AusBonsai

I was hard pruning a big bank of Kurume azalea in a garden up the road this morning and the owner let me dig out 3 of them on single trunks. Its not the ideal time to dig azalea but I have taken a big root ball and they are healed into my growing beds until spring when I will do the heavy root work. Nearly all the gardens around here have lots of Kurume but its rare to find single trunks.
Craigw

Nice Craig and those grow out beds look very similar to mine

Nice find there
They are not common with single trunks like that and especially with movement they have

Ken

Nice, not easy to get single trunks like that.

Good work on the tridents too, scars wont be too big!

Nice score Craig! I am sure they will recover quickly and reward you with a mass of new buds.

Thanks for that, I just hope they don't die back down the trunks on one side as Kurume seem prone to do. I think thats probably why the Japanese don't use them very often. All 3 of them are nice fine leaved varieties, Kirin, Hatsugiri and the inevitable xmas cheer.
I hope to eventually cut these ones back to 25-30cm as the lower trunks are the most interesting part. They may even be worth layering.
There is another one in this garden which I really want but getting it is going to require some diplomacy, its about 15cm through at the base and very much on one trunk I think its hinodegiri.
Craigw

Nice work Craig, hope they go well for you, looking forward to seeing them progress
neal.