Detailed Guide to Making Azalea Bonsai and Shaping Techniques

The azalea belongs to the genus Rhododendron in the family Ericaceae, a deciduous or semi-evergreen shrub with many slender branches, densely covered with yellowish-brown appressed stiff hairs; leaves are simple and alternate, often clustered at the branch tips, ovate-elliptic or obovate, with stiff hairs on both surfaces, bearing rose-red flowers from March to May, with funnel-shaped corollas, 2 to 6 clustered at the branch tips; at peak bloom, the whole tree is covered in red flowers, brilliant as brocade, making it an excellent bonsai flowering plant.

Common Species of Azalea

1. Rhododendron molle, also known as naoyanghua or yellow azalea, is a deciduous shrub. The leaves are long-elliptic, densely covered with soft hairs; it blooms from April to May, with golden-yellow, bell-shaped or funnel-shaped flowers, very beautiful.

2. Rhododendron mucronatum, a semi-evergreen shrub. The branches are relatively stout, and the leaves are lanceolate; the flowers are white, 3 to 4 clustered at the branch tips, double-petaled, large in size, with vigorous growth.

3. Rhododendron mariesii, a deciduous shrub. The leaves are ovate, often 2 to 3 clustered at the branch tips; the flowers are usually paired and terminal, opening before the leaves, with funnel-shaped corollas, rose-red. It is found south of the Yangtze River basin and in Taiwan, China and other places.

4. Rhododendron obtusum, also known as zhusha azalea, an evergreen shrub. Sometimes prostrate, with many dense branches; the leaves are elliptic or obovate, glossy on the surface; the flowers are 2 to 3 terminal, funnel-shaped, deep orange-red.

5. Rhododendron ovatum, an evergreen shrub. The leaves are ovate or elliptic-ovate, dark green and glossy on the surface; the flowers are solitary, purple-white with pink spots, with funnel-shaped corollas deeply cleft nearly to the base.

6. Rhododendron latoucheae, an evergreen shrub. Usually 3 branches whorled, with leaves clustered at the branch tips, leathery, ovate-elliptic, glossy on the surface; the flowers are solitary in the leaf axils, often clustered at the branch tips, pink; both flower buds and leaf buds are purplish-red.

7. Rhododendron fortunei, also known as Tianmu azalea, an evergreen shrub. The branches are stout and smooth; the leaves are long-elliptic, leathery, bright green and glossy on the surface; the flowers are large and fragrant, rose-red, borne in terminal umbellate racemes, 6 to 12 flowers. It is found in Anhui, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Hunan and other provinces.

8. White azalea, a deciduous shrub. The branches are dense, the leaves are ovate-elliptic, densely covered with stiff hairs on the underside, dark green on the surface; the flowers are white or slightly tinged with pale red.

Growing Environment of Azaleas

Azaleas are widely distributed across the provinces of the Yangtze River basin and the Pearl River basin, extending west to Yunnan and Guizhou, and are the most common tree species on acidic mountain soils.

Azaleas like light and prefer a cool and moist climate, requiring acidic soil with a pH of 4 to 5; neither calcareous soil nor clayey soil is suitable for growth. They fear scorching sun exposure and cannot tolerate waterlogging, but attention must be paid to drought prevention and moisture retention.

Propagation Methods of Azaleas

Azaleas can be propagated by sowing, cuttings, grafting, division and other methods. Generally, cuttings are the main method, as the procedure is simple and flowering is also fast. The best time for cuttings is during the plum rain season. Use current-year branches as cuttings; after new buds form, cut them off at the base for rooting, which gives the highest survival rate. If older branches from the previous year are used as cuttings, rooting is more difficult. For azalea cuttings, the seedbed soil should be acidic mountain soil or sun-dried, weathered pond mud or leaf mold; cutting in mountain soil placed in a wooden frame is also acceptable.

For precious azalea varieties, to ensure survival, the cut end can be wrapped in moss to form a ball shape, then inserted into the soil to a depth of about 3 to 4 cm, which makes rooting easy. After insertion, a shade frame should be built, and water should be sprayed several times a day to keep the seedbed moist. After about 2 to 3 weeks, the cut end will gradually heal and root; once the cuttings have rooted, the light exposure can be increased. After about 2 months, diluted cake fertilizer water can be applied to promote growth. In the spring of the following year, they can be potted.

For propagation by sowing, seeds can be sown in wooden frames or clay pots. The bottom of the pot should be lined with vermiculite or leaves to facilitate drainage. Place mountain soil or leaf mold mixed with an appropriate amount of sandy soil in the pot, level with the pot rim (slightly below the pot rim), then sift a layer of fine soil over it, sow the seeds on top without covering with soil, and cover with glass, preferably lined with newspaper, to maintain moisture. After about 3 to 4 weeks, they will germinate and emerge. At this point, remove the glass cover to receive light, and spray water appropriately. When the seedlings have 3 to 4 leaves, transplant them separately.

Making Azalea Bonsai

1. Pot selection: Azaleas generally use slightly deep oval, rectangular or round pots, and the material can be purple clay pottery or glazed pottery. The color of the pot should be somewhat dark, forming a contrast with the flower color, and it is best not to have floral decorations on the pot. For cascade-style azaleas, a deep cylindrical pot can be used; for exposed-root-style azaleas, a slightly shallow oval pot can be used.

2. Soil: Azaleas are suitable for fertile and loose leaf mold or mountain soil from pine forests. For pot cultivation, sun-dried, frost-loosened pond mud or paddy field soil mixed with an appropriate amount of sandy soil is also commonly used.

3. Planting: Potting can be done in early spring, or after the flowers fall. If digging up wild tree stumps from the mountains, because the roots have mycorrhizae, they need to be planted with the original soil. When planting, the taproot can be shortened, and chicken manure or soybean cake can be placed at the bottom of the pot as base fertilizer. The branches and leaves should also be pruned as appropriate.

Shaping Azalea Bonsai

1. Processing: After azalea seedlings are potted, processing can generally begin in 3 to 4 years. Azalea branches are relatively brittle, so excessive wiring is not suitable; only the trunk and main branches should be given appropriate shaping, and coir rope binding is better. Other branches should be shaped by pruning. When pruning, attention must be paid to balancing strong and weak branches: strong branches should be heavily pruned, weak branches lightly pruned. Binding is generally carried out in spring, when the branches and trunk are looser and softer during the growing season, making binding easier.

2. Tree forms: Common tree forms of azaleas include the straight-trunk type, curved-trunk type and slanting-trunk type, and they can also be shaped into exposed-root style, cascade style, rock-clinging style, connected-root style and so on. Through artistic shaping, a beautiful bonsai is achieved that combines all four qualities: viewing the flowers, appreciating the trunk, examining the roots and evaluating the form.

How to Grow Bonsai Azaleas: Care Techniques for Bonsai Azaleas

In China, azaleas are generally called yingshanhong, shanshiliu, manshanhong and so on. Their flower colors are gorgeous and beautiful, and even the leaves are very attractive, so they are often grown as bonsai for ornamental purposes. So how do you grow bonsai azaleas? Let us take a look together below at the cultivation methods and care techniques for bonsai azaleas.

How to Grow Bonsai Azaleas

Azaleas are bright and eye-catching, delicate and rich, and are a rare flowering plant to cultivate. Growing azaleas is not difficult; just like growing ordinary flowers, the main methods for growing azaleas involve doing a good job of selecting good potting soil, watering in a timely manner, paying attention to light, fertilizing reasonably and eliminating pests in time, so that you can grow azaleas with sturdy branches and abundant blooms.

1. Transplanting

To make bonsai from old azalea stumps that have grown for many years and have ancient, elegant and unusual roots and trunks, they are mostly dug up and transplanted in late autumn and early winter or in spring before the flowers fade. When transplanting, bring along plenty of original soil, and properly prune the trunk and main roots. First plant them in clay pots or in the ground to grow the stock. The soil should be well-drained sandy soil. For stumps dug in late autumn and early winter, after planting, bury them entirely with sandy soil, leaving only a small amount of branches and trunk exposed, water thoroughly, then cover with a plastic bag to keep warm and moist. After planting, keep the soil moist but not waterlogged. After the azalea has stabilized and sprouted, gradually remove the sandy soil from the trunk area. During the stock-growing process, frequently spray water on the leaves and trunk to increase air humidity, but the roots should not be too wet, and waterlogging must especially be avoided, otherwise root rot will occur. In summer, pay attention to shading to prevent scorching sun exposure.

2. Pot Selection

For azalea bonsai, only dry pots (with a drainage hole at the bottom that does not retain water) can be chosen, not water pots. There is no restriction on pot shape: square, round, oval, rectangular, hexagonal and octagonal are all acceptable, and they should be artistic and varied. The color of the pot should be beautiful and harmonious. Except for cascade-style shaping, tall barrel pots are generally not suitable; shallower is better, but they should be deeper than water pots. The height of the pot is generally about 10—15 cm, limited to being able to bury the shallow roots of the azalea. There is no restriction on the material of the pot; antique Nanni pots, elegant ceramic pots, and glossy glazed and porcelain pots are all acceptable.

3. Watering

Azaleas like moisture, and the potting soil should often be kept moist, but not excessively wet. Water demand is somewhat greater during the flowering period. In summer, more attention should be paid to spraying water, spraying the branches and leaves in the morning and evening while also watering the potting soil. In autumn, the amount of watering must be reduced as appropriate to prevent the growth of autumn shoots, which would affect the formation of flower buds the following year.

4. Fertilizing

Azaleas like fertilizer, but their roots are extremely fine, so fertilizing must never be concentrated; too much or too concentrated fertilizer will cause wilting. It is best to adopt "light fertilizer applied frequently," fertilizing at the right time and in the right amount, so that the azaleas can be large and beautiful, with sturdy plants and strong disease resistance. During the growing season, except for the plum rain season, a light fertilizer can be applied every 2 weeks. Fertilizers can include decomposed soybean cake, rapeseed cake, fishy water, bone meal, chicken manure and so on. Decomposed and sun-dried chicken manure rubbed into powder and scattered on the potting soil allows nutrients to seep down with watering, with very good results. If leaf tips are found to be scorched, it is mostly caused by excessive fertilizer; fertilizer should be removed and the soil changed immediately, and flushed with plenty of water several times to reduce the fertilizer amount. No fertilizing is needed after autumn.

5. Pruning

Generally, pot-grown azaleas are mainly for flower viewing, without much attention to shaping, and are allowed to grow naturally, so the branches are numerous and messy, which not only hinders growth but also affects flower quality. To maintain a beautiful tree form, necessary pruning should be carried out according to shaping requirements, improving ventilation and light conditions, which can promote growth and improve flowering quality. After azaleas bloom each year, it is best to remove all the flower bases to reduce nutrient consumption. Branch pruning is carried out during the dormant period, cutting off crossing branches, upright branches, inverted branches, inward-growing branches, opposite branches and so on, to adjust the branch spread and display a beautiful tree form.

6. Repotting

Azaleas should be repotted once every 2 to 3 years, preferably after flowering, though repotting in early spring or late autumn is also acceptable. When repotting, remove the old soil, cut off a small amount of old roots, and replace with loose leaf mold or mountain soil. Place a small amount of chicken manure and soybean cake at the bottom of the pot as base fertilizer. Since most of the azalea's root system is distributed in the surface layer of the soil, the topsoil layer should be retained when repotting.

7. Pest and Disease Control

The main insect pests of azaleas include the large bagworm moth, lace bugs and azalea sawflies damaging the leaves. These can be controlled by spraying with 1200-times diluted trichlorfon solution, or by removing egg masses and larvae on the young leaves. Common diseases include leaf spot and rust, which can be controlled with zineb or Bordeaux mixture.

Care Techniques for Bonsai Azaleas

Azalea, also known as shanzhizhu, shanshiliu, yingshanhong, zhaoshanhong, Tang azalea and so on, is an evergreen or semi-evergreen shrub. Legend has it that in ancient times there was an azalea bird that cried day and night until it coughed blood, dyeing the flowers all over the mountains red, hence the name. Azaleas generally bloom in spring, with 2-6 flowers per cluster, funnel-shaped corollas, in red, pale red, apricot red, snow blue, white and other colors, with luxuriant and gorgeous flower colors. Making bonsai from azaleas has the characteristics of vigorous and antique roots and trunks, small and dense leaves, emerald-green leaf color, tolerance to pruning and a great variety of flower colors.

Technique One: Before the bonsai azalea's form is finalized, the care and management mainly involve continuously improving the shaping, adjusting the molding and layout of the trunk and branch pads, and promoting an overall image tending toward perfection. At the same time, always pay attention to whether the wrapped wire is embedding into the bark of the trunk, and loosen it in time. For those whose posture is basically fixed, the wire can be removed; for those slightly out of place, after removing the wire, use coir rope to pull them into position. Because azaleas have strong sprouting ability, pruning can be on the heavy side, especially shaping and structural pruning, which should be done boldly.

Technique Two: After the form is finalized, the main task is maintaining the tree shape. Bud stripping and flower bud removal should be done frequently. Azalea branches that disturb the tree shape should all be cut off to keep the layers clear. The retained azalea branches and leaves should be regulated in growth through pinching, pruning, and controlling water and fertilizer; they must not be allowed to grow too vigorously, lest they become bloated and lose their form. Azalea bonsai also has requirements for flower viewing, so attention should be paid to even distribution of flowers and consistent flowering periods. Only in this way can a perfect image with extremely high commercial value be achieved.

Technique Three: Azaleas like a warm, humid, semi-shaded environment and require good ventilation. Normally they can be placed in a bright location for care. In the high-temperature seasons of summer and early autumn, shading should be carried out to avoid scorching sun exposure, otherwise strong light will scorch the azalea leaves; but they must not be too shaded either, lest the azaleas grow leggy and flowering be affected. They can be placed under a shade awning or under tree shade for care.

Technique Four: During the growing season, keep the soil moist, but do not let it become waterlogged. Pay attention to drainage during the rainy season. When the air is dry, sprinkle water on the azaleas and the surrounding ground to increase air humidity and prevent the azalea leaves from drying out. A layer of soft grass can also be spread on the surface of the potting soil to prevent the scorching sun from burning the fine fibrous roots on the surface.

Technique Five: Apply a decomposed, diluted liquid fertilizer once every 15 days or so. To prevent chlorosis, add a small amount of black alum to the fertilizer liquid, so that the azalea leaves become dark green and glossy. During the bud stage, apply 1 to 2 additional phosphorus fertilizers such as bone meal or superphosphate, which can promote larger flowers and more vivid colors.

Technique Six: In winter, move the azaleas indoors to a place with plenty of sunlight, keep the soil above 0°C so it does not freeze, and control watering so that the potting soil is only slightly moist. Prune once every year after flowering, cutting off diseased and pest-damaged branches, dead branches, crossing branches, overlapping branches, thin and weak branches and leggy branches. Overly long azalea branches should also be appropriately shortened, so that the azalea plant shape is beautiful, the branches are reasonably distributed, and the growth of the inner canopy is strengthened. Repot once every 2 years or so in spring or late autumn. The potting soil should be a slightly acidic sandy soil rich in humus, fertile and loose.

Technique Seven: During the growing season, if some azalea branches break, apply yellow mud to the wound, wrap it with plastic film, and it will heal and recover quickly. Old azalea stumps, however, rely on pruning to take shape, but some azalea branches can also be appropriately wired. To improve ornamental value, old Rhododendron mucronatum stumps that have grown for many years, with thicker branches and trunks and beautiful forms, can be used as rootstock, with high-quality azalea varieties as scions, grafted by approach grafting or cleft grafting. Depending on the condition of the tree stump, part of the soil can also be gradually removed to raise the roots above the soil surface, making the roots exposed and the claws visible, antique and vigorous.

Conclusion: The above are the cultivation methods and care techniques for bonsai azaleas that the editor has shared with everyone.

Lingnan Bonsai - Ru Azalea

    Bonsai is a treasured garden art form with a long history in China, and Lingnan bonsai is one of the five major schools of Chinese bonsai art (the Su school, Yang school, Chuan school, Hui school and Lingnan school). Lingnan bonsai originated in the Ming and Qing dynasties, but its distinctive style was formed after the founding of the People's Republic of China. The area for cultivating bonsai is centered on Guangzhou and extends throughout the Pearl River Delta and the central and southern regions of Guangxi. Guangzhou bonsai is an important part of Lingnan bonsai. Lingnan people, especially Guangzhou people, are passionate about bonsai, and cultivating bonsai has become part of people's lives. Many families grow and display bonsai on rooftops, balconies, living rooms and studies to beautify the environment and enrich life, pleasing the eyes and soothing the mind, while also cultivating temperament and bringing endless joy.

    In creating Lingnan bonsai, local materials are mostly used, selecting subtropical and tropical evergreen fine-leaved tree species, generally based on tree stumps that Guangzhou people call "shuzaitou." There are more than 30 varieties, such as orange jasmine (Murraya paniculata), banyan, Fukien tea, Chinese swamp cypress, dragon juniper, elm, snowbush, boxwood, Buddhist pine, azalea, Chinese plum yew, mountain orange, acacia and so on. The compositional forms of Lingnan bonsai include the single-trunk large-tree type, or the double-trunk style, cascade style, water-reflection style, one-head-multiple-trunk style, rock-clinging style and combined style. Besides tree-stump bonsai, there is also rock-mountain bonsai. The materials for rock-mountain bonsai are Ying stone, calcite, coral stone, sand-accumulation stone and so on. Among these, Ying stone is a specialty of Yingde, Guangdong, with the characteristics of being wrinkled, lean and perforated, so it is often chosen for making rock-mountain bonsai. In recent years, Guangzhou bonsai artists have also developed the majestic and luxuriant large-tree form, the tall and graceful upright form, the layered emerald form like dripping jade, and the naturally wild form.

    In the making, display and appreciation of Lingnan bonsai, there is a saying of "one scenery, two pots, three stands," meaning that besides the scenery, the selection of pots and stands is also very important. Lingnan bonsai mostly uses Shiwan colored pottery pots, including round dishes, square pots, polygonal pots, oval pots, rectangular pots, tall pots and so on, emphasizing water absorption and breathability, harmonious color, moderate size, and antique elegance. The stands include floor-standing and table-stand types, mostly made of relatively precious woods such as rosewood, making them coordinated and harmonious, enhancing each other's charm. Speaking of Lingnan bonsai, we should introduce to everyone the three characteristics, three styles and three masterpieces of Lingnan bonsai.

    The Lingnan school of bonsai has three characteristics different from other schools. First, the creative technique is unique, learning from nature, highlighting branch and trunk skills; the shaping or compositional layout comes from nature yet is higher than nature, striving for an organic combination of natural beauty and artificial beauty, so Lingnan bonsai is praised as "living Chinese painting." Second, it emphasizes the shaping and selection of scenery and pot, striving for harmony and coordination between pot and scenery. Third, it makes good use of pruning without revealing traces of cutting. This technique is the greatest characteristic of Lingnan bonsai, so people generally believe that Lingnan bonsai is purely cut and trimmed with knives and scissors. By pruning branches and cutting leaves, the plants are allowed to grow and develop according to human will. As time passes, the traces of artificial pruning gradually disappear, and the various forms become as if naturally formed, with superb workmanship.