Species · Flowering trees like quince and crab apple
Satsuki azalea
Rhododendron indicum · also Satsuki
Satsuki azalea is bred specifically for bonsai flower display — hundreds of named cultivars, many capable of showing more than one flower colour on the same plant — and Japanese collections built around it exist for exactly that reason. It needs acidic, well-draining soil and is pruned hard immediately after flowering, never before.
Care at a glance
- Watering
- Keep constantly moist; azalea roots never forgive drying out. Roughly every 1 days in spring, 1 in summer, 2 in autumn and 4 in winter.
- Light
- Light shade to full morning sun.
- Winter
- Hardy once established; young grafts want shelter below this. Protect it when the forecast drops below -6 °C.
- Feeding
- Every 21 days, May to Sep, paused in the hottest weeks.
- Repotting
- Every 2 to 3 years, right after flowering, in June, in Jun.
- Growth
- Moderate growth. Hardy in zones 7 to 10.
The work calendar
| Work | JJan | FFeb | MMar | AApr | MMay | JJun | JJul | AAug | SSep | OOct | NNov | DDec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prune | Jun | Jul | ||||||||||
| Wire | Jan | Feb | Oct | Nov | Dec | |||||||
| Pinch | May | Jun |