Hello,

Lately I have been considering getting a Satsuki Azalea bonsai but I am not very experienced with bonsai. Is an Azalea going to be too difficult to care for?

Thank you in advance. I appreciate it !

Not more or less dificult than any other bonsai.

You should start by doing a little research on Azalea bonsai to see if it's compatible with your living situation. Azaleas need to be outside.

Yeah Azaleas need to be outdoors and in a spot thats protected from afternoon sun although some are more tolerant to sun than others but to be safe morning sun is best. They can be quite slow in growing and the flowers bud only on new growth, so i find its best to not repot too often as the shoots will grow quick and youll keep wanting to trim them back for shape and looks and never flower as much. I've got a few Azaleas one a Satsuki, I've had the problem of not being able to get it to flower since I was trimming too often, its been in the same small pot for over a year now and it seems to have slowed down so I'm hoping it will flower late Spring. They like a fair bit of fert and a really good draining mix (not just pebbles thou, a typical mix of potting mix and pebbles should be fine). I know that in the ground they like lots of water but good drainage, I've killed a couple of little ones by over watering. Let the pot dry out before watering again.

Thanks for the advice everyone! One question though, Does it absolutly have to be out side or will it do ok in a windowsill in frot of an open window?? (slightly stupid question I know..) And if it does need to be outside, I live in Ohio so when would it be safe to keep it outside?

Thank you for putting up with my ignorance!!

By the way, the particular tree is a shohin bonsai, does it require different care than regular bonsai?

not that im an expert cuz mine hasnt fared well this year,but yes outdoors all of the time.even tho they are evergreens they need to go through a dormancy period over winter.they like a slightly acidic soil and are prunned in summer after flowering.