How Do You Care For An Outdoor Satsuki Azalea Bonsai?
Satsuki azaleas reward those who don’t overwater them, feed them regularly and protect them from frost with a full month of non-stop color. Ray Beddow of the Satsuki Azalea Society says Satsuki azaleas have been bred and selected for 300 years in Japan and are prized for producing a mass of multiple colors on the same plant. Satsuki (Japanese for “fifth month”) plants bloom from May into June. Bonsai, Japanese for “tray tree,” are regular plants which have been shaped by pruning and wiring to a miniature size. A 5-year-old Satsuki, which is a Bonsai, can be just 8 inches tall. From January to February, azaleas are dormant. Protect them from frost and keep them out of wind and rain in a greenhouse, screened porch or protected area under an overhang. (In Zone 5, insulate your plant with bubblewrap or fleece during hard frosts.) Waterlogging is fatal to azaleas. They must be in well drained pots. Remove any fallen leaves from the soil to avoid mildew or fungi. Azaleas don’t tolerate lime
