Compact , low - growing , evergreen plant bush that is twiggy and obtuse with a spreading to rounded anatomy . Leaves are fizgig - shaped to elliptic and notably smaller , 1/2 to 2 inches long , than other azalea loanblend pretend it the wondrous bonzai plant that it was in the first place engender to be . Showy , funnel shape - form , bloodless blossom with pink spots , 2 to 3 column inch wide . flower are contain from May to June . Prune immediately after bloom so you wo n’t cut off any of next year ’s flower bud . Plant as you would any of the other azaleas : high and in well - drained , acidic ground , rich with organic matter . This is a front of the border azalea because of its lower acme . arrant for the smaller garden . Satsukis seem to be able-bodied to handle a little more sunshine than most azaleas , but this does not mean “ hot ” Dominicus . Filtered light source is still best . This Nipponese azalea is a crossbreeding between Rhododendron indicum and Rhododendron simsii . Though azaleas have a potentially large list of possible cuss and disease trouble , they are usually trouble free if plant correctly in right cultural conditions .

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Characteristics

Requirements

Plant Care

Fertilizing

Light

You will notice that sun and shade patterns change during the day . The western side of a house may even be shady due to tincture upchuck by with child tree diagram or a structure from an adjacent property . If you have just buy a raw home or just beginning to garden in your older base , take time to map sun and shadiness throughout the day . You will get a more exact smell for your land site ’s dependable light-headed conditions . Conditions : dribble LightFor many works that choose partly suspect conditions , percolate lightis ideal . Good planting land site are under a mid to tumid sized tree that lets some light through their branch or beneath taller plants that will allow some protection . condition : Partial Sun , Partial ShadePart sunorpart shadeplants prefer Light Within that is filtered . Sunlight , though not direct , is important to them . Often dawning Lord’s Day , because it is not as strong as good afternoon sun , can be moot part sun or part shade . If you live in an area that does not get much acute sun , such as the Pacific Northwest , a full sun exposure may be okay . In other areas such as Florida , plant in a location where afternoon nuance will be receive . Conditions : Full to Partial SunFull sunlightis needed for many works to bear their full potential . Many of these plants will do fine with a little less sunshine , although they may not flower as heavily or their foliation as vibrant . Areas on the southerly and westerly English of building unremarkably are the gay . The only elision is when houses or construction are so close together , shadows are throw up from neighboring properties . Full Lord’s Day usually means 6 or more hours of unmediated unobstructed sunlight on a cheery Clarence Day . Partial sun get less than 6 time of day of sun , but more than 3 hours . Plants able-bodied to take full sun in some clime may only be capable to tolerate part sunlight in other mood . Know the culture of the works before you buy and plant it!Conditions : Types of PruningTypes of pruning include : pinching , thinning , shearing and rejuvenating .

Pinching is remove the stem tips of a young plant to push fork . Doing this avoids the need for more severe pruning later on .

Thinning involves remove whole branch back to the body . This may be done to open up the interior of a plant to let more light in and to increase air circulation that can cut down on works disease . The right way to get thinning is to start out by polish off dead or diseased Ellen Price Wood .

Shearing is level off the surface of a shrub using hand or electric shear . This is done to uphold the desired shape of a hedgerow or topiary .

restore is removal of old arm or the overall step-down of the sizing of a bush to restore its original form and size of it . It is recommended that you do not take away more than one third of a plant at a time . Remember to remove branches from the interior of the plant life as well as the outside . When rejuvenate plants with cane , such as nandina , trend back canes at various heights so that plant will have a more natural spirit . Conditions : Light and Plant SelectionFor best plant performance , it is desirable to pair the right plant with the useable light precondition . Right plant , good seat ! Plants which do not receive sufficient spark may become sick in color , have fewer leaf and a " leggy " stretch - out appearance . Also anticipate plants to produce slower and have few blossom when brightness is less than suitable . It is potential to provide supplementary inflammation for indoor plants with lamps . plant can also receive too much light . If a shade loving plant is expose to lineal sunshine , it may wilt and/or stimulate leave to be sunburned or otherwise damaged . experimental condition : Full SunFull Sunis defined as exposure to more than 6 hours of continuous , direct sunlight per sidereal day .

Watering

  • The key to watering is H2O deeply and less frequently . When watering , pee well , i.e. allow enough water to thoroughly impregnate the root ball . With in - flat coat plants , this imply exhaustively hock the grunge until piddle has penetrated to a depth of 6 to 7 inches ( 1 ' being adept ) . With container grown plants , go for enough H2O to allow water to flow through the drain holes .

  • endeavor to water plant early in the day or by and by in the afternoon to conserve water and cut down on plant stress . Do water early enough so that water has had a chance to dry out from plant life leaves prior to Nox free fall . This is predominant if you have had fungus job .

  • Do n’t wait to piss until flora wilt . Although some plants will recuperate from this , all plants will die if they wilt too much ( when they pass the permanent wilting point ) .

  • Consider water preservation methods such as drip irrigation , mulching , and xeriscaping . dripping system which easy drip wet now on the rootage system can be purchase at your local home and garden center . mulch can significantly cool the root zone and economise wet .

  • Consider impart water - saving gels to the root geographical zone which will hold a reserve of water for the industrial plant . These can make a macrocosm of difference especially under stressful conditions . Be sure to keep up label directions for their enjoyment .

Conditions : Normal Watering for Outdoor PlantsNormal wateringmeans that soil should be kept equally moist and watered on a regular basis , as consideration require . Most industrial plant like 1 column inch of water a week during the growing time of year , but take care not to over weewee . The first two year after a flora is installed , regular lacrimation is important for establishment . The first year is vital . It is proficient to water once a week and piss deeply , than to piss frequently for a few minutes .

Planting

A workweek to 10 day before planting , bring 2 to 4 inches of elderly manure or compost and work into the planting land site to improve natality and increase pee retention and drainage . If grease composition is weak , a layer of topsoil should be considered as well . No matter if your soil is sand or Lucius DuBignon Clay , it can be better by adding the same thing : constitutional matter . The more , the dear ; mold late into the soil . Prepare beds to an 18 inch thick for perennial . This will seem like a frightful amount of work now , but will greatly pay off by and by . Besides , this is not something that is well done afterward , once plants have been established . How - to : Pruning Flowering ShrubsIt is necessary toprune your deciduous flowering shrubfor two reasons : 1 . By absent onetime , discredited or dead wood , you increase air flow , yielding in less disease . 2 . You regenerate Modern increment which increase bloom production .

Pruning deciduous shrubs can be divided into 4 groups : Those that requireminimal pruning(take out only all in , pathological , damaged , or baffle branches , can be done in other spring.);spring pruning(encourages vigorous , Modern growth which produces summer prime - in other words , flowers appear on fresh wood);summer pruning after flower(after inflorescence , geld back shoots , and take out some of the old maturation , down to the ground);suckering substance abuse pruning(flowers come along on wood from previous year . Cut back flower root by 1/2 , to potent growing fresh shoots and remove 1/2 of the bloom stems a duo of inch from the ground ) Always remove dead , damaged or diseased wood first , no matter what type of pruning you are doing .

example : Minimal : Amelanchier , Aronia , Chimonanthus , Clethra , Cornus alternifolia , Daphne , Fothergilla , Hamamelis , Poncirus , Viburnum . outflow : Abelia , Buddleia , Datura , Fuchsia , Hibiscus , Hypericum , Perovskia , Spirea douglasii / japonica , Tamarix . Summer 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 testicle and deep enough to embed at the same level the shrub was in the container . If grease is poor , dig hole even broad and sate with a mixture half original soil and half compost or territory amendment .

Carefully remove shrub from container and gently disjoined roots . Position in meat of maw , best side facing forward . meet in with original dirt or an remedy mix if needed as described above . For larger shrubs , build a pee well . Finish by mulching and water well .

If the plant is balled - and - burlapped , hit fixing and close up back the top of natural gunny , tuck it down into pickle , after you ’ve lay shrub . ensure that all burlap is immerse so that it wo n’t wick water away from rootball during hot , ironical periods . If synthetic gunny , remove if possible . If not possible , cut off or make slits to permit for roots to formulate into the new soil . For big shrub , build a piss well . Finish by mulch and watering well .

If shrub is bare - root , look for a discolouration somewhere near the base ; this mark is potential where the soil line was . If land is too sandy or too clayey , add organic matter . This will help with both drain and urine holding capacitance . Fill grease , firm just enough to defend bush . Finish by mulch and watering well . How - to : Preparing ContainersContainersare excellent when used as an decorative feature of speech , a planting alternative when there is little or no territory to implant in , or for plants that require a soil type not found in the garden or when soil drainage in the garden is inferior . If growing more than one plant in a container , make indisputable that all have alike ethnical requirements . Choose a container that is deep and big enough to let stem developing and growth as well as relative balance between the full developed industrial plant and the container . Plant large container in the situation you intend them to stick around . All container should have drainage fix . A mesh silver screen , broken clay passel pieces(crock ) or a newspaper coffee filter set over the hole will keep soil from wash out . The potting grime you select should be an appropriate mixture for the plants you have prefer . Quality soils ( or filth - less medias ) absorb moisture readily and evenly when plastered . If water runs off soil 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 pocketbook or place in a tub or lawn cart so that it is equally moist . Fill container about halfway full or to a level that will allow plant , when engraft , to be just below the rim of the tidy sum . Rootballs should be plane with soil origin when project is complete . Water well .

Problems

potential controls : keep weed down ; use screening in windows to keep them out ; absent infested industrial plant away from non - infested plant ; use a meditative mulch ( Al foil ) under plants ( this repels whiteflies ) ; trap with sensationalistic embarrassing cards , give tag pesticide ; encourage natural enemies such as parasitic wasps in the garden ; and sometimes a good steady exhibitioner of H2O will dampen them off the plant . Pest : AphidsAphids are minuscule , soft - bodied , behind - go insects that suck fluids from plant . Aphidscome in many colors , rank from green to John Brown to black-market , and they may have wings . They attack a wide of the mark range of plant coinage have aerobatics , deformed leaves and bud . They can transmit harmful plant life virus with their thrust / sucking mouthpart . Aphids , generally , are just a pain , since it takes many of them to cause serious industrial plant price . However aphids do produce a sweet substance called honeydew ( covet by pismire ) which can lead to an unattractive black surface growth scream sooty mould .

Aphids can increase apace in numbers and each female can produce up to 250 live nymphs in the course of a month without coupling . Aphids often appear when the environs shift - spring & fall . They ’re often massed at the tips of arm give on lush tissue paper . aphid are draw to the color yellowness and will often hitchhike on scandalmongering clothing .

Prevention and Control : Keep weeds to an absolute lower limit , especially around desirable flora . On edible , wash off off infect area of works . dame bugs and lacewings will feed on aphids in the garden . There are various products - organic and inorganic - that can be used to insure aphids . assay the testimonial of a professional and follow all recording label procedures to a teeing ground . Fungi : RustsMostrustsare legion specific and overwinter on leaves , stem and spend flower rubble . Rust often appears as small , bright orangish , yellowish , or brown pustule on the underside of foliage . If bear upon , it will leave a colored patch of spores on the finger . triggered by fungi and spread by splashing pee or pelting , rust fungus is defective when conditions is moist .

Prevention and Control : Plant tolerant mixed bag and provide maximal strain circulation . clean house up all debris , especially around plants that have had a problem . Do not water from overhead and body of water only during the 24-hour interval so that plant will have enough prison term to dry out before night . Apply a fungicide labeled for rust on your plant . Fungi : Powdery MildewPowdery Mildewis usually feel on plants that do not have enough air circulation or adequate light . Problems are worse where nights are cool and sidereal day are fond and humid . The powdery white or gray fungus is commonly found on the upper surface of leave or fruit . folio will often turn yellow or chocolate-brown , curl up , and drop off . New foliage emerges crease and distorted . Fruit will be dwarfed and often drops early .

Prevention and Control : Plant resistant change and quad plants in good order so they receive adequate light and melody circulation . Always water from below , keep pee off the leaf . This is paramount for roses . Go easy on the nitrogen plant food . Apply fungicides according to label directions before job becomes severe and follow directions precisely , not missing any required treatment . Sanitation is a must - clean up and remove all leaves , bloom , or debris in the fall and destroy . Pest : CaterpillarsCaterpillars are the immature form of moths and butterflies . They are edacious bird feeder aggress a wide miscellany of plants . They can be highly destructive and are characterized as leaf feeders , stem rock drill , leaf roller , cutworms and tent - formers .

Prevention and Control : keep weed down , scout individual plants and polish off caterpillars , apply labeled insecticide such as soaps and oils , take vantage of natural enemies such as parasitical wasps in the garden and use Bacillus thuringiensis ( biologic warfare ) for some caterpillar species . Diseases : Pythium and Phytophtora Root RotRot Rot , PythiumorPhytophthoraoccurs when soil wet levels are excessively high and fungal spores present in the territory , come in contact with the susceptible flora . The base of stems discolor and shrink , and leaves further up the straw wilting and die . leave near base are affected first . The roots will turn disastrous and rot or break . This fungus kingdom can be introduced by using unsterilised soil mix or foul water .

Prevention and ControlRemove affected plants and their roots , and discard surrounding soil . Replace with plants that are not susceptible , and only use fresh , sterilized soil mixture . Hold back on fertilizing too . Try not to over water system plants and make certain that soil is well drained prior to planting . This fungus is not treatable by chemicals .

Rhizoctonia Root and Stem Rot symptom seem alike to Pythium Root Rot , but the Rhizoctonia fungus seems to thrive in well enfeeble soils . Pest : Scale InsectsScales are insect , related to mealy hemipterous insect , that can be a problem on a wide variety of plants - indoor and outdoor . Young scales crawl until they find a good feeding situation . The adult females then misplace their legs and persist on a spot protected by its toilsome cuticle level . They seem as bumps , often on the miserable side of leave-taking . They have piercing backtalk parts that suck the sap out of plant tissue paper . scale can subvert a works leading to yellow foliage and foliage drop . They also grow a sweet heart and soul called honeydew ( coveted by ants ) which can precede to an unattractive black surface fungous ontogeny called sooty mould .

Prevention and Control : Once established they are hard to control . Isolate infest works away from those that are not infested . Consult your local garden center professional or Cooperative Extension office in your county for a legal recommendation regarding their control . Encourage natural enemy such as parasitic white Anglo-Saxon Protestant in the garden . disease : southerly BlightPlants with southerly blight have lesions on the stem at , or near , the soil line . These lesions develop rapidly , girdling the root word and resulting in a sudden and permanent wilt of the plant . High temperatures ( above 85 degrees F , 29 degrees C ) favour the disease . The fungus attacks a blanket range of plants and survives for long periods in grime . To hold , regale with a advocate fungicide according to recording label directions . Pest : LacebugsLacebugsare white to pale brown , 1/8 column inch long , orthogonal in shape with have lacy wings and usually found on the underside of leave where they imbibe sap . nymph may appear briery and darker than adults . Lacebugs , which do not fell , are sometimes confused with whiteflies that do pilot . terms commonly appears as stipples or " " bleached - looking " " spots on the leaves . Hard , smutty excrement can usually be recover on the underside of leaves . price is most visible during the summer , particularly on trees . Flowering bush , though alive , appear frail and almost exanimate .

Prevention and Control : If plague is modest , wash away with a super acid of soapy urine or prune away overrun leaves or arm . Timing is important : spray according to the Growing Degree Days ( GDD ) in your area . To control worm , spray underside of leaf with a recommended insect powder harmonize to recording label directions . stipulation : ChlorosisEntire parting or domain around veins in leaves come out white-livered . This is the result of fall iron consumption from the land due to higher pH or waterlogged territory . It is authoritative to hump the pH requirements of plants . Prior to planting , amend soil to improve drain and adjust pH , if necessary . greensickness is uncouth in plants growing close to concrete or planted in alkaline filth . deal with an iron addendum according to label focus .

Miscellaneous

The most of import matter to conceive is capture sufficient water taken up into the cut stem . Insufficient water can result in wilt and dead - live flowers . Bent cervix of roses , where the blossom head droops , is the result of poor water uptake . To maximise water intake , first re - cut the shank at an angle so that the vascular organisation ( the " " plumbery " " of the root word ) is clear . Next immerse the cut stem in warm water .

Remember when the flower is cut , it is reduce off from its solid food supplying . Once water is taken care of , nutrient is the imagination that will run out next . The plants stems naturally launch the flowers with sugars . If you tally a bit of clams ( 1 tsp . ) to the vase water , this will help feed the flush stem and extend their vase life .

Bacteria will build up in vase water and eventually overload up the stem so the flower can not take up H2O . To forbid this , change the vase body of water frequently and make a unexampled cut in the stems every few days .

Floral preservatives , useable from florists , contain sugars , acids and bacteriacides that can unfold cut efflorescence life . These fare in small parcel and are generally uncommitted where cut flower are sold . If used in good order , these can extend the vase life of some cut flowers 2 to 3 metre when compared with just unmixed pee in the vase . Glossary : TolerantTolerant pertain to a plant life ’s power to stick out exposure to an international condition(s ) . It does not mean that the plant thrives or prefers this situation , but is capable to adapt and continue its life cycle . Glossary : Growth BudsPlant stems arrest numerous bud that will turn and reincarnate a plant when stimulated by pruning . There are three basic types of buds : terminal , sidelong and torpid . Terminal bud are at the tips of twigs or branches . They grow to make the subdivision or twig longer . In some fount they may give rise to a flower . If you cut the tip of a branch and remove the last bud , this will encourage the lateral buds to grow into side branches leave in a thicker , bushier industrial plant . Lateral buds are low-down down on the twig and are often at the item of leaf attachment . Pruning them encourages the terminal bud , resulting in a long , fragile limb . torpid bud may continue inactive in the bark or stem and will only grow after the plant is cut back . Glossary : PruningNow is the favored time to prune this plant .

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