How To Prune Bonsai Azalea
The bottom of the old root ball must be cut out at each transplanting.
How to prune bonsai azalea. Satsuki azalea bonsai before and after pruning. Every other spring march may your bonsai will need its roots pruned. Cut off one third of the roots all the way around and up from the bottom. The roots systems grow vigorously and will probably need transplant and root pruning ever two years.
Ordinarily for the best results it is always best to prune azalea and all species of rhododendron immediately after flowering has finished however this work can safely be carried out until the end of autumn. Another method of bonsai pruning is defoliation which involves removing leaves of deciduous trees during the summer to force the tree to grow new leaves. Make precise carefully selected cuts instead. Trim back areas that seem too crowded and don t overdo it in the thinner areas.
Once trained to a specific bonsai shape azaleas require only maintenance pruning and trimming. This video discusses several techniques for pruning azalea bonsai during their development. Pick out the branches on the plant that are outside of your mental shape for the plant and cut each one of those back. Try not to cut any one branch back by more than a third.
Make careful cuts in order to improve the shape of the bush. When pruning azaleas you do not need to worry about cutting back to a connecting branch. This technique ultimately leads to a reduction in leaf size and an increase in ramification. Gently remove the plant from the pot and carefully remove some of the soil around the sides and bottom of the root ball.
I had the pleasure of working on this stunning shohin satsuki azalea late last autumn. For more information check the defoliation page.