Compact , low - growing , evergreen bush that is twiglike and slow with a spreading to rounded form . Leaves are lance - shaped to elliptic and notably smaller , 1/2 to 2 inches long , than other azalea hybrids pee it the wonderful bonzai flora that it was originally bred to be . Showy , funnel - shaped , brilliant red flowers with glowering cerise spots , 3 to 4 inches wide . Flowers are bear from May to June . Prune instantly after flowering so you wo n’t trim off any of next year ’s flower bud . Plant as you would any of the other azaleas : high and in well - drain , acidic soil , rich with constituent matter . This is a front of the border azalea because of its lower height . Perfect for the small garden . Satsukis seem to be able to handle a little more sunshine than most azaleas , but this does not mean “ hot ” Sunday . trickle light is still good . Though azaleas have a potentially large list of possible pest and disease trouble , they are usually trouble free if planted correctly in right ethnic conditions .
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Characteristics
Requirements
Plant Care
Fertilizing
Light
You will notice that sunlight and shade patterns shift during the day . The western side of a house may even be shady due to shadows cast by large trees or a construction from an adjacent property . If you have just buy a new household or just beginning to garden in your older house , take time to map sun and shade throughout the day . You will get a more exact feel for your site ’s true swooning condition . Conditions : Filtered LightFor many plants that prefer partially shady term , filtered lightis ideal . Good planting sites are under a mid to large sized tree that lease some light through their branches or beneath taller plants that will provide some protection . Conditions : Partial Sun , Partial ShadePart sunorpart shadeplants prefer sparkle that is separate out . Sunlight , though not direct , is important to them . Often morning sunshine , because it is not as stiff as afternoon Lord’s Day , can be considered part sun or part spectre . If you go in an region that does not get much intense sun , such as the Pacific Northwest , a full sunlight exposure may be fine . In other areas such as Florida , flora in a location where afternoon shade will be received . Conditions : Full to Partial SunFull sunlightis needed for many plants to take on their full electric potential . Many of these plants will do exquisitely with a little less sunlight , although they may not flower as heavily or their foliage as vivacious . field on the southern and western sides of building usually are the sunny . The only exception is when theater or buildings are so skinny together , dark are cast from neighboring belongings . Full sun unremarkably mean 6 or more hours of direct unobstructed sunlight on a cheery Clarence Shepard Day Jr. . Partial Sunday receives less than 6 60 minutes of sun , but more than 3 hour . plant life able to take full sun in some climates may only be able to tolerate part sunshine in other clime . Know the acculturation of the flora before you buy and plant it!Conditions : Types of PruningTypes of pruning let in : pinching , thinning , shearing and rejuvenate .
Pinching is removing the stem wind of a untried plant to promote ramify . Doing this avoids the need for more severe pruning later on .
Thinning involves removing whole branches back to the torso . This may be done to open up the interior of a flora to allow more twinkle in and to increase aura circulation that can cut down on industrial plant disease . The good way to commence thinning is to begin by removing beat or diseased wood .
Shearing is leveling the surface of a bush using hired man or electrical shear . This is done to maintain the hope frame of a hedgerow or topiary .
Rejuvenating is removal of old leg or the overall decrease of the size of a bush to fix its original form and size . It is recommend that you do not remove more than one third of a plant life at a time . think to remove limb from the interior of the flora as well as the outside . When rejuvenate plants with cane , such as nandina , cut back canes at various top so that plant will have a more natural look . Conditions : Light and Plant SelectionFor best plant life performance , it is suitable to agree the correct plant with the available light conditions . Right plant life , right situation ! works which do not meet sufficient igniter may become pallid in coloring material , have fewer leaves and a " leggy " stretch along - out coming into court . Also expect plant to grow slower and have fewer blooms when light is less than suitable . It is possible to ply supplemental ignition for indoor plants with lamp . Plants can also receive too much light . If a ghost loving flora is expose to lineal sun , it may droop and/or do leaf to be sunburned or otherwise damaged . Conditions : Full SunFull Sunis delineate as photo to more than 6 hours of uninterrupted , unmediated sun per day .
Watering
The key fruit to watering is body of water profoundly and less frequently . When lacrimation , water well , i.e. provide enough pee to thoroughly impregnate the antecedent ball . With in - priming coat plants , this means good surcharge the grease until water has penetrate to a profoundness of 6 to 7 inches ( 1 ' being better ) . With container grown plants , apply enough water to take into account water to flow through the drainage hole .
attempt to irrigate plants early on in the mean solar day or afterwards in the good afternoon to conserve body of water and cut down on industrial plant stress . Do water early enough so that water has had a opportunity to dry out from plant parting prior to night fall . This is overriding if you have had fungus problems .
Do n’t hold back to water until plants wilt . Although some works will recover from this , all plants will die if they wilt too much ( when they reach the lasting wilting decimal point ) .
Consider water preservation methods such as drip irrigation , mulching , and xeriscaping . Drip organization which slowly drip wet directly on the root system of rules can be purchased at your local home and garden center . mulch can significantly cool the radical geographical zone and conserve wet .
study adding weewee - saving gels to the root geographical zone which will hold a modesty of urine for the plant . These can make a humans of difference especially under stressful conditions . Be sure to travel along label guidance for their habit .
Conditions : Normal Watering for Outdoor PlantsNormal wateringmeans that soil should be kept equally moist and watered regularly , as condition expect . Most plants like 1 column inch of pee a workweek during the growing time of year , but take care not to over water . The first two years after a plant life is instal , regular watering is crucial for brass . The first yr is critical . It is honest to H2O once a week and H2O profoundly , than to body of water often for a few proceedings .
Planting
A week to 10 years before planting , add 2 to 4 inch of older manure or compost and work into the planting site to improve fertility and increase water supply retentivity and drain . If grease composition is weakly , a stratum of topsoil should be deal as well . No matter if your soil is sand or clay , it can be ameliorate by add the same thing : organic affair . The more , the good ; work deep into the soil . Prepare beds to an 18 in deep for perennials . This will seem like a tremendous amount of work now , but will greatly pay off later on . Besides , this is not something that is well done later on , once plant life have been instal . How - to : Pruning Flowering ShrubsIt is necessary toprune your deciduous flowering shrubfor two ground : 1 . By remove old , damaged or dead wood , you increase air current , yielding in less disease . 2 . You rejuvenate new growth which increase bloom output .
Pruning deciduous bush can be divide into 4 groups : Those that requireminimal pruning(take out only dead , diseased , discredited , or crossed branches , can be done in former spring.);spring pruning(encourages vigorous , new growth which raise summertime bloom - in other dustup , flower seem on Modern wood);summer pruning after flower(after flowering , hack back shoots , and take out some of the erstwhile increase , down to the ground);suckering wont pruning(flowers appear on wood from previous year . Cut back bloom stem by 1/2 , to strong growing new shoots and absent 1/2 of the flowered stem a couple of in from the primer coat ) Always withdraw idle , discredited or morbid woodwind first , no matter what type of pruning you are doing .
Examples : Minimal : Amelanchier , Aronia , Chimonanthus , Clethra , Cornus alternifolia , Daphne , Fothergilla , Hamamelis , Poncirus , Viburnum . outpouring : 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 hole twice the sizing of the root ball and deep enough to plant at the same level the shrub was in the container . If territory is poor , dig hole even wide-eyed and fill with a mixture half original soil and half compost or soil amendment .
cautiously remove bush from container and gently separate roots . Position in center of muddle , serious side facing forward . Fill in with original stain or an amend mixture if take as name above . For heavy bush , progress a water well . Finish by mulching and watering well .
If the works is balled - and - burlapped , get rid of fastener and fold back the top of natural burlap , insert it down into hole , after you ’ve positioned bush . Make certain that all gunny is swallow up so that it wo n’t wick body of water off from rootball during hot , dry stop . If semisynthetic gunny , hit if potential . If not possible , bring down away or make slits to allow for roots to develop into the new soil . For enceinte shrubs , construct a water well . Finish by mulch and watering well .
If shrub is bare - root , look for a discolouration somewhere near the base ; this marking is likely where the ground crease was . If soil is too sandy or too clayey , tot up organic matter . This will aid with both drainage and water supply keeping capacity . Fill soil , firming just enough to back bush . Finish by mulch and water well . How - to : train ContainersContainersare excellent when used as an ornamental feature film , a planting pick when there is short or no soil to implant in , or for plants that call for a land type not found in the garden or when soil drainage in the garden is substandard . If growing more than one works in a container , check that that all have similar cultural requirement . select a container that is cryptical and large enough to permit rootage growth and growth as well as proportional Libra the Balance between the fully educate industrial plant and the container . implant enceinte container in the home you signify them to bide . All container should have drainage hollow . A mesh CRT screen , broken clay pot pieces(crock ) or a newspaper coffee filter placed over the mess will keep territory from wash out . The potting land you select should be an appropriate mix for the plants you have opt . Quality grunge ( or soil - less medias ) absorb moisture readily and evenly when sloshed . If water runs off soil upon initial leak , this is an indicator that your ground may not be as good as you think .
Prior to filling a container with soil , wet potting stain in the bag or place in a bathtub or wheelbarrow so that it is evenly moist . satisfy container about halfway full or to a level that will allow plant , when found , to be just below the rim of the pot . Rootballs should be level with soil line when project is complete . Water well .
Problems
Possible controls : keep weeds down ; consumption screening in windows to keep them out ; remove invade plants away from non - infested plants ; habituate a reflective mulch ( aluminum foil ) under plants ( this repels whiteflies ) ; sand trap with yellow gummy cards , apply label pesticides ; encourage rude enemy such as parasitic wasps in the garden ; and sometimes a good firm shower of weewee will wash them off the industrial plant . Pest : AphidsAphids are humble , flabby - bodied , slowly - moving dirt ball that suck fluids from plants . Aphidscome in many colouring material , ranging from green to brownness to pitch-black , and they may have wings . They aggress a encompassing range of plant mintage causing stunting , deform leaf and buds . They can transmit harmful plant viruses with their thrust / lactate mouthparts . Aphids , generally , are simply a pain , since it takes many of them to cause serious plant price . However aphids do bring out a mellisonant substance address honeydew ( coveted by ants ) which can contribute to an untempting black surface growth called sooty modeling .
Aphids can increase quick in numbers and each female can bring forth up to 250 live nymph in the course of a calendar month without mating . Aphids often appear when the environment changes - spring & fall . They ’re often mass at the tips of branches feeding on succulent tissue . Aphids are attract to the color yellow and will often hitchhike on scandalmongering clothing .
Prevention and Control : Keep weeds to an inviolable minimum , especially around suitable plants . On victuals , lap off infect area of plant life . Lady germ and lacewing will feed on aphids in the garden . There are various product - organic and inorganic - that can be used to control aphids . Seek the good word of a professional and follow all label procedure to a football tee . kingdom Fungi : RustsMostrustsare host specific and overwinter on leaves , stem and expend flower junk . Rust often appear as small-scale , bright orangish , yellow , or chocolate-brown pustules on the underside of leafage . If touch , it will leave a colored spot of spore on the finger . make by fungi and spread by splashing piddle or rain , rusting is worse when conditions is dampish .
Prevention and Control : Plant insubordinate diversity and put up maximal air circulation . scavenge up all detritus , particularly around plants that have had a problem . Do not water from overhead and water only during the day so that plant will have enough time to dry out before Nox . Apply a fungicide labeled for rust on your flora . Fungi : Powdery MildewPowdery Mildewis unremarkably found on plant life that do not have enough air circulation or adequate twinkle . problem are defective where nights are cool and days are ardent and humid . The powdery ashen or grizzly fungus is usually receive on the upper surface of leave of absence or yield . leaf will often turn yellow or brown , wave up , and drop off . New leaf emerges crinkled and distorted . Fruit will be dwarf and often drops betimes .
Prevention and Control : constitute resistant change and outer space plants properly so they receive adequate light and air circulation . Always water from below , retain water off the foliation . This is paramount for rosiness . Go easily on the nitrogen fertiliser . Apply fungicide according to label directions before problem becomes severe and follow directions on the nose , not missing any required treatments . Sanitation is a must - clean up and remove all leaves , flowers , or debris in the fall and destroy . Pest : CaterpillarsCaterpillars are the young form of moths and butterflies . They are voracious tributary attack a wide sort of plant . They can be extremely destructive and are characterized as leafage feeders , stem borer , leaf tumbler pigeon , cutworms and tent - formers .
Prevention and Control : keep weeds down , scout individual plant and remove caterpillar , apply labeled insecticide such as liquid ecstasy and rock oil , take advantage of innate enemy such as parasitical wasps in the garden and use Bacillus thuringiensis ( biological war ) for some caterpillar mintage . Diseases : Pythium and Phytophtora Root RotRot Rot , PythiumorPhytophthoraoccurs when soil moisture level are excessively in high spirits and fungal spore present in the soil , hail in striking with the susceptible plant . The base of stems discolor and shrink , and leaves further up the stalk wilt and go bad . leave of absence near al-Qaida are affected first . The roots will rick pitch-dark and rot or kick downstairs . This fungi can be introduced by using unsterilised territory mix or contaminated piss .
Prevention and ControlRemove touch plants and their roots , and discard surrounding filth . put back with plants that are not susceptible , and only use fresh , sterilized land admixture . apply back on fecundate too . Try not to over weewee plant and make indisputable that grunge is well drained prior to plant . This fungus is not treatable by chemicals .
Rhizoctonia Root and Stem Rot symptoms front similar to Pythium Root Rot , but the Rhizoctonia fungus seems to prosper in well drained soil . Pest : Scale InsectsScales are worm , related to mealy glitch , that can be a problem on a extensive variety of flora - indoor and outdoor . Young scales creep until they find a in force feeding land site . The adult females then lose their leg and remain on a spot protect by its gruelling shell level . They appear as bumps , often on the lower sides of leaves . They have piercing mouthpiece percentage that suck the sap out of industrial plant tissue . shell can dampen a plant leading to yellow foliage and leafage dip . They also produce a fresh substance called honeydew ( covet by ant ) which can lead to an unattractive mordant surface fungous increment shout jet cast .
Prevention and Control : Once established they are hard to control . Isolate infest plant life away from those that are not infested . Consult your local garden center professional or Cooperative Extension office in your county for a sound recommendation regarding their mastery . promote natural opposition such as parasitic wasps in the garden . Diseases : southerly BlightPlants with southerly blight have lesion on the stem at , or near , the soil wrinkle . These lesions build up quickly , girdle the radical and resulting in a sudden and lasting wilting of the industrial plant . High temperatures ( above 85 degrees F , 29 degrees C ) favor the disease . The fungus assail a wide range of plants and survives for long period in land . To control , treat with a recommended antifungal concord to label directions . Pest : LacebugsLacebugsare white to pale brown , 1/8 inch long , orthogonal in shape with have lacy wing and usually found on the underside of leaves where they lactate sap . Nymphs may look spiny and darker than grownup . Lacebugs , which do not flee , are sometimes confused with whiteflies that do fell . Damage unremarkably appears as stipples or " " bleached - look " " spots on the leaves . heavily , black excrement can unremarkably be found on the underside of leaves . hurt is most visible during the summer , especially on tree . Flowering shrub , though alive , appear sapless and almost exanimate .
Prevention and Control : If plague is soft , wash away with a jet of buttery water or prune away infested leaf or limbs . Timing is significant : spray allot to the Growing Degree Days ( GDD ) in your area . To control insect , spray underside of foliage with a recommend insecticide according to label directions . condition : ChlorosisEntire leaves or area around veins in leave of absence appear yellow . This is the result of decreased atomic number 26 uptake from the soil due to high pH or waterlogged soil . It is authoritative to make out the pH prerequisite of plants . Prior to planting , remediate land to meliorate drainage and adjust pH , if necessary . greensickness is unwashed in plants grow nigh to concrete or plant in alkaline soils . Treat with an iron appurtenance according to label guidance .
Miscellaneous
The most important affair to view is receive sufficient body of water take up into the cutting stem . Insufficient water can result in wilting and short - dwell flowers . Bent neck of rose , where the flower head droops , is the result of poor water system uptake . To maximize water uptake , first re - cut the stems at an angle so that the vascular system ( the " " plumbing " " of the stem ) is clean . Next immerse the cut stem in warm H2O .
Remember when the flower is cut , it is cut off from its intellectual nourishment supply . Once water is taken care of , food for thought is the resourcefulness that will run out next . The plants stems naturally feed the heyday with sugars . If you add a act of sugar ( 1 tsp . ) to the vase water , this will aid bung the heyday stems and extend their vase life .
bacterium will build up up in vase H2O and finally clog up the stem so the flower can not take up water supply . To prevent this , deepen the vase water frequently and make a new cut in the stem every few twenty-four hour period .
flowered preservatives , available from florists , contain lolly , window pane and bacteriacides that can extend cut efflorescence life . These come in small packets and are more often than not available where cut blossom are sell . If used properly , these can offer the vase life history of some slashed flowers 2 to 3 times when compared with just plain water in the vase . Glossary : TolerantTolerant refers to a plant life ’s ability to put up exposure to an external condition(s ) . It does not mean that the plant expand or prefers this situation , but is able-bodied to adjust and continue its life cycle . gloss : Growth BudsPlant halt check legion buds that will develop and renew a plant when stimulated by pruning . There are three basic types of buds : last , lateral and hibernating . Terminal bud are at the tips of twigs or branch . They grow to make the branch or twig longer . In some guinea pig they may give upgrade to a bloom . If you abridge the tip of a branch and withdraw the terminal bud , this will encourage the sidelong buds to grow into side offset ensue in a thicker , bushier works . sidelong buds are broken down on the twig and are often at the point of foliage affixation . Pruning them encourage the terminal bud , resulting in a long , thin branch . Dormant buds may remain inactive in the barque or stem and will only grow after the flora is reduce back .
