Dying azalea... HELP!!!

[ivaleria]

Hi. This is my first bonzai, a birthday present from my oldest son...
My azalea and I live in Vermont, and it was OK inside, during the winter. I took it out when the weather warmed up around mid May, but brought her in again for some days. That's when it started to dry. Picture attached... is it dead? Is there any product I can get to help it recover?
Big thanks!
(alt+p)

[vintagejuls]

Cannot really tell from this picture but it doesn't look too good.

[ivaleria]

Thanks for replying! Here goes a better (hopefully) pic...
It is very dry, and has too many twigs. Any recommendations?
Thank you again

(alt+p)[/img]

[JTred]

The most common way to test if a plant is still alive inside is to scratch the bark with your fingernail. If there is green underneath, then it has a chance, if not, it's not likely that it will recover. I'm not very familiar with azaleas, but my guess is that the dry air from inside during the winter is what did it in. Most temperate trees and plants need a dormancy period, signaled by cold weather. You'd have to look into it more, but I'd be willing to bet an azalea will survive a winter in your area if it was insulated by snow or mulch, if not the next best thing is an unheated garage. I'd say water it like you have been and keep an eye on it, you never know, maybe by a stroke of luck it will recover. In the meantime maybe look into getting another one or a different species. If you want an indoor bonsai ficuses are pretty forgiving, and they can be kept inside during the winter.

[ivaleria]

It´s dead then... But it was inside during the winter (in vermont nothing survives outside), and it made it through the spring, and just when the weather was warm enough up here to call it "summer" it started dying!
Thank you anyways... I will think again about having another bonsai because at this point it just feels as if I had killed it

[vintagejuls]

Given your new pic postings and the fact it has some green leaves, I'm not so sure it's 100% dead...

And, I only know of Bonsai through seeing it but as I thought it's not a type of plant but the method of which it is grown. According to Wikipedia: is the art of aesthetic miniaturization of trees, or of developing woody or semi-woody plants shaped as trees, by growing them in containers. Cultivation includes techniques for shaping, watering, and repotting in various styles of containers. I hold those who grow plants in this method in high regard as it is a form of art.

That being said, woody plants can sometimes recover if given the right circumstances and ALOT of time. If the plant was in fact an Azalea, it could recover. Azaleas are a flowering plant; periennal I believe. They are seen quite often here in SoCal in filtered sun areas of landscapes.

So if you want to keep it, trim all the long twig branches down until you see green (if you do which I think you will); get a pot of the same size but with drainage. Repot into new pot with a rich potting soil; place in a location outside which receives filtered sun (maybe under another potted plant or the shade of a tree), water weekly, feed monthly and see what happens. You have nothing to lose at this point.

[moulman]

Plants need to have gradual changes in their invironment.

If your azelia has been inside, it was not used to the sun. There is a vast difference between the intensity of indoor light (no matter how bright) and direct outdoor sunlight.
You must very gradually introduce a plant used to the indoors, to the sun. It should take a week or two of gradually increasing exposure before it can tolerate direct sun all day.

If you took this plant directly from the indoors, and placed it in direct sun and left it there, that's what killed it.

[JTred]

Don't feel bad about your bonsai dying. It's something that happens to just about everyone. If you do decide to get another, I suggest either getting a tropical, indoor bonsai, or something that can survive your winters. If you go in the middle, keep it in an unheated garage or room during the winter with a grow light about 12 hours a day.