Prowler

As you know i kill them all !!!
But i think? i am on my way with this one, it's a Mt Fuji. have had it for over 2yr. I keep it in my cool room just in gravel, well this year it did loose all its leaves, i just thought that was it, but i notices one green leaf growing, so, in went more water. Many more leaves. I am over the moon about this, i never thought they went into dormancy, i intend to keep cutting off the flowers, it looks like a rats nest but i ain't worried a hoot about that, it is living and that is the main thing. Cheers.

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Its hell out there, give them hell back.

Egroup

Well first off:congrats on the enwly emerging leaves! lord knows we all go through that "ohh man is it gonna come back" phase every spring... Even if you KNOW you took perfect care of the tree, you still get a twinge of fear...

Yeah, these guys will go dormant, depending on the temps they are in they may or may not recover. normally they come back where I live- South Carolina- but we do not have very cold winters= some freezes rarely if ever do we see real snow! Just FYI: they WILL go dormant/ lose their leaves and stop growing, but unlike a Maple, Pine, juniper... They do not really NEED the dormancy. If you can find a nice heated greenhouse or sunny window sill indoors to keep him next winter you might not have to worry about the leaf drop... or not as severe of a drop anyways- you may still see some slowing of the growth just from a change of scenery...

Why do you cut the flowers off?? That is the big show for these guys... I mean I guess you do it to conserve strength or something?? I just do not subscribe to that unless you are repotting out of season or some other reason for needing to conserve growth, I don't think you need to do that. I would hate for you to miss this plant's true glory if you do not need to- sounds like if he is throwing out profuse growth you could avoid cutting the blooms off.. just my opinion.

Phil

Then I think it best you not get into growing Azalea's as bonsai! Now that really hurts but its necessary for the health of the plant.

~Phil

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Please, always keep in mind that the typewritten word does not always convey what you wish to say, and to always treat others as you would have them treat you. Think twice-submit once.
I started out with nothing....and still have most of it.
"Its hell out there, give them hell back." ~ Prowler/Victor Gray 12/31/1943 - 11/24/2008

Mattbonsai

With a Serissa, they can quite happily flower throughout the year, this constant strain on the plant is diverting it from growing the much more needed leaves. With Prowlers record on Serissa, keeping them alive is the struggle, allowing the tree to flower hinders this because its using the energy to make those pointless 3 day if lucky flowers at the cost of roots and new leaves.

I've spoken to several Serissa keepers, who will do exactly what prowler does, but when it comes to shows, or once or twice a year they allow them to flower, and they flower!

-Matt-

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Egroup

I have read that for certain reasons you should cut the flowers fof your azalea, but only if they are being re potted or if you are trying to in=crease growth/ let it recover from a rough spot... I know you are well versed in bonsai, so I'm not gonna come right out and say you are wrong here Phil, but I have MANY azaleas that are doing fine and I very rarely cut off the flowers before they are ready to fall off. As for Serrisas I have only ever had one and they are kinda hard to find here it seems... it did fine for a few years and then never came back after one winter about 2 years back maybe The flower pruning IS "necessary" for the health of those- that could have been one of my problems, but my experience- coupled with the hundreds of pics I have seen of exhibitions with tons of Azaleas in FULL FLOWER, tells me it is NOT 100% Necessary to remove an azalea's blooms early... except for specific times and reasons... I guess I just don't see what you meant by that??

Egroup

That makes total sense Matt... If ever get another one, I guess I should follow that advice as well... I just hate taking off flowers you know, it kind of goes against all my experience of growing stuff in my garden- you BEG and plead with most your plants to give you nice blooms and in Bonsai we are supposed to remove them on some trees?? I don't really anticipate getting another Serrisa, I have a couple favorites in Bonsai, and right now I am working more with Maples (Trident and Japanese varieties), Elms, Black Pine and Azalea mostly... Serrisa are cool, but the stinky roots always kinda freaked me out a little.. that was just weird, and it takes so long to make a decent trunk... !!