40 year old Azalea yardadori

[Fi5ch]

My in-laws in SC are moving and had all their old azaleas cut way back so I could now see the trunks & nebari for the first time. I would've taken many more but my wife said "pick one". I settled on this one given the huge size of rootballs required for other (read better) examples.

My 'technique' was to dig it out leaving ~14" on each side of the trunk and 10" on the bottom. I then put it back into the hole for 2 days and watered the hell out of it during lat week's 96 degree temps. Saturday morning I wrapped the roots in black plastic bags, placed it in and old recycling container, and began the 2 day drive home to southern NJ (7a). We got home Sunday afternoon and I watered an misted until today when I filled the container with mixed peat, sphagnum, and potting soil, watered/misted until I can get some wood to build a custom grow box later this week. After I build the grow bow I'll leave it in the shade for a few weeks, and leave it alone next year, but I need to make some serious carving decisions given some of the branches are 3"+ thick. Fingers crossed!

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

Great find! Looks like the actual furure tree is the larger trunk... the two on the nebari can go now, or next year to be safe.

The small trunk below the end of the nebari may be able to be another tree, if the root mass contains enough roots. I've split azaleas before successfully and I believe @Shibui has also done this with larger trees like yours. Check his post on this?

Anyways all that's left might better be cut back down more at some point. Some would do it now, others next year

When you build a box, it might be wise to be 8-10" with sloping inward sides. Kinda of like a Tokoname grow pot. Also it helps to screw an extra horizontal 1x2 or 2x2 on two opposing sides to serve as handles.

Cheers
DSD sends

 

[Fi5ch]

My thought is to to be safe and not chop anything until next spring, then make the red cuts in the pic below, with the highest cut being the main 2" trunk which is 15" above the soil line. Handles will definitely be needed given the weight of this with soil!

What do the sloping sides (\_/) of a grow box do?

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

Also think about cutting much lower.

There are strong elements of classic smaller ‘sumo‘ azalea design present that could be maximized with a lower cut.

Also see the box this azalea was in. Improves drainage, plus more surface area contact with the wood.

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Anyways, your tree your choice! Looking forward to seeing future posts

cheers
DSD sends

 

[Glaucus]

I think you want to remove way more of the main trunk. And while doing so, you want to keep almost everything else.

So first get it to grow a bunch of roots. Then, trunk chop again. Then, recovery.
Then, remove half those branches and cut back the other half to 2 inch stubs.
Then, see where you are at. Could be a 5 to 7 year process.

 

[Shibui]

What do the sloping sides (\_/) of a grow box do?

Sloping sides on a grow box probably aesthetic but also allow the tree to be removed easier than vertical sides. Possibly also some element of being easier to pick up or carry?

Your proposed upper chop could be Ok given the thickness of the trunk but consider that most bonsai grown from a chopped trunk end up with the first chop around 1/3 of the final height. Allows for regrowing a new apex, developing trunk taper, etc. That may make your tree 45" tall ultimately? Does that sound OK? Refer back to comments from @Glaucus above re height and allowing time for recovery. Azaleas are NOT quick to grow or to recover from drastic transplant. Even a year of recovery before more work is not enough sometimes.

 

[Fi5ch]

Here is an update 8 months after collection. The pictures show pre-collection & after transportation to NJ in Sept., and finally in flower on 4/30/2024.

Given that I want to end up with the thick trunk on the right as the main feature, would it be safe to start reducing all of the ~1" thick branches this fall, and should i trim back only above the lowest foliage?

 

[Fi5ch]

Any thoughts as to next moves per above?

 

[Fi5ch]

Any thoughts as to next moves per above?

bump

 

[Paradox]

Here is an update 8 months after collection. The pictures show pre-collection & after transportation to NJ in Sept., and finally in flower on 4/30/2024.

Given that I want to end up with the thick trunk on the right as the main feature, would it be safe to start reducing all of the ~1" thick branches this fall, and should i trim back only above the lowest foliage?

View attachment 543718View attachment 543720View attachment 543719

I would reduce those branches in late winter, early spring rather than in the fall.
I would leave some foliage as you suggest. It should back bud lower but it will be less risky if you leave some there. It can always be reduced again in another year or two once it recovers and grows stronger again