Azalea Bonsai from Cutting?

17 years ago

A year ago, I relocated to lovely, moist Tennessee from the deserts of Arizona. Since then, I've had my hands in the soil nonstop, learning what I can about gardening.

Recently, bonsai has drawn my interest. So delicate, a tiny fantasy world. =) I have some beautiful mature azaleas growing in my front yard (the soil here is acidic, very compact clay stuff) ... I hear that early summer azalea cuttings can be good material for starting bonsai. Is this so? And if so, can anyone give me some pointers on how to begin? As we speak, I have a two-week-old cutting soaking in a mixture of water, gravel and native soil. I had no idea what I was doing when I started it, but I got lucky and it just started sending out little root tendrils. Now what? lol.

Tortoise

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Comments (6)

head_cutter
17 years ago
I guess my question would be....

If you have established Azalias and buying a nice good one in a nursery is pretty cheap....

You would want to grow one from a cutting for what reason?
blue_tortoise
Original Author
17 years ago
As a learning experience? lol. Yes, I could dig up my landscape or go buy one from a nursery... and I could also just go buy a ready-made satsuki azalea bonsai in its own pretty pot from Target. But where's the fun in that? ;) Call me crazy, but the idea of creating a miniature shrub from the mere tip of a branch next to my garage sounds challenging, and even a bit poetic.

Tortoise
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dognapper2
17 years ago
The Tortoise always wins...you go!!!

Seriously, what kind of a question is "why would you want to?" on a forum of HOW-TO? ...play nice.

My reply: Yeah, you have roots!!!!!!

I've gathered tiny trees this spring from our 22 acres of forest floor. I may have just turned 50 but the kid in me hopes I never want to stop experimenting.

I gathered a gnarly, already crooked-trunked pine of some sort, one that's more 'perfect tiny tree' sized, 3 tiny cedar and a couple of larger beech. As I see it my options are Dish Garden, terrarium or just transplant closer to the front yard so I can enjoy them. Which I just did for the 2 beech trees.

Play a little every day...it's good for you!
blue_tortoise
Original Author
17 years ago
How big are the saplings when you collect them, dognapper? I collected a sycamore from the back yard shortly after it poked its head from the ground (it would have been mowed by my husband otherwise) ... but the poor thing has wilted from the shock.

With regard to the azalea... I am still wondering how to proceed. I don't want to leave it in the wet mix any longer for fear of rot, so should I just pop it in dirt? Is there something more to it? I'd hate to kill it after the small success of seeing roots.

Tortoise
head_cutter
17 years ago
Healthy azaleas will grow/thrive in almost any kind of well-drained soil. It will grow faster in the ground but if you don't want to do that you can use a mix of normal potting soil and sand, about a 50/50 mix, pot it up and put it in a semi-protected area for this year. Keed it well watered and feed it once in a while till about the beginning of September...if it decides to try and bloom pinch off the buds. It will overwinter ok if you shove it under a shrub in the yard.

I favor working larger trees and am too old to wait for cuttings to grow ;((
markbezeredi_gmail_com
15 years ago
i am not that old...however...if u intend to make a bonsai suitable to b called such it will take FOREVER with a cutting especially from an azalea. not to sound discouraging but go to your local garden center and buy one with a fat single trunk and chop it! within a few wks it will sprout new growth in every direction with short internodes and u can pick and choose which u like and prune and wire to suit...look more for bark texture and surface root characteristics as these are most prized and difficult to develop....except with the slow passage of time of which we are all running short of im afraid. and NEVER buy anything called bonsai for target! :)