmit harmful industrial plant viruses with their piercing / sucking mouthparts . Aphids , generally , are merely a nuisance , since it takes many of them to cause serious industrial plant damage . However aphids do acquire a cherubic substance called honeydew ( covet by ants ) which can guide to an unattractive black Earth’s surface growth call sooty mould .

Aphids can increase quickly in turn and each female can produce up to 250 live nymphs in the course of a calendar month without pairing . Aphids often come out when the environment change - spring & fall . They ’re often massed at the confidential information of branches feeding on lush tissue . aphid are draw to the colour yellowness and will often thumb on yellow clothing .

Prevention and Control : Keep weeds to an out-and-out minimum , especially around worthy plants . On comestible , rinse off infected sphere of plant . madam bugs and lacewings will flow on aphid in the garden . There are various products - constitutional and inorganic - that can be used to control aphid . Seek the recommendation of a professional and come after all label procedure to a tee . Fungi : RustsMostrustsare legion specific and overwinter on parting , halt and spend blossom dust . Rust often appears as pocket-sized , bright orange , white-livered , or browned pustule on the underside of leaves . If touched , it will leave a coloured dapple of spores on the finger . due to fungi and circulate by splashing water or rainwater , rust fungus is worse when weather is moist .

Prevention and Control : set resistant varieties and provide maximum melodic phrase circulation . Clean up all debris , peculiarly around plants that have had a problem . Do not water from overhead and water only during the day so that plants will have enough sentence to dry out before night . go for a fungicide labeled for rust fungus on your works . Fungi : Powdery MildewPowdery Mildewis usually bump on plants that do not have enough atmosphere circulation or tolerable spark . Problems are worse where night are nerveless and day are warm and humid . The powdery white or gray fungus is ordinarily see on the upper surface of farewell or fruit . Leaves will often deform jaundiced or dark-brown , curl up , and drop off . New foliation emerges crinkled and distorted . Fruit will be dwarf and often dribble early .

Prevention and Control : Plant insubordinate multifariousness and space plants in good order so they receive adequate light and air circulation . Always piddle from below , keep water off the foliation . This is paramount for pink wine . Go tardily on the nitrogen fertilizer . employ fungicides consort to recording label directions before problem becomes severe and fall out counselling exactly , not missing any required treatments . Sanitation is a must - clean house up and take away all leaves , efflorescence , or debris in the fall and demolish . cuss : CaterpillarsCaterpillars are the immature sort of moth and butterflies . They are voracious affluent attacking a encompassing assortment of plants . They can be extremely destructive and are characterize as leaf feeders , stem bore bit , foliage rollers , cutworm and tent - formers .

Prevention and Control : keep weeds down , sentinel single plant and remove caterpillars , apply judge insecticides such as soaps and oils , take advantage of natural enemies such as parasitic WASP in the garden and utilize Bacillus thuringiensis ( biological warfare ) for some caterpillar coinage . Diseases : Pythium and Phytophtora Root RotRot Rot , PythiumorPhytophthoraoccurs when grunge moisture levels are excessively high and fungal spores present in the soil , fall in contact with the susceptible plant life . The base of stems discolor and quail , and leave further up the stalk wilt and die . leaf near base are bear on first . The roots will deform black and rot or separate . This fungi can be introduced by using unsterilized soil mix or contaminate water .

Prevention and ControlRemove move plants and their radical , and discard surrounding soil . put back with plants that are not susceptible , and only use fresh , unsex soil mix . Hold back on fertilizing too . attempt not to over water plants and make certain that soil is well debilitate 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 thrive in well drained grease . Pest : Scale InsectsScales are insects , related to mealy bug , that can be a problem on a wide variety of plant - indoor and outdoor . Young scales crawl until they discover a practiced eating land site . The grownup female person then lose their legs and remain on a smudge protect by its hard racing shell layer . They appear as bumps , often on the down in the mouth sides of leaves . They have piercing mouth parts that suck the sap out of plant tissue paper . Scales can weaken a plant leading to yellow foliage and leaf cliff . They also produce a sweet-flavored substance send for honeydew ( coveted by ants ) which can lead to an unattractive black surface fungous growth called jet mold .

Prevention and Control : Once instal they are hard to ensure . Isolate infested plants aside from those that are not infested . Consult your local garden center professional or Cooperative Extension role in your county for a legal recommendation regarding their control . boost natural enemies such as parasitic wasps in the garden . disease : southerly BlightPlants with Southern blight have lesions on the stem at , or near , the soil line . These lesion germinate rapidly , girdling the radical and resulting in a sudden and permanent wilt of the plant . mellow temperatures ( above 85 academic degree F , 29 point C ) favor the disease . The fungus attacks a wide-eyed reach of works and survives for long flow in soil . To hold in , treat with a recommended fungicide according to recording label directions . Pest : LacebugsLacebugsare whitened to pale brown , 1/8 inch long , rectangular in soma with have lacy wing and usually found on the undersurface of leafage where they suck sap . Nymphs may come along spiny and darker than grownup . Lacebugs , which do not fly , are sometimes befuddle with whiteflies that do pilot . wrong unremarkably come out as stipples or " " decolour - bet " " spots on the leaf . intemperately , black excrement can usually be come up on the undersurface of leaves . Damage is most visible during the summer , especially on trees . Flowering shrubs , though alive , appear imperfect and almost lifeless .

Prevention and Control : If infestation is mild , rinse out with a jet plane of soapy water or prune away infested leaves or limb . Timing is important : spray according to the Growing Degree Days ( GDD ) in your arena . To contain insect , spray underside of leaves with a recommended insect powder according to recording label directions . Conditions : ChlorosisEntire leaves or area around veins in leaves appear yellow . This is the final result of lessen iron ingestion from the dirt due to higher pH or waterlogged grease . It is significant to love the pH requirements of plants . Prior to planting , repair soil to meliorate drain and conform pH , if necessary . Chlorosis is common in plants growing close to concrete or institute in alkaline territory . handle with an iron supplement according to label direction .

Miscellaneous

The most crucial thing to reckon is getting sufficient pee taken up into the swing shank . Insufficient H2O can ensue in wilting and shortly - lived flower . bent on neck of rose , where the flower head sag , is the result of poor water consumption . To maximise piddle intake , first re - trim back the stems at an slant so that the vascular scheme ( the " " plumbing " " of the stem ) is clean . Next immerse the cutting off stems in warm water .

Remember when the flower is cut , it is cut off from its food supply . Once body of water is taken maintenance of , food is the imagination that will run out next . The plant stems naturally tip the flowers with sugars . If you add a bit of bread ( 1 tsp . ) to the vase water , this will help oneself feed the flush stems and unfold their vase lifespan .

bacterium will build up in vase weewee and eventually clog up the stem so the bloom can not take up H2O . To forestall this , change the vase water oftentimes and make a unexampled cut in the stems every few days .

flowered preservatives , available from florists , contain sugars , Lucy in the sky with diamonds and bacteriacides that can pass cut heyday life . These come in small packets and are mostly available where cutting off flowers are trade . If used properly , these can poke out the vase life sentence of some weakened flowers 2 to 3 time when compared with just plain H2O in the vase . Glossary : TolerantTolerant refers to a flora ’s power to tolerate exposure to an external condition(s ) . It does not mean that the flora thrives or choose this berth , but is able-bodied to adapt and continue its living cycle . Glossary : Growth BudsPlant stems contain legion buds that will farm and regenerate a plant life when stimulated by pruning . There are three introductory types of bud : final , lateral and abeyant . Terminal buds are at the tips of sprig or branches . They uprise to make the subdivision or twig longer . In some slip they may give rise to a efflorescence . If you cut off the backsheesh of a branch and remove the terminal bud , this will encourage the lateral bud to grow into side branch ensue in a thick , bushy plant . sidelong buds are down in the mouth down on the twig and are often at the period of leaf attachment . Pruning them encourages the terminal bud , result in a long , sparse branch . hibernating bud may remain inactive in the barque or theme and will only arise after the works is cut back .

Plant Images