Detailed Explanation of the Key Techniques for Pruning and Shaping Azalea Bonsai
Azaleas have strong sprouting and regenerative ability. Every 1-2 years after the flowers fade, they should be repotted into a pot slightly larger than the original one, along with fresh potting soil. Experienced growers often combine repotting with pruning and shaping, deliberately training an attractive tree form.
When pruning, you should cut away overly dense branches, crossing branches, weak and slender branches, drooping branches, leggy branches and diseased or pest-infested branches. This is not only for the sake of an attractive tree shape, but even more to improve ventilation and light penetration, conserve nutrients, and encourage the main branches to grow strong so that new shoots emerge as quickly as possible, enabling the plant to achieve abundant flowers, large flowers and vivid colors when it blooms the following year.
After the azalea blooms, its spent flowers often remain on the plant for a long time, which consumes a considerable amount of nutrients. To avoid wasting nutrients unnecessarily, the spent flowers should be removed promptly so that nutrients can be directed to the needs of emerging new shoots. In addition, the shorter-growing Satsuki azalea produces many horizontal branches, and every spring many small shoots sprout from the branches and trunk near the base. To concentrate nutrients in the main branches and flowers and let the plant grow faster and larger, these small shoots should also be pruned away promptly. If there are too many flower buds, then apart from keeping 1 bud per branch, the remaining flower buds should also be removed.
As for which tree shape is best to prune into, this can be decided according to your own preference. There are umbrella-shaped, round, semicircular, pagoda-shaped, square and other forms, any of which can be chosen freely, and then you can deliberately prune to that shape.
After azaleas sprout each spring, pruning and shaping should be carried out in combination with repotting. Cut away overly dense branches, leggy branches, diseased and dead branches, and so on, so that the main branches grow strong and send out new shoots. In October, if the branches are still too dense, prune once more.
After azaleas bloom, the flowers do not fall off easily and should be picked off promptly to avoid consuming nutrients. Azaleas grow flower buds at the tips of the branches. Only 1 larger flower bud needs to be kept per branch, and the rest should all be removed. Each flower bud can produce 2-3 flowers; when the bud sheds its brown outer shell, only 1 flower needs to be kept, and the rest should also be removed. Pruning in this way makes the flowers more attractive and does not consume too many nutrients, which benefits the plant's future growth.