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Old 27-01-2003, 07:44 PM
Edmund L. Castillo
 
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Default [IBC] Fertilizing azaleas.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Jim Lewis"
To:
Sent: Sunday, January 26, 2003 11:33 AM
Subject: [IBC] FW: [IBC] Please be gentle !!



In the interim, should I fertilize the azalea's sometime this

spring to
strengthen them ?


No. Unless the soil is absolutely awful, once a shrub is
established it seldom needs fertilization.


Also, don't feed nitrogen based plant food to a flowering bonsai until after
it has bloomed, as it will encourage leaf growth at the expense of blossoms.
If the azalea looks hungry, let it bloom first, then feed it.

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Old 27-01-2003, 11:55 PM
kevin bailey
 
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Default [IBC] Fertilizing azaleas.

Alex Kennedy's "Floral Treasures Of Japan" says that plants should be
fed from March onward especially for plants expected to flower heavily.
This is in order to build up their strength.

It made sense to me so I have followed this advice for the past three
years with very good results. I use Miracid - the blue liquid acidic
fertiliser available here in the UK but will be amending my regime this
year, as I hear that the brittleness of trunk and branches may be
lessened by fertilising with organic pellets. I'll get back to you all
on the results.

Cheers

Kev Bailey


In the interim, should I fertilize the azalea's sometime this

spring to
strengthen them ?


No. Unless the soil is absolutely awful, once a shrub is
established it seldom needs fertilization.


Also, don't feed nitrogen based plant food to a flowering bonsai until
after
it has bloomed, as it will encourage leaf growth at the expense of
blossoms.
If the azalea looks hungry, let it bloom first, then feed it.



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Old 28-01-2003, 12:30 AM
Jim Lewis
 
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Default [IBC] Fertilizing azaleas.

Alex Kennedy's "Floral Treasures Of Japan" says that plants
should be
fed from March onward especially for plants expected to flower

heavily.
This is in order to build up their strength.


Well, he was asking about azaleas established and growing in the
ground.

It made sense to me so I have followed this advice for the past

three
years with very good results. I use Miracid - the blue liquid

acidic
fertiliser available here in the UK but will be amending my

regime this
year, as I hear that the brittleness of trunk and branches may

be
lessened by fertilising with organic pellets. I'll get back to

you all
on the results.


I don't know of any organic fertilizers that will provide enough
acidity to support an azalea's needs.

And, since plants use the same elements no matter how they are
delivered (organic vs. inorganic) I cannot imagine how anything
in an "organic" fertilizer -- pelletized or not -- would cause
any difference in the brittleness of azalea stems. May I ask:
Where did you "hear" this? It certainly isn't anything that is
echoing around here.

I live in the absolute heart of azalea country, and my shrubbery
azalea -- many of them "indica" and some of them more than 30
years old now, and nearly as tall (and several times as wide) as
I am, and all "fertilized" organically via rotting mulch around
and over their roots have the same brittle stems as my potted
Satsuki azaleas that get Miracid.

If your trees have been healthy and blooming well, I'd not change
anything, if I were you. Just be careful wiring.

Jim Lewis - - Tallahassee, FL - Our life is
frittered away by detail . . . . Simplify! Simplify. -- Henry
David Thoreau - Walden

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Old 29-01-2003, 01:18 PM
kevin bailey
 
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Default [IBC] Fertilizing azaleas.

I don't know of any organic fertilizers that will provide enough
acidity to support an azalea's needs.


I use an acidic compost of peat, chipped bark and kanuma for my trees in
development. My feeling is that the compost's acidity should persist
from one repot to the next.

And, since plants use the same elements no matter how they are
delivered (organic vs. inorganic) I cannot imagine how anything
in an "organic" fertilizer -- pelletized or not -- would cause
any difference in the brittleness of azalea stems. May I ask:
Where did you "hear" this? It certainly isn't anything that is
echoing around here.


This was from a nursery man specialising in Satsuki's and his own
experience. I dunno, it sounds a little kooky to me too, but I'm going
to give it a try for one season.
The wiring I still have problems with is that of setting the trunk shape
after initially growing a tall, thin 2 to 3 year plant from cuttings.

I live in the absolute heart of azalea country, and my shrubbery
azalea -- many of them "indica" and some of them more than 30
years old now, and nearly as tall (and several times as wide) as
I am, and all "fertilized" organically via rotting mulch around
and over their roots have the same brittle stems as my potted
Satsuki azaleas that get Miracid.


Interesting stuff Jim. Wish I could find Satsuki's around here with that
sort of development.

If your trees have been healthy and blooming well, I'd not change
anything, if I were you. Just be careful wiring.


Health and blooming have been very good but in the interests of
developing better initial trunk shapes I feel a little experimentation
isn't going to harm anything. My care and development of Satsuki wiring
skills is developing. I've progressed through using raffia and single
wiring to vet's tape with triple wiring and now self amalgamating tape
with triple wiring.

Any leads on cheap sources of self amalgamating tape anyone?

Cheers

Kev Bailey


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************************************************** ******************************
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