Cemetary azelea

[CWTurner]

My contact at a cemetery called me last Wednesday and told me that he pulled an interesting azalea. Don't know my azaleas too well, but it has smaller leaves and deep purple flowers. In picking it up it was necessary to chop it way back so that it would fit in my dad's van and so that I could lift it. Still it was on the high end of my ability.

I brought it home and washed off some of the mud soil. Seems like I got plenty of roots.

I made a box and have my fingers crossed as I think the trunk on this on is special. Placed it in dappled shade (assuming the sun ever returns).

CW

 

[Giga]

I would have cut back harder and defined some structure(I see a good trunk line in there) for the future, but that can always be done in a year or two. BUT WOW thats a beast i'm jelly!!!

 

[Giga]

Here's what I c with the 2d image - so take it with a grain of salt and my wonderful virt here- if anything i'll drive up and take it off your hands if you so choose - i'm not to far from you

 

[MattE]

cool i like that

 

[barrosinc]

wow! leaves seem small and nice flowers... trunk is impressive.

 

[johng]

nice material...if it were mine I would be thinking like Giga...now is the perfect time to do it....otherwise in a year or more you will have to cutoff everything and start over?? Why not go for it now...

 

[barrosinc]

that dead people fertilizer is working great!
That must be like 50-100 years old?

 

[LanceMac10]

I like the fact you have a "contact" at a cemetery!!!
Gives a much more pleasant picture when paired with the phrase, "Going home in a pine box"!!!
It's huge!!!

 

[barrosinc]

any idea of variety?

 

[Alain]

Wow that's some impressive tree you got there!

I'll try to make friend with some cemetery guys, sounds like a good connection

 

[Don Blackmond]

Giga and johng are giving you proper advice. Also, that box is WAY WAY WAY too big. If you need a box that big, then you did not reduce the root mass enough. Think about what you need to do to get it in a bonsai pot. If you have a monstrous mass of roots then you need to cut them off. If you leave them now you will develop new growth off of them and you'll have to cut it all off eventually. Save some time. Do it right, from the start. Otherwise you will be starting over and losing time.

 

[sorce]

I never knew CW....
Stood for Corpse Wobbling!

Score!

Sorce

 

[CWTurner]

if it were mine I would be thinking like Giga...now is the perfect time to do it....

This was an 8 foot tall bush when the cemetery guys yanked it from the ground with a chain. you can see some damage to the (very thin)bark. In the past I have bare rooted these and cut them down to leave only what I saw as the future of the tree. Some live, some don't. On this tree I wanted to leave a good bit of soil (there's a recent post here discussing not bare rooting azalea) and see how the plant responds. Trying not to do too much, though, just to get this home I had to do a LOT.

If you need a box that big, then you did not reduce the root mass enough.

Well I don't know what amount of roots were available beyond what I exposed as shown in the first picture. I HAVE done what you suggest, but more often than not, the plant dies. I've had the best luck just planting these in the ground which makes me believe that, tough as they are, azalea do not enjoy root work and being potted in bonsai soil. I'm hoping that the soil that remains on the bush and the soil I added in the box will let the bush recover and thrive for a few years before I get nasty with it.

 

[Don Blackmond]

Well, if it was healthy and you care for it properly there is a great chance it survives hard pruning. Personally, I'd rather do the work now and save a couple years. If its not going to survive the required reduction its better to find out now rather than after you spend a year or two or three caring for it. Plus, you will be taking off even more then than now. With the size of the rootball you retained, and the size of the box you are using, you might as well have just put it back in the ground. I'm only trying to help you and your tree. That's my advice based on a ton of experience doing this.

 

[CWTurner]

I'm only trying to help you and your tree. That's my advice based on a ton of experience doing this.

Thank you Don, you make good points, and I appreciate them and those of others as well.
Just trying something different here as I have had some bare-rooted and reduced azalea die on me.
CW

 

[j evans]

It's like Christmas in May, what a present. Congrats and good luck!

 

[barrosinc]

are you going to do any more chopping of the branches?

 

[CWTurner]

are you going to do any more chopping of the branches?

Max, I suppose I should, time allowing (my cemetery pal called about another azalea and I've been working that one). While I now have some trepidation on bare rooting and chopping the roots way back, it makes sense to choose the final trunk line(s) so I will probably do that when I get the chance. I'll update this posting when I do.

I'll try to make friend with some cemetery guys, sounds like a good connection

Highly recommended. Lots of yew, azalea, boxwood there. The cemetery guys would prefer NO shrubs to mow or trim around so they're on our side, so to speak.
CW

 

[barrosinc]

did you ever get the second one??

 

[Wilson]

.

Thought this song was a good fit!