Sick Azalea?

[cosmo123]

Hi All...my first post. I have a twin trunk azalea ready to flower (a satsuki I think) with numerous reddish leaves on a couple of branches. It's not spider mite...I have sprayed the plant a couple of times with confidor. Soil seems OK...not too wet. The plant gets morning sun only. The plant is not losing leaves and apart from the reddish leaves appears quite healthy. Research seems to indicate that this is natural but the red leaves do not occur all over the plant. Any opinions would be greatly appreciated.

By the way what a great site this is...and well done to all contributors.

[Mitchell]

Hi All...my first post. I have a twin trunk azalea ready to flower (a satsuki I think) with numerous reddish leaves on a couple of branches. It's not spider mite...I have sprayed the plant a couple of times with confidor. Soil seems OK...not too wet. The plant gets morning sun only. The plant is not losing leaves and apart from the reddish leaves appears quite healthy. Research seems to indicate that this is natural but the red leaves do not occur all over the plant. Any opinions would be greatly appreciated.

By the way what a great site this is...and well done to all contributors.

Welcome to Ausbonsai!

I can't personally be of any use as I only have kurume's no satsuki. I did notice however when checking out satsuki's for sale the other day that the stock all had red maroon leaves. This was also accompanied by the plants looking rather sickly, tattered etc.

Does your plant look sick as well, or is it just a few red leaves? If it looks sickly as well, I would be concerned. I'm sure other will be of more assistance.

[Glenda]

I was told today by Tony Bebb that there is a variety of Satsuki azaleas that has red/bronzy leaves that are very small, and it never flowers called sao tome? Something like that. I have one that sounds like it could be this variety - the leaves are only about 1.5 cm long and teardrop shaped with the round end away from the petiole. Leaves are quite red.
Glenda

[nealweb]

G'day, how about a picture. I don't know of any pest or disease that turns leaves red. Many satsuki do develop winter colour in the cold though. Often reds especially if it is a red flowered variety. If its some leaves and not others is this a regular thing ie mostly the older leaves and not the new growth, sometimes it goes like that. It could even be that it is a variety with different coloured flowers and the branches with the redder leaves will later produce red flowers with branches with less red leaves producing different coloured flowers. Good luck with it anyway, if you are worried perhaps try a feed with trace elements incase it is difficient in something??

p.s. - my avatar picture is naturally occuring winter colour in a healthy satsuki.

[Mitchell]

p.s. - my avatar picture is naturally occuring winter colour in a healthy satsuki.

[phantom]

Hi cosmo there is nothing wrong with your azalea the redish[crimsion] leaves are due to the cold weather, some leaves will turn yellow and drop of but this is all part of nature.

[Chris H]

I have about 35 Satsuki out back here and most of them have some colour change on their leaves. Id be pretty relaxed that all is ok.

[kcpoole]

I also have many that are yellow to re this time of year.
Some look normal, other looking a bit tired but all is normal with them

Ken

[Leigh Taafe]

Hi Cosmo,

As all have said - the red is normal for this time of year. Azalea will naturally shed leaves that are 2 or 3 years old, and satsuki will often get the red colour in their foliage, along with yellow and a kind of apple juice colour, during the cooler months.

Saotome is a variety that is considered "non-flowering" as it will not get your usual "canopy" of flowers like many other azalea, however, under the right conditions, I have had many of my saotome with up to 3 (yes, three!!) flowers at one time. The flower is pink, not unlike "yochiyo". It kinda looks a bit odd when it flowers as the flower is fairly large in comparison to the tiny saotome foliage, and in most cases it is just a solitary flower anyway.

[Pup]

G,day would just like to add, that if it is coming into flower now, it is more than likely to be a Karume than a Satsuki.
October November is the flowering time for Satsuki's in Australia.

The colour change in the leaf is not a problem either at this time of the year.

Cheers Pup

[cosmo123]

Hi All...many thanks for all of your responses....very informative....I'll be able to sleep soundly knowing one of the "children" is not about to be relegated to the compost bin...haha

Interesting to note that I have another three different types of azalea (not sure which type)...none of these has the red leaf thing happening.

Anway....Thanks again guys..much appreciated

Cheers

[Graeme]

G,day would just like to add, that if it is coming into flower now, it is more than likely to be a Karume than a Satsuki.
October November is the flowering time for Satsuki's in Australia.

The colour change in the leaf is not a problem either at this time of the year.

Cheers Pup

Hey Pup, my Satsuki are just coming into flower as I type. But then I did also think they were a little early, however who is to know with all the crazy weather we have been having of late.

[Pup]

G,day would just like to add, that if it is coming into flower now, it is more than likely to be a Karume than a Satsuki.
October November is the flowering time for Satsuki's in Australia.

The colour change in the leaf is not a problem either at this time of the year.

Cheers Pup

Hey Pup, my Satsuki are just coming into flower as I type. But then I did also think they were a little early, however who is to know with all the crazy weather we have been having of late.

That's interesting Graeme, what varieties are they?. When I talk to Arthur I will tell him. My Karume's are one in full bud just some open, one in full bud none open, and one no buds yet just a change in the leaf point. So it should be budding in the next week or so. Which is about right for Karume. Satsuki (or fifth month as the name implies) is early, even with our odd weather. As I say I will ask the guys on Saturday, if they are experiencing early bud or flowering.

Cheers Pup

[nealweb]

I noticed a few days back that someone mentiones the website satsukimania. Well if you go to the japanese version there is more stuff. The seventh entry down under main menu is 25 pages of some sort of diary entry. Anyhow page 24 odd has some winter colour pics, here is a nice one showing very vibrant red leaves

[Damian Bee]

Cosmo, you have to post a pic, without it ID is very A couple of pics with the leaf upperand under sides, the leaf arrangement and the flowers would be a good start. Indica, Kurume, Satsuki and other cultivars commonly have a flush of flowers outside of normal peak flowering times. I have several Kurume, Satsuki and even Kiusianum which have put out flowers in June/July, (maybe they are homesick ). These flushes are the result of left over buds which did not develop fully during the peak flowering time. They do take energy from the plant that would otherwise be used to develop new leaf shoots or flower buds so if you don't want them pushing out, pinch them off. They do have a use though if you have lost the tag and can't remember the variety. Be warned with your varieties though, you should only buy them from sellers who know their stuff, otherwise you may find that you are the proud owner of a Belgian hybrid or some other variety which although may have some heritage linked to the Rhododendron indicum group is not what you think it is. There are so many varieties of Satsuki and Kurume that it is almost absurd as many of the varieties seem to be the same in description but this is evidence that these plants have been well loved and held peoples fascination for centuries and are still doing so.