Newbie, need help with azalea please

[Bruntyblue]

Ok here we go, this azalea has been potted in this large pot for at least 15 yrs and is over 30 yrs old, (my partner has grown it from garden centre stock). Now she has given me permission to attempt to bonsai it Question 1 is how much do I trim the roots? should I trim and go to a smaller pot for a year or so or go hard and trim for a bonsai pot straight up? Question 2 is it worth taking cuttings from when it gets chopped down to size, and Question 3 is where to chop? I am a newbie to bonsai, but have a decent green-thumb in the garden so am willing to have a go, Some virts on where to chop would be much appreciated.
Height is 500mm from soil to top of plant
it is 125mm to bend in trunk
pot it is in is 170mm high and 300mm across the top.















Looking forward to any replies and suggestions for this baby.

Rob

[shibui]

Haven't we already done this Mate - viewtopic.php?f=132&t=18259

[deepeetee]

Bruntyblue,
On your previous post Shibui gave a couple of really good pieces of advice.
I would be waiting till after they have expelled all of their flowers. Or you can pluck them. Then remove the shoot part that the flower came from.
As the Azaleas will have used a lot of energy with those flowers, before anything, ensure they are well fed and in good health.
Q1) I would take no more than 1/3 of the roots, but i am always conservative on this front. I would also try and move them to a flatter bottomed training pot (like an orchid pot. Work on condensing that root mass over some seasons. Definitely get this Azalea into something else with some fresh mix. They really thrive on Kanuma and Akadama if you can get your hands on some of that.
Q2) I find cuttings strike really well. If thats what you want to do, go right ahead. Anything thicker than a pencil must get sealed. As a rule i seal every cut on my Azaleas
Q3) As Shibui said this will shoot from basically wherever you chop. That said, the bottom third of this Azalea is interesting, the rest is quite leggy and has some really straight parts. Id be focusing on the trunk line at this stage. Over a period of a number of years, developing branches, secondaries, tertiary etc etc.

Good luck

Dave

[Bruntyblue]

Haven't we already done this Mate - viewtopic.php?f=132&t=18259

Yep and sorry but thought I may have posted in wrong section as only 1 reply and then I noticed the critiques and virtual designs section.

Bruntyblue,
On your previous post Shibui gave a couple of really good pieces of advice.
I would be waiting till after they have expelled all of their flowers. Or you can pluck them. Then remove the shoot part that the flower came from.
As the Azaleas will have used a lot of energy with those flowers, before anything, ensure they are well fed and in good health.
Q1) I would take no more than 1/3 of the roots, but i am always conservative on this front. I would also try and move them to a flatter bottomed training pot (like an orchid pot. Work on condensing that root mass over some seasons. Definitely get this Azalea into something else with some fresh mix. They really thrive on Kanuma and Akadama if you can get your hands on some of that.
Q2) I find cuttings strike really well. If thats what you want to do, go right ahead. Anything thicker than a pencil must get sealed. As a rule i seal every cut on my Azaleas
Q3) As Shibui said this will shoot from basically wherever you chop. That said, the bottom third of this Azalea is interesting, the rest is quite leggy and has some really straight parts. Id be focusing on the trunk line at this stage. Over a period of a number of years, developing branches, secondaries, tertiary etc etc.

Good luck

Dave

Thanks Dave, this is what I was looking for advice on cutting back etc, didn't want to kill it by chopping to much root away to early.