tomc
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 2661
Joined: Sun Apr 10, 2011 2:52 am
Location: SE-OH USA Zone 6-A

Azalea

I guess I'm settled in here. I have been shopping for the Daughter's campground and her mothers hippy-homeland. Mostly standard sized trees. Till this winter, I splurged on some azalea from Mussers.

I haven't done this since '96 or so. They are reasonably cold hardy (they survived NH winters). For the next several years most of their care will be to prune out the longest and strongest branches in the fall. Those can go into terrariums to propagate. I may or may not add other bloom colors if I have the stamina.

Mussers sells a little tiny rooted cutting. And seeing as I want (some) of them to be bonsai candidates, their diminutive size is an asset not a burden. if you prune back leaving only the branches that have the shortest internode length. Over the long haul you get a better proportioned tree. The bulky-hulky-lurch sized trees can go to feild as standard bushes.

And my hoarding gland will calm down after a few years.

Next I gotta get some sassafras seed...

tomc
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 2661
Joined: Sun Apr 10, 2011 2:52 am
Location: SE-OH USA Zone 6-A

Another for my bucket list is rhododendron fastigiatum, I had one years back. it is ankles and knees better than other azalea. Oh well, someday.



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