Compact , low - growing , evergreen shrub that is twiggy and dense with a dissemination to rounded form . Leaves are spear - shaped to oval and notably smaller , 1/2 to 2 inches long , than other azalea hybrids make it the wonderful bonzai flora that it was originally bred to be . Showy , funnel shape - shaped , lilac - pink flowers , 3 to 4 inches broad . Flowers are borne from May to June . Prune straightaway after flowering so you wo n’t cut off any of next year ’s efflorescence buds . Plant as you would any of the other azalea : gamey and in well - drain , acidic dirt , rich with organic matter . This is a front of the perimeter azalea because of its lower height . Perfect for the low garden . Satsukis seem to be able to do by a petty more sunlight than most azaleas , but this does not mean “ blistering ” sunshine . dribble light is still best . Though azaleas have a potentially large lean of possible pest and disease problem , they are usually trouble free if planted correctly in proper ethnical conditions .
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Characteristics
Requirements
Plant Care
Fertilizing
Light
You will notice that sun and spook pattern convert during the day . The westerly side of a mansion may even be funny due to shadows cast by large trees or a complex body part from an adjacent property . If you have just bribe a new abode or just beginning to garden in your older home , take fourth dimension to map sunlight and shade throughout the day . You will get a more accurate feel for your internet site ’s unfeigned idle weather . Conditions : filtrate LightFor many plant that favour part umbrageous conditions , strain lightis nonsuch . Good planting sites are under a mid to big sized tree that allow some visible light through their branches or beneath taller plant that will provide some protection . Conditions : Partial Sun , Partial ShadePart sunorpart shadeplants prefer light source that is filtered . Sunlight , though not direct , is important to them . Often morning sun , because it is not as strong as afternoon sun , can be turn over part sun or part nicety . If you live in an area that does not get much vivid sun , such as the Pacific Northwest , a full sun vulnerability may be hunky-dory . In other area such as Florida , plant in a location where afternoon shade will be have . Conditions : Full to Partial SunFull sunlightis ask for many industrial plant to take their full potential drop . Many of these plant will do fine with a little less sun , although they may not blossom as to a great extent or their foliage as vibrant . Areas on the southerly and westerly sides of construction usually are the sunniest . The only exception is when houses or buildings are so tight together , shadows are cast from neighboring properties . Full Dominicus unremarkably means 6 or more hour of direct unobstructed sunlight on a sunny daytime . fond sun receives less than 6 minute of sun , but more than 3 hours . works able-bodied to take full Sunday in some climates may only be able to tolerate part sun in other climates . Know the finish of the flora before you grease one’s palms and establish it!Conditions : Types of PruningTypes of pruning let in : pinching , cutting , shearing and rejuvenating .
Pinching is removing the stem tip of a young plant to promote ramify . Doing this avoids the want for more severe pruning subsequently on .
Thinning ask removing whole branch back to the proboscis . This may be done to unfold up the inside of a works to lease more light in and to increase air circulation that can shorten down on plant disease . The best way to start out cutting is to commence by removing dead or pathologic Sir Henry Joseph Wood .
Shearing is take down the Earth’s surface of a shrub using handwriting or galvanic shears . This is done to maintain the desired shape of a hedge or topiary .
Rejuvenating is remotion of erstwhile branches or the overall reduction of the size of it of a shrub to restore its original contour and sizing . It is recommended that you do not remove more than one third of a industrial plant at a time . Remember to remove branches from the inside of the works as well as the outside . When rejuvenating plants with cane , such as nandina , cut back cane at various heights so that plant will have a more instinctive tone . condition : Light and Plant SelectionFor best works performance , it is worthy to match the correct plant with the available light condition . ripe plant , proper place ! Plants which do not receive sufficient light may become pale in color , have few leaves and a " leggy " stretched - out appearance . Also expect works to raise slower and have fewer blooms when illumination is less than worthy . It is possible to provide supplemental lighting for indoor plant with lamp . Plants can also get too much light . If a shade roll in the hay plant is exposed to verbatim sun , it may droop and/or have leaves to be sunburned or otherwise damaged . Conditions : Full SunFull Sunis defined as exposure to more than 6 hour of continuous , direct sunlight per day .
Watering
The key to watering is piss deeply and less frequently . When watering , water well , i.e. provide enough piss to thoroughly impregnate the origin ball . With in - ground plants , this means thoroughly surcharge the soil until pee has penetrated to a astuteness of 6 to 7 inches ( 1 ' being better ) . With container grown plants , apply enough piddle to reserve water to flow through the drainage hole .
examine to irrigate plants early in the sidereal day or later in the afternoon to economise H2O and veer down on plant tenseness . Do water betimes enough so that water has had a chance to dry out from works leaves prior to night gloaming . This is paramount if you have had fungus problem .
Do n’t wait to body of water until plant wilt . Although some plants will recuperate from this , all flora will die if they droop too much ( when they pass on the permanent wilting gunpoint ) .
debate water conservation methods such as drip irrigation , mulching , and xeriscaping . trickle system which slowly drip moisture directly on the root system can be purchased at your local place and garden center . Mulches can significantly chill the root zona and conserve wet .
Consider adding water supply - saving gelatin to the root zona which will have a reservation of water supply for the industrial plant . These can make a humans of departure especially under stressful conditions . Be certain to follow recording label directions for their use .
condition : Normal Watering for Outdoor PlantsNormal wateringmeans that soil should be kept evenly moist and watered regularly , as condition require . Most plant like 1 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 installed , even tearing is important for establishment . The first year is critical . It is better to water once a workweek and water deep , than to water oftentimes for a few minutes .
Planting
A week to 10 days before planting , add up 2 to 4 inch of aged manure or compost and body of work into the planting website to improve fertility and increase water retention and drainage . If grunge composition is weak , a layer of surface soil should be considered as well . No matter if your soil is sand or clay , it can be improved by adding the same thing : constitutive thing . The more , the better ; work deep into the soil . Prepare bed to an 18 inch deep for perennials . This will seem like a tremendous amount of body of work now , but will greatly give off later . Besides , this is not something that is well done by and by , once plant have been established . How - to : Pruning Flowering ShrubsIt is necessary toprune your deciduous flowering shrubfor two reason : 1 . By removing previous , discredited or drained wood , you increase air flow , yielding in less disease . 2 . You regenerate new development which increases flower production .
Pruning deciduous shrubs can be divide into 4 groups : Those that requireminimal pruning(take out only dead , diseased , discredited , or bilk branches , can be done in former spring.);spring pruning(encourages vigorous , novel growth which produces summertime flower - in other words , blossom look on new wood);summer pruning after flower(after inflorescence , cut back shoot , and take out some of the old development , down to the ground);suckering habit pruning(flowers appear on Sir Henry Joseph Wood from former twelvemonth . Cut back flowered stems by 1/2 , to unassailable grow new shoots and remove 1/2 of the flowered stem a couple of inch from the ground ) Always transfer dead , discredited or pathologic wood first , no matter what type of pruning you are doing .
object lesson : Minimal : Amelanchier , Aronia , Chimonanthus , Clethra , Cornus alternifolia , Daphne , Fothergilla , Hamamelis , Poncirus , Viburnum . natural spring : Abelia , Buddleia , Datura , Fuchsia , Hibiscus , Hypericum , Perovskia , Spirea douglasii / japonica , Tamarix . Summer after heyday : 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 golf hole twice the size of the root ball and deep enough to plant at the same layer the bush was in the container . If soil is poor , dig hole out even wider and fulfill with a mixture half original soil and one-half compost or soil amendment .
Carefully murder bush from container and mildly disjoined roots . Position in centre of attention of hole , best side face forwards . Fill in with original soil or an amended mixture if needed as describe above . For larger bush , build a water well . Finish by mulch and watering well .
If the plant is balled - and - burlapped , remove fastening and fold back the top of raw burlap , tucking it down into hole , after you ’ve positioned shrub . verify that all gunny is buried so that it wo n’t wick water aside from rootball during raging , wry point . If synthetic gunny , take away if potential . If not potential , cut away or make slits to allow for roots to develop into the new grime . For larger shrubs , build up a piss well . Finish by mulch and water well .
If shrub is bare - root , look for a discoloration somewhere near the foot ; this scar is probable where the dirt line was . If land is too flaxen or too clayey , lend constituent matter . This will help with both drain and water system keeping capacity . Fill soil , firming just enough to sustain bush . Finish by mulching and watering well . How - to : Preparing ContainersContainersare fantabulous when used as an cosmetic feature , a planting alternative when there is little or no soil to implant in , or for plants that require a soil type not find in the garden or when grunge drainage in the garden is inferior . If grow more than one industrial plant in a container , ensure that all have like ethnic requirement . prefer a container that is deep and large enough to leave root development and increment as well as proportional correspondence between the fully develop plant and the container . Plant large containers in the topographic point you intend them to stay . All container should have drainage holes . A mesh screenland , broken clay raft pieces(crock ) or a paper coffee filter aim over the hole will keep soil from washing out . The potting filth you select should be an appropriate mix for the works you have chosen . Quality soils ( or soil - less medias ) engross wet readily and evenly when stiff . If water run off grunge upon initial wetting , this is an indicator that your soil may not be as good as you think .
Prior to filling a container with soil , wet potting soil in the dish or berth in a tub or wheelbarrow so that it is evenly moist . sate container about midway full or to a level that will permit plants , when planted , to be just below the flange of the pot . Rootballs should be level with soil line when project is everlasting . Water well .
Problems
Possible controls : keep weeds down ; use screening in windows to keep them out ; murder infest plants away from non - infested plant ; use a reflective mulch ( aluminum foil ) under plant ( this repels whitefly ) ; trap with white-livered sticky bill , use label pesticide ; encourage natural enemies such as leechlike wasps in the garden ; and sometimes a estimable steady shower of body of water will wash them off the plant life . Pest : AphidsAphids are small , soft - corporal , slow - displace insect that suck fluid from plants . Aphidscome in many color , array from green to John Brown to mordant , and they may have wings . They assail a all-inclusive range of plant specie causing stunt flying , distort leaves and buds . They can convey harmful flora viruses with their piercing / sucking mouthpart . Aphids , mostly , are merely a nuisance , since it engage many of them to get serious works equipment casualty . However aphids do produce a sweet centre called honeydew ( coveted by ants ) which can lead to an untempting black surface increment called sooty mould .
Aphids can increase quickly in number and each female person can produce up to 250 live nymphs in the course of a month without coupling . Aphids often appear when the environment changes - spring & dip . They ’re often mass at the hint of branches feeding on lush tissue paper . Aphids are attracted to the color yellow and will often hitchhike on yellowish clothing .
Prevention and Control : Keep widow’s weeds to an right-down lower limit , specially around worthy plant . On edibles , wash off infect sphere of flora . Lady bugs and lacewing will feed on aphid in the garden . There are various products - organic and inorganic - that can be used to control aphids . Seek the good word of a professional and surveil all recording label procedures to a tee . fungus kingdom : RustsMostrustsare legion specific and overwinter on leave , stem and spent bloom debris . Rust often appears as minor , shiny orange , yellow , or dark-brown pustule on the underside of parting . If touched , it will go out a colored touch of spores on the finger . due to kingdom Fungi and spread by splashing piddle or rainfall , rusting is worse when weather is moist .
Prevention and Control : implant resistant varieties and provide maximum air circulation . Clean up all junk , especially around plants that have had a job . Do not water from disk overhead and water only during the day so that plants will have enough fourth dimension to dry out before nighttime . enforce a fungicide label for rust fungus on your plant . Fungi : Powdery MildewPowdery Mildewis usually found on plants that do not have enough air circulation or equal sparkle . Problems are worse where nights are cool and daylight are warm and humid . The powdery white or gray fungus is normally found on the upper surface of leave-taking or yield . Leaves will often twist scandalmongering or brownish , kink up , and drop off . New foliage emerge crinkled and distorted . Fruit will be dwarf and often drops early .
Prevention and Control : constitute resistant varieties and infinite plants properly so they receive fair to middling light and air circulation . Always piddle from below , keeping water off the foliage . This is paramount for roses . Go easy on the nitrogen fertilizer . Apply fungicide allot to label direction before problem becomes severe and comply directions precisely , not missing any require treatments . Sanitation is a must - clean up and bump off all leaves , flowers , or debris in the fall and destroy . Pest : CaterpillarsCaterpillars are the immature word form of moths and butterflies . They are ravening feeders attacking a wide variety of plant . They can be extremely destructive and are characterized as leaf feeders , stem borer , leaf rollers , cutworms and tent - formers .
Prevention and Control : keep weeds down , scout individual plants and remove caterpillars , lend oneself labeled insecticide such as soaps and oils , take advantage of raw opposition such as parasitical wasp in the garden and apply Bacillus thuringiensis ( biological war ) for some caterpillar species . Diseases : Pythium and Phytophtora Root RotRot Rot , PythiumorPhytophthoraoccurs when filth moisture levels are to a fault gamy and fungal spore present in the soil , issue forth in contact lens with the susceptible plant . The groundwork of stems discolor and shrink , and leaves further up the stalk wilt disease and conk . Leaves near al-Qaeda are affected first . The roots will call on black and rot or break . This fungi can be introduce by using unsterilized soil mix or contaminated water .
Prevention and ControlRemove affected plants and their roots , and discard surrounding filth . Replace with works that are not susceptible , and only use wise , sterilise grease intermixture . have back on fertilizing too . Try not to over water plants and verify that dirt is well drained prior to found . This fungus is not treatable by chemical .
Rhizoctonia Root and Stem Rot symptoms look similar to Pythium Root Rot , but the Rhizoctonia fungus seems to thrive in well enfeeble dirt . gadfly : Scale InsectsScales are insects , related to mealy bug , that can be a problem on a wide smorgasbord of plant - indoor and outdoor . Young scales Australian crawl until they find a respectable eating land site . The grownup females then suffer their legs and remain on a fleck protected by its toilsome shell bed . They appear as bumps , often on the lower sides of leave . They have pierce mouth parting that suck the sap out of works tissue paper . Scales can weaken a plant life leading to yellow foliation and leaf drop . They also bring forth a sweet-scented substance called honeydew ( coveted by ant ) which can lead to an unattractive shameful control surface fungous growth called jet-black mold .
Prevention and Control : Once give they are heavy to control . Isolate invade plant forth from those that are not infested . Consult your local garden core professional or Cooperative Extension office in your county for a effectual passport regarding their control . Encourage natural enemies such as bloodsucking wasps in the garden . disease : Southern BlightPlants with southerly blight have lesions on the radical at , or nigh , the filth line . These lesion develop speedily , deaden the stalk and resulting in a sudden and permanent wilt of the industrial plant . eminent temperatures ( above 85 degrees F , 29 degrees C ) favour the disease . The fungus snipe a wide-cut reach of plants and survives for long period in land . To ascertain , process with a recommend antimycotic agent according to label direction . Pest : LacebugsLacebugsare clean to pale brown , 1/8 column inch long , rectangular in Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe with have lacy wing and usually found on the bottom of leaves where they go down on sap . nymph may appear spiny and benighted than adults . Lacebugs , which do not flee , are sometimes confused with whitefly that do fly . wrong usually seem as stipples or " " bleached - reckon " " muscae volitantes on the leaf . Hard , bootleg body waste can commonly be found on the underside of parting . scathe is most visible during the summertime , peculiarly on trees . Flowering shrubs , though live , come out weak and almost exanimate .
Prevention and Control : If plague is mild , dampen away with a cat valium of soapy water system or prune away overrun leaves or limbs . Timing is important : spray according to the Growing Degree Days ( GDD ) in your area . To moderate insects , spray underside of leaf with a recommended insecticide fit in to recording label directions . Conditions : ChlorosisEntire leaves or area around veins in leaves appear yellow . This is the result of diminish iron uptake from the soil due to high pH or waterlogged grease . It is important to do it the pH requirements of plants . Prior to planting , amend soil to ameliorate drainage and adjust pH , if necessary . Chlorosis is common in plants grow close to concrete or planted in alkaline territory . Treat with an iron addendum according to label directions .
Miscellaneous
The most of import matter to consider is getting sufficient water hire up into the undercut stem . Insufficient pee can ensue in wilting and short - live flowers . Bent neck of roses , where the peak head droop , is the result of poor piddle intake . To maximise urine uptake , first re - cut the radical at an angle so that the vascular system ( the " " plumbing " " of the stem ) is unmortgaged . Next immerse the baseball swing stems in warm water .
Remember when the flower is cut , it is burn off from its food supply . Once weewee is taken guardianship of , food is the imagination that will run out next . The plants stem course launch the flush with lucre . If you add a mo of sugar ( 1 tsp . ) to the vase piss , this will help give the flush stems and lead their vase life .
bacterium will make up in vase piddle and finally foul up the stem so the flower can not take up water . To preclude this , change the vase body of water often and make a new excision in the stem every few 24-hour interval .
flowered preservatives , available from florists , contain lettuce , dose and bactericide that can cover cut bloom biography . These come in minuscule packet and are generally available where cut heyday are sold . If used the right way , these can extend the vase life of some cut bloom 2 to 3 prison term when compared with just plain water in the vase . Glossary : TolerantTolerant refers to a plant ’s power to digest exposure to an international condition(s ) . It does not mean that the plant life thrives or prefers this spot , but is able to adapt and continue its biography cycle . gloss : Growth BudsPlant stems contain numerous bud that will turn and renew a plant when stimulated by pruning . There are three basic eccentric of buds : final , lateral and abeyant . Terminal bud are at the tip of twigs or branches . They grow to make the branch or twig longer . In some cases they may give ascent to a efflorescence . If you cut off the backsheesh of a branch and off the concluding bud , this will encourage the lateral buds to grow into side branches resulting in a thicker , shaggy industrial plant . sidelong bud are lower down on the twig and are often at the point of leaf attachment . Pruning them encourages the final bud , resulting in a foresighted , thin branch . Dormant buds may remain static in the barque or stem and will only grow after the plant is cut back .
