AusBonsai

About 10 years ago I was attempting to put some movement into the trunk of a skinny little saotome azalea. I snapped the trunk completely off about 2cm from the base.

I put the tree to the back of my benches and pretty much forgot about it. About 2 years ago I pulled it out and discovered it had grown quite an impressive base, I trimmed it back and took this pic.
Since then, I left it to its own devices again. The other day I thought I would pot it up. In hindsight, I think I should have paid a little more attention to it. Over the next 2 or 3 years I might try and make more of a bonsai out of it, rather than a miniature trimmed bush in a pot. The branches are fairly well placed to do this, just a bit of hard pruning and some [careful] wiring, then keeping new growth in check, this will eventually make a brilliant little shohin. It is currently about 13 or 14cm including the pot.

Here are today's pics.

the base is pretty cool.

What do you plan to do with the thick branch? Would it be a problem later, or will you keep all growth in check?

What do you plan to do with the thick branch?

I have the option of keeping the fairly well placed primary branches - and cutting them back hard, ie. to stumps. Alternatively, I have another option in cutting all of the branches off, leaving me with just a very well tapered stump, then selecting the new growth as it occurs to train into a nice little shohin bonsai.

This is what I will decide come next late spring / early summer.

I am open to any other options that people might have. Feel free to comment.

Cheers,
Leigh.

hey leigh this works for me as a mame to shohin:D it is true, they can become a great little base in only a few years.

Yeah Antonio - that's it. That is kinda on line with my thoughts. I might grow some branches a little lower on the trunk, see what happens when I attack it next spring.

Thanks for the pic Ant.

Cheers,
Leigh.