Bonsai care | Azalea bonsai special | How to buy and maintain a beautiful azalea

In this video, I show you how to maintain a healthy, vigorous azalea bonsai tree. I also give tips on choosing and buying a mid-price mid-size bonsai. And if your azalea is suffering or ailing, watch this video for the best tips on reviving your bonsai.
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00:00 Intro
02:04 Tips for buying
03:07 Cleaning it up
07:02 Tips for healthy azalea
08:54 Ailing azalea
11:22 Small azalea cutting
13:04 Watch for 80's music!
13:33 Blooper reel
#bonsai #bonsaitree #azalea

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Hi and thanks for watching! Do you have any special care tips for azaleas that I should have mentioned? 🤷‍♂️

[@jessybonsai]

my azalé is in cocosubstrat, im in Belgium, i have kanuma, pumice, sphagnum?? can i let she in to coco or change and for what substrat??

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

@@jessybonsai Kanuma is best. Did you see my recent video on repotting the azalé kzbin.info/www/bejne/rXLNeY15ZtZ1pa8 ? I mix kanuma with organic (acidic like peat moss or sphagnum) because here in Madrid it gets very hot and dry, so my substrate mix must retain more water. But I think in Belgium your azaleas could be very healthy in 100% kanuma, if you can find it not too expensive.

[@jessybonsai]

@@BlueSkyBonsai i see the other video, ok, wath is you substrat organic, recicly substrat?? and how many time you waiting in ton tow repot of se same plan

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

@@jessybonsai repot azalea every 2 years for a big tree or every year for a small plant. The organic I mixed was acidic moss peat, and I seived it to remove all the dust and fine particles. I also seived the kanuma for the same reason.

[@BonsaiJCan]

The large azalea you just got is really nice! 😀👌 I also like your smaller azaleas and the one in the blue pot has beautiful fall colors!

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Thank you J! Yes and it's weird how each different azalea has a different timescale for when it turns. The large one and the small one in the big pot are still both summer green!

[@watchnut5305]

Lovely new bonsai, congrats!

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Thanks!! 🍺👍🏻

[@jeffhurst4744]

Lots of good info on Satsuki Azalea. You mention repot in May after flowering over. Your climate zone/area may have that situation. Where I am at, in US/Pacific NW, and like climate zones, I see that doing the repot in early-early spring works well. I note that in Japan, and like climatic zones, they do repot after flowering, and as their climate affords their rainy season. I’ve repotted them in early spring (e.g. late February to early March) with no big problems. I use Kanuma (2/3) and Sphagnum Moss (1/3) as a soil mixture with excellent results. Love the tree you procured. 😊 Thank you for your videos.

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Thanks Jeff yes you're right, a lot of people repot in early spring. Maybe I should try it this year before flowering. The late spring repot might be more appropriate for rainy or humid climates while the rainy season here in spain is April so maybe I should try a repot in March. Pretty concerned about how jammed the roots are in that pot. Thanks again for your great comments and p.s. new video is nearly ready to publish 😊🌳

[@KarIiah]

I've lost an azalea before, it wasn't watered properly by my partner while I was gone for a week, but it was also my fault for forgetting to put it back into shade... Still, it took me a while to get another one and I'm very nervous about losing it. That's a very beautiful tree you got there, I hope it will live a long life :) Your voice is very soothing, your accent is pleasing and the video is very informative, I see you're putting a lot of effort into it. Earned a sub :)

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Thanks Karliah, and sorry to hear you lost an azalea. I guess most people who've owned one have lost one. A friend of mine here in Madrid has a similar story to yours, except in his case he left it to his elderly mother to water during a three-week vacation. She "watered it" every day by putting water in the drip tray rather than in the soil. Apparently that's what she'd done all her life for her house plants so she treated the bonsai just the same. -of course none of the water reached the soil and the bonsai died. Thanks for your kind words and the sub! See ya soon 😊

[@_hazplants]

Useful care tips coming at the right time. Great! Glad I found your channel 👍🏻

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

I'm glad you did too! Did you see the follow up video to this? I repotted this big azalea in Feb 2021, my advice is now: it's better repot azaleas in late winter than in mid spring after flowering.

[@_hazplants]

@@BlueSkyBonsai I am watching it right now. Thanks for the hint! Working with roots this thin and fragile is like a nightmare, when you don’t know this before. I do have limited experience with Rhododendron roots, but from what I learned here, Azalea roots need even more cautious and heedly care. Fortunately it would not be a noteworthy financial loss, if I accidentally killed my plant, as it now is just a mass produced Azalea from a DIY warehouse. I chose to buy it, because this form has nice tiny leaves and flowers and a sneak peek under the soil line showed promising structures. Educational purpose at least, I thought, because in general, I stopped bying low quality, cheaply nursed plants, years ago. Most of the time, the clueless customer just gets scammed. The lovely flowers can easily trick one to think, it is a healthy plant, because what you do buy then is doomed to die under the conditions most customers would be able to provide. The experienced custome, on the other hand, directly sees, that many plants already took their path to death under the stores care. No wonder that the substrate is of the cheapest quality. Very fine coco throughout, that holds water better than a sponge. If I let the plant in there, this will rot and kill it for sure. I think it is reasonable to translate to Kanuma asap, if I want to give this at least a chance. But I highly appreciate your indicating the change of advice, straight away. In my experience, this is rather unusual on this platform, and a pleasant surprise.

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

@@_hazplants sounds like a very wise plan to use cheaper material for experimenting on. Agreed the soil they use in large stores is terrible, but I suppose they need to keep costs down on soil and water. And root health just doesn't come into the equation for them. Regarding the change in repotting advice for azaleas, my original advice came from UK (same as me!) where the weather is generally still cool and humid in May/June. But anywhere with a warmer climate, the azalea can really suffer after a late-spring repot, as recent experience has shown. Thankfully my large azalea is still going strong, just beginning to flower out now as we speak!

[@BenBSeattle]

What an exciting tree and great editing

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Thanks Ben! 🍺👍🏻 I watched your recent vids on figs which inspired me to pot up a few that had grown sporadically in the garden. But maybe it was the wrong time of year... they immediately dropped their leaves. should I keep them outside in the cold months? do you think they should spring back to life in spring? 😊

[@gurinderpalsingh2479]

love all ur videos sir, thanks for sharing your wisdom

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Thank you! Glad you're enjoying the videos.

[@odybonsai]

beautiful azalea my friend... .

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Thank you so much!

[@satsukiazalealovers4854]

Very nice video, thanks for shared :-) I love azaleas satsukis, and will be good to get your tips. Thanks 😊

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Thank you very much! 😊👍🏻

[@potplantokajbonsajo1331]

Congratulations to your new Bonsai. Looks spectacular 👌 By the way: wich editing software do you use? Very professional look 🤩

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Thanks so much! I have tried various different editors and finally settled on Magix Video Deluxe. Cheers 👍🏻

[@TheBonsaiGarden]

One of my azaleas spent two weeks at the bottom of my pond after strong winds blew it over. I was astonished that it was still alive!

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

That is quite an amazing survival! Still, it confirms my belief.. that ultimately WATER is the water of life. Imagine two weeks of the opposite: strong winds and drought... your azalea would definitely have died.

[@africanpirate972]

Thanks - interesting thing about the leaves changing color to black / brown, one of mine did exactly that and Ive been in a panic thinking it was dying and didnt know what to do. Im glad to hear it could still be good.

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Where in the world are you? The leaves can turn black/brown in late autumn and winter, but they should be green in summer.

[@africanpirate972]

@@BlueSkyBonsai Johannesburg South Africa. Yes Winter now - but this is the first I have seen this happening (tree is about 6 years now) and the other 2 are still green. I do understand your point, thanks.

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

@@africanpirate972 cool. It should be fine!

[@JGGPilot]

Hello there! Fan here always watching your content! Today, after a good while searching for a good azalea with potential, I found the one! Can't wait to work on the tree probably next month!

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Hi José Antonio! Nice to hear from you, glad you found a good azalea. What work are you planning? Flowering season is coming soon here in Spain, I will wait until all the flowers have faded before doing any more work on mine.

[@askgbk]

Fantastic video, need to get my hands on this soil. Been adding coffee grounds to make my solid acidic ✌️🍂

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Thanks mate! Hope it's decaff coffee 😂😂 now that's a great idea for a future vid🍻👍🏻

[@askgbk]

@@BlueSkyBonsai glad to help 😂 recently noticed my little orange tree was covered in spider mites, made a sorta concentrate of garlic onions and cayenne pepper. It’s a sorta natural pest repellent keeps cats away too ... just don’t spray it in the house 😂😂😂😂✌️✌️🎃

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

@@askgbk Sounds like that paste is also intended to keep vampires away - Great timing! I had spider mites on a privet a few years back, you can see their tinies bites and the tiny webs.. www.flickr.com/photos/davidhseymour/41714587672/in/album-72157691963319982/ I got rid of them by taking the whole thing on the lawn and squirting with a fine water jet all over for about 5 minutes until there was no chance they could have stayed on there. Some of the leaves tore right off but privets leaf back pretty quickly. I guess your orange tree is probably bigger, would take a long time and a lot of water and your vampire paste is surely a better deterrent to stop them from returning.

[@PumpkinBecki]

I lost my lovely azalea this year, I think I must have been too tough on it when I pruned 😔 Do you know if your new one is all one colour or is that going to be a surprise next spring?

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Got it this time--thanks for reposting! Yep the azaleas are quite touchy aren't they.. and I bet most enthusiasts have lost one or more in time. This one has pink and white flowers with white stamen. I think the cultivar is "Aiko" but they couldn't confirm that to me until next year's flowering to be sure. I will report back!

[@smilingsaiyan8357]

Thanks so much for the informative video I purchased my first Bonsai today:) And I found this very helpful :)

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Congrats on your new bonsai!! What species is it? I'm guessing maybe Azalea since you watched this video about azaleas??

[@smilingsaiyan8357]

@@BlueSkyBonsai yes indeed it is a Satsuki Azalea :) :)

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

@@smilingsaiyan8357 great! You might have already seen this video on repotting azalea too: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rXLNeY15ZtZ1pa8 But only prune the roots if they're getting so dense that the water doesn't pass through quickly or if they are getting potbound.

[@smilingsaiyan8357]

@@BlueSkyBonsai awesome I'll take a look at it! :)

[@whatawonderfuldigitalworld]

Laos Garden, they rulez. Good people may I say. Grats, you got a beautiful specimen to follow its evolution. The azaleas in my garden always bloom twice here in Madrid. People suggest taking that out to save energy for the winter and for spring flowering. I never do that, and I always get a lovely amount of autumn flowers so as far as I can tell, it is not a problem in Madrid. But mine are not bonsai.

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Thanks Carlos, great to hear you also have good experience of them! My new azalea is now getting a lot of yellow leaves, like 50% of them, I'm wondering if it dried out in late summer before I acquired it, or maybe the soil is not draining through enough so it's sitting there with wet roots. I might have to slip pot it temporarily to a big air pot to improve the drainage. Are your garden azaleas still all green or have they all changed colour by now?

[@whatawonderfuldigitalworld]

@@BlueSkyBonsai some of mine already changed leaves colour even to red. It may be perfectly normal. They change leaves when the cold comes. As far as I can tell, the ones in less field do it more. If they are in semi shadow even more. If they need cultivating amendments also they show this behaviour. But do not die for this. In my opinion you may better do nothing and water normally. If you think you should be doing something try this something to be the lightest. You may check wet roots. This doesn't harm. Bad roots have a special colour in azaleas, check it in the internet. If roots are ok, I believe I read somewhere that after changing location it may be normal the first winter. Luck.

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

@@whatawonderfuldigitalworld muchas gracias por tus consejos. Este fin de semana miraré las raices por si acaso, pero, creo que tienes razón, que es normal y la planta está bien. Y este es su primer otoño en este país y clima. Las hojas mas nuevas todavía son verdes y sanas. Mis otras azaleas en macetas ya se han cambiado color a rojo y marrón también. Un saludo. Espero que este segunda ola no te haya afectado.

[@questionablecooking7019]

Das a sweet azalea bro .. congrats

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Thanks so much bro! 🍺🍺👍🏻

[@nancyfahey7518]

One of those days. 😊

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

hahaha I like it when people spread their comments around various different videos!

[@jjz3192]

Hi Dave, how come you don't plant the azaleas in the ground so they can grow faster (you have such a nice and big looking yard!). Or grow most your bonsai in the ground to speed up growth?

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Hi, I prefer large pots to ground planting. You can move pots around, and you can check the roots easier after a few years. While ground planting has the advantage of limitless root growth, unfortunately that comes at the cost of flexibility and convenience.

[@mattdemoraes]

You drove from England to Madrid to pick that up? That's an epic level of commitment.

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Hahaha! Yep I would do anything for these videos lol! (But really, I live in Madrid)

[@mattdemoraes]

@@BlueSkyBonsai ahhhhh living in Madrid makes a lot more sense! Haha. Was gonna say.... I love my trees but that’s something else

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

@@mattdemoraes but seriously the prices here are lower than uk bonsai nurseries so if you were looking for a rrreeaally expensive bonsai then it might be worth the journey from England! On the other hand now in 2021 post-Brexit, you would get charged a fortune in import tax to take it to Britain, so maybe not 🤔

[@mattdemoraes]

@@BlueSkyBonsai yea that tax is brutal. Gone are the days sadly.

[@franciscojavierestrada3171]

Gracias por el video muy bien explicado

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Me alegro que te ha gustado!

[@PlantCraftDIY]

Woww..beautiful azalea bonsai🤩

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Thank you!! 😊 🍺👍🏻

[@SysterYster]

I was also really surprised by the size. But it's really pretty. :) I didn't realize they'd make for such pretty bonsai. :O I went shopping for some cutter and a little diggy spade thing for plants... and I totally forgot the darned root stuff that was actually looking for. XD Now I have to wait another day before I can try cutting an aspen branch and see if I can get it to root. lol. But I found some nice ones I can "steal" in the forest on my walk yesterday. :3 This is taking over my brain lately... I think I might have gone quite mad.

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Yes I can't wait for this one to flower, it will be quite a sight I hope! Don't worry about it occupying your brain, the way I see it is that it's a healthy natural pastime. Some call it an obsession, I prefer to think of it as a passion 😊

[@SysterYster]

@@BlueSkyBonsai You better show it to us when it blooms! :D I'll run out of space at this rate though. I already have about 30 orchids and some other plants in our apartment. XD

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

@@SysterYster understood. But it will be worth it 🌳😊

[@vijayagopals.1014]

So good and beautiful

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Thank you so much! 😊👍🏻

[@BackGardenBonsai]

I love the new tree. Do you know what colour the flowers will be? I hope the other one pulls through. It’s looks like it has a good structure.

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

The flowers are white and pink, I think the variety is "Aiko" but not sure. We'll see in april I guess! This site is pretty good: satsukimania.com/en/varieties/445-aiko Looking at prices in UK they're a lot higher than here.. you should do some importing while the border is still open! 😂 The other one, yeah I had high hopes for that, but I reckon it's a gonner. I'll keep it limping through until summer then we'll see... cheers 🍺🍺👍🏻

[@BackGardenBonsai]

@@BlueSkyBonsai ah very nice. I can’t wait to see the flowers open. The whole boarder thing is a disaster here. Especially around these parts 🤣

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

@@BackGardenBonsai I guess it must be a bit of a nightmare there, and right now we still don't know if there will be a deal... unbelievable. Anyway I hope the Guinness doesn't suddenly get more expensive, that would be a major issue for me! 😋

[@Ad_DOOM]

only fairly new to your channel. i love your videos but haven't got through most of them yet so forgive me if you've already done an update but did your wind damaged azalea survive? it was a lovely shaped tree

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Thanks so much. Unfortunately, the thin azalea did not make through that winter. Yes it was a very nice shape. I still have a cutting from it alive though only just... I guess it was a particularly weak cultivar.. or cannot cope well with the intense heat here in summer... thanks for your comment!

[@BostonBonsaiIdiot]

Lol excellent outtro...can relate to the majority of that, but I don’t approve of the un-popped collar. More importantly: what a killer tree. Very elegant and surprisingly tall. I feel like the style is unusual...not quite literati, not quite informal upright. How would you describe it?

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Hahaha the collar, it's just in case my work colleagues watch the video 🤓 Good question about the style (of the tree, not of me 😂). The normal rule of thumb for uprights is that the height should be about 6 times the trunk width above the nebari and that is clearly a long way off the case here. Before I bought it I considered air layering half way up to get two conventional size bonsai but it's such a tall beauty that, just no way. If it were fatter I would say conventional informal upright. Azaleas are not apical growers, they want to grow like bushes, so it's unusual to be this tall. So I should just enjoy the height and watch it slowly fatten up over the next, er, twenty years if I'm still around by then! 🍺🍺👍🏻

[@tuananhdang2582]

Hello Blue Sky Bonsai ! I'm from Vietnam !

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Hi Tuan Anh Dang! From Spain to Vietnam... it's lovely to see you here!

[@katedodd79]

Love a good blooper reel 🥴🤭 I do hope that little one survives, it's got a gorgeous delicate shape 🤕🤞

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Thank you Kate! I usually get bloopers that are mincing my words and just boring.. but I thought these were worth keeping in! Thanks yeah I hope that survives but it's touch and go I think. At least it will have taught me a lesson 😊

[@dewaynefanchier589]

What a beautiful tree, and great tips!! At least I know why some of my azaleas died..... 🙄 The music was a bit overwhelming in this one, and your links didn't pop up on the screen. But thank you so much for this video!!

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Thanks for your great feedback! I agree the music was too loud in this video. Btw, did you see my second video on this tree? kzbin.info/www/bejne/rXLNeY15ZtZ1pa8 My recommendation now is to repot in early march, before flowering (not after flowering like I said in the 10 Tips video). Reason is, it can get too hot in late May or June and maybe the azalea might not recover from too much root-pruning in late spring or summer. HTH

[@dewaynefanchier589]

@@BlueSkyBonsai not yet.. ;-)

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

@@dewaynefanchier589 and if you're interested, here's how it looks right now in full flower... you can hardly see the leaves! Azalea "Aiko", can still just about see some foliage in there 😉 instagram.com/p/CeUenufD70i/?igshid=MDJmNzVkMjY=

[@danielwynne8568]

Dave, is there a way to forward you some pictures? I have a 30+-year-old azalea I’m watching to convert to a bonsai and would appreciate your input. Thanks, Danny

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

sure, my email is: [e-mail]. I have never dug an azalea out of the ground, so my advice is only theoretical. Try to keep as much of its roots as possible and in the first year pot it into a container that is much bigger than a bonsai pot. With adequate drainage holes. Use kanuma to fill in all the gaps around the roots and field soil. If you manage to keep all its roots when unearthing, you could already start the root pruning process next spring. But if you have to chop any roots to unearth it, then I would leave it in the big pot 2 years before repotting. In the following spring start pruning the root ball shallower, then let it stay that way for two years before the next repotting. If you're in a cool region you can repot after flowering. In a hot region it's better to do it in early spring. HTH.

[@andersnrregren9087]

Just picked up a Bush planted in peat only from a trash bin so i just came here to See how to pot it (cut it later) and care for it

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Thanks for dropping in! Is it an azalea? I did an azalea repotting in this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rXLNeY15ZtZ1pa8 For general tips on repotting and aftercare, I recently did this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qnWsg61ojqubnNk But if you want to do a quick and simple job, this is called slip-potting: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rnupkmCaqLOCb6s Hope that helps!

[@Rupert88888]

Dave I didn’t have you down as a swearer. Did you also swear when you saw the price of that beautiful plant? I’ve literally just got my first Satsuki yesterday and I’m absolutely petrified of it! With the kanuma soil it’s quite difficult to see if it’s moist enough. I have a small cascade one and it’s quite fiddly. I was thinking about putting it into a bigger pot. It’s always on my mind when buying a new plant whether to just leave it or not

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Hahaha cheers Colin, those bloopers at the end... however I probably swore for real when my wife saw the price of it on the tag when I got home 🤦🏼‍♂️ But there is one video that i did swear properly, the one about Emergency repotting a cascade juniper. And it sounds like you might be slip-potting a cascade azalea pretty soon... two things, 1 you can always slip pot into a bigger pot at any time without touching the roots; it's repotting to a smaller pot that carries a risk. And 2 the roots on azaleas are very fine and stringy, so you need to be careful that you don't tear out some of them when you're slip potting. Also btw if you can see the kanuma, not covered with moss and weeds, it goes white when it's dry so you know that way if you need to water it. In this video you couldn't really see the soil so that's why I don't much like moss on the azaleas. Always happens though because moss likes the acid soil.

[@Rupert88888]

@@BlueSkyBonsai cheers Dave. I’ve ordered a slightly bigger pot. More money. Thanks for taking the time to reply

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

@@Rupert88888 it will be worth it! 👍🏻🌳

[@leilanidooley3490]

Lovely video. Would've liked to see more details on actually pruning small branches and shaping it. Also sound balancing my dude. The music was way too loud so I had to go back and forth on volume instead of just paying attention to what you were saying.

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Thank you! Yes I admit the music was a bit too loud here. I did another two-part video on pruning details, although that was not an azalea the basic same principles apply. Maybe you'd like to see it?: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mYCqcn1rntaKnM0 and it includes a link to part 2. You will surely notice how bad my whiteboard markers were, so please forgive! I have more recently switched to a digital whiteboard where marker pens never squeak or run dry 😋

[@aflatminor]

Hi, Does the Biogold do ok with the Azalea? I have an Azalea that I put in to a Bonsai dish from an old washing bowl in february this year (I did two actually), One of them has recently flowered too!, The other one flowered a small amount of flowering right after the repot!!, I wasn't expecting flowers until next year, There are loads of buds on them still! By the way, They had both been in plasting washing bowls for well over ten years, Eventually the UV from the sun made the plastic very brittle and parts were snapping off whenever I picked them up so they had to be repotted! Enjoyed the video, It was really sad that the roots were damaged on the little beauty 😥😥

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Azaleas can flower at the "wrong" time of year if they have a warm autumn, like you saw in this video. The one thing I would say is: if the azalea is weak, remove all the flower buds so the energy goes back to leaf production. Otherwise... enjoy the flowers! Biogold should be okay with your azaleas as long as you have acidic soil like kanuma. However, I don't use bio fertilizers on any of my trees now; it makes the birds come and peck away the moss and top soil about 4 weeks after applying the fert. The lumps must be full of tiny grubs or lavae that the scavenging birds detect and extract. I've tried burying the lumps of biogold deeper into the soil, and it just made it worse - the birds just dug deeper down. So now I only use chemical fertilizers added to the water. For the azaleas I use a liquid fert for acid plants (azalea, camellia, hydrangea etc.). HTH.

[@lms6979]

Hi. my azalea bonsai was placed ontop of a radiator, one of the branches has dropped significantly and the leafs a little dry, how do i revive this? i live in england, i’d appreciate advice!

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Many of the leaves will go yellow and drop. As long as there are still some green leaves it should survive. Maybe it depends seriously how hot the roots got on that radiator. But keep it in semi-shade, so it's in a bright spot but without direct sunlight, and give it TLC over the next week or two. Use rainwater to water it and to mist the leaves also with rainwater - azaleas don't like alkaline/hard water from the tap. Good luck!

[@craigbootes9618]

Hi Dave im loving you channel and ive subscribed straight away,im still working my way through all your videos. I have a large pre bonsai Azalea that i would like to put in a training pot this year,would the best time to do it be after it flowers? Any help would be appreciated. Im in the Uk forgot to mention. Many thanks

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Hi Craig, thanks I'm glad you're enjoying the videos! Yes I would recommend to repot after flowering, but not at the same time as pruning a major branch (like you saw in this video). Azaleas are quite sensitive to root pruning and have very fine roots, so take care when untangling them because they can tear very easily. Don't cut off more than a third of the root mass. Or if they're really long, at maximum half the roots. (It's not like deciduous trees that can comfortably take an 80 to 90% root prune in spring) The thing you should also do after the flowers wither is to remove all the spent flower pods by carefully pinching them off. That redirects more of the tree's energy to regrow roots, and also to make way for the following year's flower buds. HTH!

[@craigbootes9618]

@@BlueSkyBonsai thank you very much for your reply this helps massively. Ive never developed an Azalea for bonsai before so you have helped loads. Its been un a large planter in the garden for abour 15 years,its had no pruning in all that time just a couple of light trims.

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

@@craigbootes9618 Wow sounds like a great garden azalea I bet it's wonderful in full flower! Are you sure you want to bonsai it??

[@craigbootes9618]

@@BlueSkyBonsai i think its a good candidate its got a pretty wide trunk and it hasnt grown massively tall. Its pretty sparsely branced as well,probably because its been a bit neglected. But it aways puts on a big display of deep red flowers.

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

@@craigbootes9618 sounds perfect!

[@cencalbonsai6429]

damn man i love satsukis ive tried plenty of them and literally ALL have died on me, its super hot and dry in summer soo ive had horrible luck with them, i have 2 real small cuttings atm nd one looks like its going down already such a bumer cus theyre one of my fav trees in bonsai there so badass and beautiful ! i like the one u got any majorplans for it?

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Totally agree with you they are at the same time both badass and beautiful! This big badboy I am going to just let it grow a fatter trunk for maybe 10 years, keep refining the foliage pads. In the meantime I will try to use the flowers to convince my wife that bonsai really are nice and not just a messy hobby 🤣 Will probably repot every third year I guess. I think it needs a shallower, wider pot so I'll do that next year after the flowers have faded. Azaleas really are tricky, they just cannot take the same level of hacking as other species. Definitely gonna keep this one under semi-shade from April thru september. I think they need more humidity too because the two small ones that are doing really well were both next to misting sprays all summer (it gets damn hot here too) so it makes me think they dont like dry air. Good luck bro with your cuttings! Can you put them in an incubator/propagator for a few months to see if they pull through?

[@cencalbonsai6429]

Blue Sky Bonsai hahaha thats a good plan she has to like flowers right 😂 and yes they dont like dryness ive heard buy some of the lastones i had i did have in humidity trays and still they crocked, these cutting i got theyre rooted ive had then half the summer already

[@South-Texas-Drones_5801]

How old is that tree, I just purchased a baby one, definitely nothing like that one. WOW 😮

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Good question, I honestly don't know. It's difficult to even estimate since we don't have any azaleas growing in the wild here in Spain. And azaleas are really shrubs, they are not apically dominant so it takes a lot longer to grow them vertically upwards. Maybe I should ask the nursery that imported it. 🌳👍🏻

[@Rupert88888]

Did you azalea make it? The one which was blown over

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Hi Colin, unfortunately no, the next spring after this video it just declined and withered away. Lessons learnt: don't prune roots and a major branch in the same season. It's clear to me that these shrubs are more sensitive to root pruning tham trees. Also I now keep all the azaleas in semi-shade during summer.

[@nomnom_reviews]

hi im from philippines. will satsuki live in temperate climates?

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Hi, I don't know, sorry. In cold climates Azaleas go dormant in winter, but they keep most of their leaves. I guess it would live in a tropical or temperate climate for a couple of years but might gradually decline over a few years because it wouldn't get its rest period that it needs in winter.

[@nancyfahey7518]

@@BlueSkyBonsai we have them in Florida. Afternoon shade, my personal opinion. All my trees are afternoon shade.

[@Foxtrot1967]

You should air layer it 1/3 way down

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Perhaps. On a few occasions I have considered layering it to make two shorter bonsai. But tall azaleas are not very common, and not easy to cultivate (at least here in Madrid) so I have decided to keep it tall. When it flowers it is spectacular! Also while it's tall all the upper growth is helping to thicken the trunk. So maybe in 15 years time the lower trunk might be in good proportion with the tree height. I'm not in a hurry!

[@tatianalightown4916]

Is it possible that you just have re-blooming azalea? I have 4 full size bushes of re-blooming azaleas and they bloom in spring and autumn. It wouldn’t make sense to remove buds then

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Hi Tatiana, yes you might be right. It seems to be inconsistent by year.. this video was 2020 and that one azalea rebloomed in that autumn, but in 2019 and 2021 they didn't rebloom; only in spring. In any case, to strengthen an azalea, it's recommended to remove all flower buds once every 3 years, to promote stronger leaf- and branch- growth. It seems a terrible shame to completely deflower them, but if you have several azaleas, one can just deflower only one plant per year and rotate which plant by year. That's what I have been doing.

[@mythoecoliving2917]

Will this Azalea survive in the cold Winter?

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Yes they're pretty cold hardy. Mine have all stayed outside all winter even through a couple of weeks of snow and ice, and freezing temperatures down to -10°C or about 15°F.

[@danielwynne8568]

Dave, is there a way to message you direct? I have an azalea that’s been in the ground 30+ years and want to dig it up and turn it into a bonsai. I would love to send you pictures and get your advice. Thanks, Danny

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

@@danielwynne8568 sure, my email is [e-mail]. I have never dug an azalea out of the ground, so my advice is only theoretical. Try to keep as much of its roots as possible and in the first year pot it into a container that is much bigger than a bonsai pot. With adequate drainage holes. Use kanuma to fill in all the gaps around the roots and field soil. If you manage to keep all its roots when unearthing, you could already start the root pruning process next spring. But if you have to chop any roots to unearth it, then I would leave it in the big pot 2 years before repotting. In spring start pruning the root ball shallower, then let it stay that way for two years before the next repotting. If you're in a cool region you can repot after flowering. In a hot region it's better to do it earlier in spring. HTH.

[@RJSRanchu]

When is the best time to fertilise Satsuki azaleas? And how many times per year?

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

From April to end October I fertilise every second weekend with a diluted liquid fertiliser. For azalea I use a product that is labelled for acid-loving plants like azalea. If you miss a fert, it's no big deal, just do it the following weekend. If there is a heat wave I stop fertilising and water more frequently. I also stop fertilising in winter.

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

I should have said, I am in northern hemisphere, so April to October. But if you're in southern hemisphere, read: September to May....

[@RJSRanchu]

@@BlueSkyBonsai I live in Scotland, the best time is April till oct? Is it safe to have them fertilising whilst blooming? Would tamahi organic rapeseed be good as a fertiliser for them?

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

@@RJSRanchu yep I have observed no problem with fertilising during flowering. I have no experience of organic rapeseed fert, sorry. But check its NPK is balanced numbers like 6-6-6 and that it is suitable for acid loving plants

[@RJSRanchu]

@@BlueSkyBonsai it’s a 5-2-1 so I’ll get some for azalea. What do you use?

[@Laura-fn7dq]

OMG HOW DARE YOUUUUUUUU is that the bonsai you replaced me with in the car?!??!

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Eh?!! My daughter is jelly baby!! But jealous of a plant????! 😍😘😘

[@Laura-fn7dq]

@@BlueSkyBonsai :v no

[@henksiks5945]

It is a very nice azalea what Color is it

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Pink and white, you can see photos of it in full flower here: instagram.com/blueskybonsai/p/CP-2q0yjpQN/?

[@tomcullum448]

how much was it?

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

It was advertised at 270€ and the seller took 240€, here in Madrid. Which is just over £200 UK pounds at today's exchange rate. Bear in mind imported satsuki azaleas are significantly more expensive in UK. Are you in UK?

[@tomcullum448]

@@BlueSkyBonsai I am in the UK yes, I feel that growing my own from nursery stock will be my only financially viable option

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

@@tomcullum448 also I guess importing from Europe to UK is particularly difficult at the moment post-brexit. Dealers here don't want to send to UK until the new trade rules are clear and stable. But import tax in UK is not so much; nowhere near as much as the price hike that UK bonsai nurseries charge. In any case, developing your own nursery stock in the long term is more satifying than buying 'ready-made' bonsai.

[@jessybonsai]

hy, it s possible to have sous titre in french??

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Hi, normally the auto-generated translated subtitles work well on my videos but I don't know why it doesn't work on this video. I will investigate and get back to you. Thanks!

[@brianwitton5061]

Come on Dave,the question everyone wants to ask,how much was it.

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

@@brianwitton5061 Brian bearing in mind I bought it in Spain at the height of the pandemic when all the prices plummeted temporarily, I got it for approx 200 pounds. Now four years later, greenwoods and Herons are selling these from 1000 to 2500 pounds... so I got lucky!

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

@@brianwitton5061 Brian bearing in mind I bought it in Spain at the height of the pandemic when all the prices plummeted temporarily, I got it for approx 200 pounds. Now four years later, greenwoods and Herons are selling these from 1000 to 2500 pounds... so I got lucky!

[@brianwitton5061]

@@BlueSkyBonsai great deal mate,and a really nice tree.thanks.

[@jessybonsai]

im arive to have french

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Thank goodness! 😊

[@toulagotsi2124]

Παρακαλω στα ελληνικα

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Ευχαριστούμε που παρακολουθήσατε και για τα σχόλιά σας!

[@sadoldgit313]

I know I’m late to the party but that tree needs reducing in height! The proportions are all wrong!

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Hi! no worries. I also considered air layering this azalea, and getting two more reasonable height bonsai. If it were a deciduous tree species, I would have done it in a flash. But, tall azaleas are not very common because they have lateral dominance as a species, where most trees are apically dominant. So for this reason I decided to keep it a tall slender tree. And the trunk will thicken in the next 20-30 years 😂

[@howardmckeown7187]

i'm very, very new to bonsai but i'm learning the best part is, please yourself, rules are like bonsai, they can and should be bent, lol