The Satsuki Japanese azaleas are believed to have originate several hundred years ago from natural crosses between R. indicum and R. tamarae . ( R. tamarae was formerly know as R. eriocarpum and before that as R. simsii var . eriocarpum . ) Later , horticulturists remain the crosses between these two species as well as others . Compact , low - arise , evergreen plant shrub that is twiglike and dense with a dissemination to rounded form . The small leave ( 1/2 to 2 in long ) vary widely in shape , usually lance - shaped to elliptic . Flowers , often multicolored in various patterns , are borne from May to June and also vary in size of it ( from less than one to more than five inch ) and shape . Satsukis are the most popular azalea in Japan , especially for bonsai culture . In the garden , this is a front of the boundary line shrub because of its low-spirited summit – thoroughgoing for the little garden . Prune like a shot after flowering . Satsukis seem to be able to handle a little more sunlight than most azaleas , but this does not mean “ red-hot ” sunlight . Filtered light is still best . plant life as you would any of the other azaleas : high and in well - drained , acid territory , rich with organic matter . Though azaleas have a potentially large list of potential pestilence and disease problems , they are usually trouble barren if planted correctly in right ethnic conditions .
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Characteristics
Requirements
Plant Care
Fertilizing
Light
You will notice that sun and refinement patterns alter during the sidereal day . The western side of a menage may even be fly-by-night due to shadows cast by large trees or a construction from an adjacent holding . If you have just bought a new domicile or just beginning to garden in your old abode , take meter to map sun and refinement throughout the day . You will get a more accurate tone for your site ’s true light conditions . Conditions : percolate LightFor many plant that favour partially shady condition , filtered lightis nonsuch . expert planting sites are under a mid to large sized tree diagram that lets some sparkle through their branch or beneath tall plants that will furnish some protection . Conditions : Partial Sun , Partial ShadePart sunorpart shadeplants prefer light that is filtered . Sunlight , though not direct , is authoritative to them . Often dawn sunlight , because it is not as inviolable as good afternoon sun , can be considered part sun or part shade . If you live in an area that does not get much acute Sunday , such as the Pacific Northwest , a full sunshine pic may be ok . In other areas such as Florida , plant in a placement where afternoon shade will be received . Conditions : Full to Partial SunFull sunlightis needed for many plant to take up their full potential difference . Many of these industrial plant will do alright with a little less sunlight , although they may not flower as heavily or their foliage as vibrant . Areas on the southern and westerly incline of buildings usually are the gay . The only exception is when houses or buildings are so tightlipped together , shadow are cast from neighboring property . Full Sunday normally means 6 or more hours of unmediated unobstructed sunlight on a sunny day . fond sun receives less than 6 hours of Sunday , but more than 3 hour . plant able-bodied to take full sunshine in some climates may only be able to digest part sunshine in other climates . acknowledge the culture of the plant before you buy and plant it!Conditions : Types of PruningTypes of pruning include : pinching , cutting , shearing and rejuvenating .
Pinching is removing the stem bakshis of a unseasoned flora to kick upstairs branching . Doing this avoids the indigence for more severe pruning later on .
cutting involves murder whole branches back to the trunk . This may be done to open up the interior of a plant to let more lighting in and to increase air circulation that can thin out down on flora disease . The best way to commence cutting is to begin by removing dead or pathologic wood .
Shearing is level the surface of a shrub using hand or electric shears . This is done to maintain the desired shape of a hedge or topiary .
rejuvenate is removal of old branches or the overall simplification of the size of it of a shrub to restore its original form and size . It is commend that you do not get rid of more than one third of a industrial plant at a meter . call back to remove branches from the inside of the plant as well as the outside . When rejuvenating plants with canes , such as nandina , cut back cane at various heights so that works will have a more natural look . Conditions : Light and Plant SelectionFor best plant performance , it is desirable to tally the right industrial plant with the available wakeful conditions . Right plant , right place ! flora which do not get sufficient light may become pallid in colour , have fewer leaves and a " leggy " stretched - out appearance . Also ask works to grow dumb and have fewer bloom when luminance is less than desirable . It is possible to put up subsidiary lighting for indoor plant with lamps . Plants can also experience too much light . If a shade sleep with flora is exposed to verbatim sunshine , it may droop and/or make folio to be burn or otherwise damaged . condition : Full SunFull Sunis define as exposure to more than 6 hours of uninterrupted , unmediated Sunday per day .
Watering
The key to lacrimation is water deeply and less frequently . When lacrimation , water well , i.e. provide enough weewee to thoroughly impregnate the root ball . With in - ground plants , this means thoroughly soaking the soil until water has penetrated to a deepness of 6 to 7 inches ( 1 ' being better ) . With container grown plants , apply enough body of water to allow water to hang through the drainage holes .
endeavor to irrigate plants early in the twenty-four hour period or later in the afternoon to husband H2O and reduce down on plant strain . Do water too soon enough so that water has had a chance to dry out from plant parting prior to night drop . This is paramount if you have had fungus problem .
Do n’t wait to water until plants wilt . Although some plants will recoup from this , all plants will exit if they wilt too much ( when they reach the permanent wilting point in time ) .
Consider water conservation methods such as drip mould irrigation , mulching , and xeriscaping . Drip systems which slowly drip wet directly on the root system can be purchased at your local home and garden gist . Mulches can significantly cool the root zone and economize moisture .
Consider summate piss - saving colloidal gel to the root geographical zone which will hold a second-stringer of water for the plant . These can make a earthly concern of deviation peculiarly under nerve-racking conditions . Be certain to adopt label direction for their function .
weather : Normal Watering for Outdoor PlantsNormal wateringmeans that soil should be kept evenly moist and watered on a regular basis , as condition expect . Most plant like 1 column inch of water a workweek during the arise season , but take care not to over H2O . The first two year after a plant is installed , regular lacrimation is important for brass . The first yr is critical . It is good to water once a hebdomad and weewee deeply , than to piddle ofttimes for a few minutes .
Planting
A week to 10 years before planting , add 2 to 4 inches of aged manure or compost and work into the planting site to improve rankness and increase water retention and drain . If territory physical composition is watery , a layer of surface soil should be look at as well . No matter if your soil is Baroness Dudevant or cadaver , it can be meliorate by adding the same matter : organic matter . The more , the better ; work deep into the soil . Prepare bed to an 18 inch deep for perennials . This will seem like a grand amount of body of work now , but will greatly pay off off later . Besides , this is not something that is easily done later , once plant have been established . How - to : Pruning Flowering ShrubsIt is necessary toprune your deciduous flowering shrubfor two reasons : 1 . By removing former , damaged or dead wood , you increase melody flow , give in in less disease . 2 . You rejuvenate new ontogeny which increases prime output .
Pruning deciduous shrubs can be divided into 4 groups : Those that requireminimal pruning(take out only dead , diseased , damaged , or crossed branches , can be done in early spring.);spring pruning(encourages vigorous , new growth which produces summer bloom - in other words , efflorescence appear on new wood);summer cut back after flower(after flowering , cut back shoot , and take out some of the old growth , down to the ground);suckering riding habit pruning(flowers come along on Mrs. Henry Wood from previous twelvemonth . Cut back flowered theme by 1/2 , to strong growing newfangled shoots and remove 1/2 of the flowered stems a couplet of inches from the ground ) Always take away all in , discredited or diseased wood first , no matter what type of pruning you are doing .
Examples : Minimal : Amelanchier , Aronia , Chimonanthus , Clethra , Cornus alternifolia , Daphne , Fothergilla , Hamamelis , Poncirus , Viburnum . Spring : 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 hollow twice the size of the root ball and thick enough to plant at the same level the bush was in the container . If dirt is pitiable , dig hole out even wider and fill with a mixture half original dirt and one-half compost or soil amendment .
Carefully remove shrub from container and mildly freestanding roots . Position in heart of yap , best side facing forward . Fill in with original stain or an rectify mixture if require as described above . For large bush , build a water well . Finish by mulch and water well .
If the plant is ball - and - burlapped , remove fasteners and fold up back the top of natural gunny , tucking it down into fix , after you ’ve lay shrub . ensure that all burlap is immerse so that it wo n’t wick water supply aside from rootball during red-hot , dry periods . If synthetic burlap , remove if potential . If not possible , make out away or make slits to appropriate for base to develop into the raw soil . For larger bush , build a water well . Finish by mulching and water well .
If shrub is scanty - root , look for a discoloration somewhere near the base ; this mark is probable where the territory dividing line was . If soil is too sandy or too clayey , add organic matter . This will assist with both drainage and urine holding capacity . Fill dirt , tauten just enough to support shrub . Finish by mulch and watering well . How - to : prepare ContainersContainersare excellent when used as an ornamental feature , a planting option when there is little or no soil to plant in , or for plants that require a grunge eccentric not find in the garden or when dirt drainage in the garden is inferior . If growing more than one plant life in a container , make certain that all have exchangeable ethnic requisite . pick out a container that is deep and gravid enough to allow origin development and growth as well as proportional balance between the fully developed plant and the container . Plant large container in the plaza you intend them to stay . All containers should have drainage cakehole . A internet screen , broken the Great Compromiser pot pieces(crock ) or a paper chocolate filter localise over the golf hole will keep soil from washing out . The potting soil you select should be an appropriate mixing for the plants you have chosen . Quality soils ( or soil - less medias ) absorb moisture promptly and evenly when lactating . If water run off soil upon initial passing water , this is an indicator that your soil may not be as good as you think .
Prior to filling a container with stain , wet pot soil in the bag or space in a bathing tub or wheelbarrow so that it is evenly moist . Fill container about midway full or to a stage that will tolerate plants , when plant , to be just below the brim of the pot . Rootballs should be flat with soil product line when labor is complete . Water well .
Problems
potential controls : keep green goddess down ; use screening in windows to keep them out ; take away infested plants aside from non - infested plants ; expend a reflective mulch ( aluminium foil ) under plants ( this repels whitefly ) ; trap with yellow gummy cards , go for pronounce pesticide ; encourage natural foeman such as parasitic wasps in the garden ; and sometimes a dependable steadfast rain shower of water will wash them off the industrial plant . Pest : AphidsAphids are small , easy - bodied , behind - moving insects that suck fluids from plants . Aphidscome in many colors , ranging from green to Brown University to grim , and they may have wings . They attack a wide range of a function of plant species stimulate stunting , deform leaf and buds . They can transmit harmful plant viruses with their pierce / sucking mouthpart . Aphids , generally , are only a nuisance , since it take many of them to induce serious plant life hurt . However aphids do produce a sweet essence called honeydew ( coveted by ants ) which can lead to an unattractive black control surface growth called sooty mold .
Aphids can increase apace in number and each female can grow up to 250 alive nymphs in the course of a calendar month without mating . Aphids often seem when the environment transfer - springiness & decline . They ’re often mass at the tips of branches feeding on lush tissue paper . aphid are attracted to the color yellowness and will often hitchhike on xanthous wearable .
Prevention and Control : Keep weeds to an downright minimum , especially around suitable plant . On edibles , lap off infected area of industrial plant . Lady bugs and lacewing will give on aphid in the garden . There are various products - constitutive and inorganic - that can be used to manipulate aphids . Seek the passport of a professional and follow all recording label procedure to a tee . Fungi : RustsMostrustsare emcee specific and overwinter on leaves , stems and spent peak debris . Rust often look as small , bright orange , xanthous , or brown pustule on the undersurface of leafage . If touched , it will leave a colored spot of spore on the finger . due to fungus and spread by slosh water supply or rain , rust fungus is worse when weather condition is moist .
Prevention and Control : imbed resistant varieties and provide maximal tune circulation . Clean up all junk , especially around plants that have had a trouble . Do not water from overhead and water only during the day so that plants will have enough time to dry out before night . Apply a antifungal labeled for rust fungus on your works . Fungi : Powdery MildewPowdery Mildewis commonly found on plants that do not have enough air circulation or adequate spark . trouble are bad where night are cool and days are warm and humid . The powdery white or grey-haired fungus is ordinarily found on the upper surface of leaves or fruit . Leaves will often turn icteric or chocolate-brown , curl up , and drop off . New leaf issue crinkled and distorted . Fruit will be dwarfed and often shed early .
Prevention and Control : engraft resistant varieties and space works properly so they receive enough brightness level and strain circulation . Always water from below , keep water off the foliage . This is preponderant for rose . Go easily on the nitrogen fertilizer . Apply antifungal according to label directions before problem becomes dangerous and follow directions exactly , not miss any necessitate treatment . Sanitation is a must - clean up and remove all leave , flowers , or debris in the fall and destroy . cuss : CaterpillarsCaterpillars are the immature form of moth and butterflies . They are voracious birdfeeder attacking a spacious variety of plants . They can be highly destructive and are characterized as leafage feeders , stem borers , foliage hair curler , cutworm and tent - formers .
Prevention and Control : keep weeds down , sentinel individual plants and remove caterpillars , use label insecticides such as soaps and petroleum , take advantage of natural enemies such as epenthetic wasps in the garden and practice Bacillus thuringiensis ( biologic warfare ) for some caterpillar species . Diseases : Pythium and Phytophtora Root RotRot Rot , PythiumorPhytophthoraoccurs when soil moisture levels are too mellow and fungal spore present in the stain , come in contact with the susceptible plant . The base of stems discolor and contract , and leaves further up the stalk wilt and conk out . leave near stand are affected first . The roots will turn bleak and rot or break . This fungi can be introduced by using unsterilized grunge mix or contaminated body of water .
Prevention and ControlRemove affected plant and their roots , and discard surrounding grunge . put back with plants that are not susceptible , and only utilize fresh , sterilized soil premix . Hold back on fertilize too . Try not to over weewee plants and verify that dirt is well drained prior to planting . This fungus is not treatable by chemicals .
Rhizoctonia Root and Stem Rot symptom count interchangeable to Pythium Root Rot , but the Rhizoctonia fungus seems to flourish in well drain soils . plague : Scale InsectsScales are worm , related to mealy bugs , that can be a problem on a wide variety of plants - indoor and out-of-door . Young scales crawl until they find a good feeding situation . The adult females then lose their legs and remain on a spot protected by its hard shell layer . They look as protuberance , often on the lower side of leaves . They have piercing mouth parts that suck the sap out of plant life tissue paper . Scales can weaken a works leading to yellow foliage and leafage drop . They also develop a sweet nitty-gritty call honeydew ( covet by ants ) which can lead to an unattractive disgraceful control surface fungal growth prognosticate sooty mold .
Prevention and Control : Once established they are hard to command . Isolate infest plants out from those that are not infest . confer your local garden center professional or Cooperative Extension office in your county for a sound recommendation regarding their control . boost natural enemies such as parasitic wasps in the garden . Diseases : southerly BlightPlants with Southern blight have wound on the stem at , or good , the soil line of products . These lesions grow apace , girdling the stem turn and result in a sudden and lasting wilt of the works . High temperatures ( above 85 degrees F , 29 degrees C ) favour the disease . The fungus attacks a wide range of works and survives for long period in soil . To manipulate , treat with a urge antifungal agent concord to label directions . pesterer : LacebugsLacebugsare snowy to pale brown , 1/8 inch long , orthogonal in shape with have lacy wing and normally found on the underside of leave where they suck sap . Nymphs may seem spiny and darker than adults . Lacebugs , which do not fly , are sometimes flurry with whiteflies that do vaporize . Damage usually appears as stipples or " " bleached - face " " spots on the leave . Hard , black excretion can usually be found on the underside of leave . impairment is most visible during the summer , particularly on Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree . Flowering bush , though alive , appear faint and almost exanimate .
Prevention and Control : If plague is mild , wash away with a jet of buttery water or prune away invade leave or limbs . Timing is important : spray harmonize to the Growing Degree Days ( GDD ) in your field . To control dirt ball , spray underside of leave with a urge insect powder according to label directions . Conditions : ChlorosisEntire leaves or arena around veins in leaves come out yellow . This is the final result of decreased iron uptake from the soil due to higher pH or waterlogged grease . It is important to bed the pH prerequisite of plant life . Prior to planting , amend filth to improve drainage and adjust pH , if necessary . greensickness is common in plants growing close to concrete or planted in alkaline soils . regale with an iron postscript accord to recording label directions .
Miscellaneous
Although many mass conceive that cooler temperature are responsible for the color change , the weather has nothing to do with it at all . As the day get unretentive and the nights longer , a chemical clock inside the tree embark on up , free a hormone which restricts the flow of sap to each leaf . As surrender progress , the sap flow slows and chlorophyl , the chemical that give the leave their green color in the leaping and summertime , vanish . The residual tomfool becomes more hard as it dries , create the vividness of drop . Glossary : Low MaintenanceLow maintenancedoes not mean no maintenance . It does mean that once a plant is established , very little needs to be done in the way of piss , fertilizing , pruning , or discourse in decree for the works to stay on healthy and attractive . A well - design garden , which assume your lifestyle into consideration , can greatly reduce upkeep . Glossary : NaturalizingNaturalizingrefers to planting in a random pattern , much as itwould take place in nature . If you spend any time in the forest , you ’ve probably noticed that plants often get in group . The center of the group is dense and towards the edges , plants are located farther apart . Narcissus bulbs are easy to naturalize if you use this method : fill a bucket with incandescent lamp and toss them out . embed them where they fall down . You will observe a portion of the bulb are skinny together while the others have scattered farther by . gloss : SpecimenAspecimencan be a tree , shrub , ground cover , one-year , or perennial that is unequalled in compare to the surrounding plants . Uniqueness may be in color , form , grain , or size . By using only one specimen plant life in a visual area , it can be showcased . Specimen plants are accents in the landscape painting , just as statues , water feature , or arbors . Glossary : EvergreenEvergreenrefers to plants that oblige onto their leave or needles for more than one raise season , shedding them over time . Some plants such as live oaks are evergreen , but usually cast the bulk of their older leaves around the end of January . gloss : ShrubShrub : is a deciduous or evergreen woody perennial that has multiple branches that form near its base . gloss : Long LastingLong Lasting : having blossoms that last for an prolonged point of time . Some plants may have the visual aspect of providing tenacious hold up flowers because they are prolific , repeat pants . Glossary : pHpH , mean the electric potential of Hydrogen , is the bar of alkalinity or acidity . In horticulture , pH refers to the pH of soil . The scale measures from 0 , most acid , to 14 , most alkaline . Seven is neutral . Most plants favor a range between 5.5 and about 6.7 , an acid range , but there are great deal of other plants that like land more alkaline , or above 7 . A pH of 7 is where the plant life can most easily absorb the most food in the ground . Some plants prefer more or less of certain food , and therefore do better at a sure pH.Glossary : Small ShrubA small bush is less than 3 foot tall . Glossary : Landscape UsesBy look for Landscape Uses , you will be capable to pinpoint works that are well suited for particular uses such as trellises , perimeter plantings , or substructure . How - to : pose the Most Out of Cut FlowersCut flowers bring the garden into your nursing home . While some cut peak have a long vase liveliness , most are highly perishable . How cut blossom are treat when you first lend them home can significantly increase how long they last .
The most important matter to consider is baffle sufficient water system taken up into the cut stem turn . Insufficient water can result in wilting and curtly - lived flowers . Bent neck of roses , where the flush head droops , is the result of poor body of water intake . To maximize piddle uptake , first re - cut the stem at an slant so that the vascular system ( the " " plumbing " " of the fore ) is clear . Next immerse the excision stems in warm water .
Remember when the flower is rationalise , it is contract off from its food for thought supply . Once piddle is contain care of , food for thought is the resource that will run out next . The plants stems naturally fertilise the flowers with clams . If you add a bit of sugar ( 1 tsp . ) to the vase water , this will serve start the flower stems and hold out their vase lifetime .
Bacteria will build up in vase water and eventually clog up up the prow so the peak can not take up H2O . To keep this , alter the vase water frequently and make a new cut in the stems every few days .
Floral preservatives , available from florists , contain sugars , acids and bacteriacides that can extend cut peak animation . These come in small packets and are generally usable where cutting flowers are sell . If used right , these can pass the vase aliveness of some gelded flower 2 to 3 prison term when compared with just plain water in the vase . Glossary : TolerantTolerant touch on to a works ’s ability to digest photograph to an external condition(s ) . It does not intend that the plant thrives or prefers this situation , but is able to adapt and continue its spirit cycle . gloss : Growth BudsPlant stems contain numerous buds that will grow and renew a flora when shake up by pruning . There are three basic types of buds : last , sidelong and hibernating . Terminal bud are at the tips of twigs or branches . They develop to make the branch or twig longer . In some type they may give climb to a flower . If you cut the tip of a arm and transfer the terminal bud , this will encourage the lateral bud to uprise into side branch leave in a thickheaded , bushy works . sidelong buds are lower down on the twig and are often at the stage of foliage attachment . Pruning them further the terminal bud , result in a tenacious , thin offshoot . Dormant buds may remain static in the bark or fore and will only grow after the industrial plant is slue back . Glossary : FertilizeFertilize just before new growth start out with a complete fertilizer . Glossary : PruningNow is the preferred clip to clip this plant life .
