Chris,
My PLAN is pretty much the way you see it but with a more shallow potting next time around. I couldn't get that far this go around after 10 yrs in a training pot! It will be an oval pot also. The rootbase on this is very oval. About 2" more shallow.
The shape will be pretty much as you see but fuller/thicker and a nice rounded dome. Its only been about 6 weeks I think since the first cutback and wiring. I removed a BUNCH of suckers coming out all over and kept some in spots lacking branching so next wiring will direct those better and hopefully in a couple years I'll get some holes filled.
My biggest goal is to coax branching out ( I got a few already) and wire to cover the long carved horiz leg better. I don't think that will be hard to do.

D.

I'm wondering if a 'year later' picture would be in order?

D.

Certianly.

+1

Dale,
It's looking great, and for what it's worth, I think Kurume belongs in the Azalea discussion forum even though it's not Satsuki.

Chris

Why would any Kurume not be allowed in an Azalea Forum?
Just because it is not Satsuki, does not mean we cannot use them does it?

Ken

Quote from: kcpoole on August 15, 2010, 11:10 PM

Quote from: bonsaikc on August 07, 2009, 10:28 AM

Dale,
It's looking great, and for what it's worth, I think Kurume belongs in the Azalea discussion forum even though it's not Satsuki.

Chris

Why would any Kurume not be allowed in an Azalea Forum?
Just because it is not Satsuki, does not mean we cannot use them does it?

Ken

This thread opened with:

Quote

I wasn't quite sure where to put this article since it is not a satsuki azalea but instead a kurume variety. I guess it could also have gone under 'carving' as that was a major portion of the styling. I hope it's okay here.

I'm sure Chris' post was referring to that.

ahh my Bad as i did not realise the thread is in the "Satsuki" forum :-)
I entered from the new replies viewan did not see the forum it was in first

nice tree tho:-)

Ken

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
Yawn 
 

Wow, Dale!  I had no idea it was quite so large.  I've got a few trees that are right at the limit of what I can move by myself. 

Do you let it flower every year then?  My personal preference would be to see it more "padded out", for lack of a better term.

First we let it fill out from the original massacre, then we work on padding, BUT, I don't want it to look like the typical imported Japanese  Satsuki with clouds, I want it to have the more rounded ( TROPICAL if you will) shape like a tree rather than a a twisty , narow trunk, cookie cutter imported satsuki.  Heavier trunk and shorter satsuki look more like what I am aiming for, especially since I left that left reaching trunk to widen the frame.
The back really looks better than it does in the picture, but, it will not be near as open as the front. I want as close to a round foliage frame as I can get.


In the past,I usually let it bloom every year, in fact, before I got around to styling it I never even picked off the old flowers. This year I did. I'm expecting a good show next season since it's filled out quite a bit. Go back and look at the 'wild' flowering before it was styled.

About two weeks ago I repotted it into a pot about 1 1/2" more shallow. L & W were about the same I believe.
I cut it back HEAVILY, about 80% of the foliage , removed a LOT of wire, added a bit more . it looks pretty stark right now ( not the first time!) but,  It should fill out fairly nice again by next spring.
Here is a shot with flowers in the greenhouse this spring, and a shot with old flowers before I started work that day,  and a shot after done with this years work.