Keep your tropical Azalea Bonsai Tree in top shape with these simple tips.​

Your azalea bonsai tree How to keep it in tip-top condition.

This Azalea Bonsai Tree type from the tropics may grow taller than it can wide, makes it an ideal contender for an upright bonsai display. Its leaves are dark green and heavily populated. Compared to other Indian azaleas, this one blooms a little later, but it has stunning, brightly colored flowers.

More than a thousand species make up the Rhododendron species, but the Satsuki azalea (Rhododendron indicum) and the Kurume azalea are the most popular for Bonsai.

Colors, shapes and patterns are all part of the appeal of the azalea’s beautiful flowers that bloom from May through June. Depending on the cultivar, the leaves can be a variety of sizes and shapes and are all dark green. Flower shapes and color patterns of Satsuki azaleas vary widely, with numerous variations emerging on a single plant.

For a variety of reasons, satsuki azaleas are popular bonsai plants. It’s tough to prune, but the flowers are stunning, and they grow quickly.Bright crimson blossoms adorn this evergreen’s branches from early spring into midsummer. The Azalea comes from the genus Rhododendron.

The ideal spot for an azalea bonsai

It’s the Red Azalea that’s blooming During the winter, keep your bonsai in a cool/cold environment to keep it healthy. It’s a good rule of thumb to begin preparing your Bonsai for its three-month winter dormancy period around Thanksgiving. There are a number of ways to go about this.

Illustration-Sub-Irrigated-Planter-Keep-Plants-Alive

Your tree can be buried (without the pot) up to the rim of the container and then covered with compost to the first branch. This is one method. Sun and wind protection, but not snow and rain, is ideal.

The second way is to store your tree(s) inside of an unheated shed, or garage which is also typical. Dormant, your tree doesn’t need light, but it should be watered every two weeks.

In spring, summer, and fall, keep your bonsai outside.  On a covered terrace, patio, balcony, or garden.

An azalea bonsai can and should be brought inside for holidays and other special occasions.  Your Azalea Bonsai should never spend more than a few days indoors, as the environment is bad for its health.

Woman preparing Christmas gifts at home, her sister is sitting in the background

watering the Azalea bonsai

Gushing water washing hands

You should never skip a watering session with your Bonsai. Don’t wait for the soil to become entirely dry before re-watering. Watering your Bonsai once a day may be necessary if it is in direct sunlight. Bonsai trees in different pot sizes, soil types, and types of Bonsai trees may necessitate different watering schedules

Adjust your watering schedule based on the water needs of each individual tree. Before you become familiar with the needs of your bonsai tree, it is a good idea to monitor the level of moisture in the soil with a moisture meter.

To avoid disturbing the soil, use a watering can or a hose connection that disperses the water in a gentle enough manner. As long as it’s a decent rain, you’re good to go.
Related Content:  5 Best Indoor Bonsai Trees For Beginners.

What about Azalea bonsai humidity?

We recommend keeping your bonsai in a shallow tray with water put in a shallow tray filled with gravel throughout the colder months. Water evaporates from the tree’s surroundings, adding moisture, whereas contemporary heating systems lose moisture.

fertilizing The bonsai
form of an azalea.​

Bonsai Pro Fertilizer

Fertilizing keeps bonsai healthy and beautiful. In order to maintain a healthy bonsai, you’ll need to feed the soil’s nutrients on a regular basis. All-purpose liquid fertilizer can be purchased at most garden centers. In addition to solid fertilizer, our Bonsai Shop sells liquid fertilizer.  We recommend half the recommended fertilizer concentration.

Except in winter, fertilizer should be applied monthly. Your bonsai will also do well with supplemental feeding, which consists of spraying a water-soluble fertilizer into the leaves of the plant once every two months.

closeup image of woman preparing to repot azalea bonsai

Replanting the Azalea Bonsai
Tree in a new pot.

All bonsai need re-potting when their roots fill the pot. Re-potting provides new soil and encourages a compact root system. Deciduous trees need re-potting every two or three years, while evergreens only need it every four or five years. Since trees grow at varying rates, you should check your tree’s root system each year to see if it’s pot-bound.

If done properly and at the right time of year, potting is safe and easy. In mid-summer, re-potting is a good idea.

Remove the tree and all of its soil from the pot.  Removing the tree’s outer and lowest fourth of roots is advised. In order to accomplish this, we first brush away the soil and then cut back the plant’s roots. A rule of thumb is to not remove more than a quarter of the total root mass of a tree during any pruning process.  After this is done, the tree can be repotted in either its original or a new pot.

The container’s drainage openings must be screened.  Drainage is ensured by placing a thin layer of pebbles or gravel at the bottom of the container.  The gravel is then covered with the new, fresh dirt. Put on a layer of potting soil that has good drainage and is deep enough and thick enough to bring the tree up to its original height in the container.

After the tree has been re-potted, the soil in the original root ball should be replaced with new soil. New dirt needs to be placed into the space around and beneath the root system to prevent air pockets from forming there. 

Water your bonsai thoroughly after repotting.  The pot can be lowered into a bucket full of water.  Covering the container with moss or another ground cover before watering can help prevent soil erosion.
To learn more, read our post on The 5 Best Indoor Bonsai Trees & How To Care For Them.

This will be beneficial to the numerous feeder roots that the tree has.

control of insects and disease in azalea bonsai trees

Bringing Outdoor Plants Indoors Where-Do-mealy Bugs Come From?

You can treat your bonsai for insects and illnesses the same as you would any other tree because it is a small tree. If you find any insects or diseases, you can get the items you need to get rid of them from our website.

A bonsai’s most common pests are insects, both above and below ground, and fungal infestations. As with other potted plants, bonsai trees are vulnerable to the same pests as their full-grown counterparts.

Read more on this subject from Wikipedia: Bonsai cultivation and care.

Seeking the best sources for young bonsai trees. The first essential step is to locate sources with a high level of quality. It is essential to acquire consent from these companies in order to feature their items, and it can be difficult. We have built great relationships with these companies and the USDA over the past several years.