Great find!

[Pitoon]

I passed by Home Depot yesterday and usually pass the plant section before going in. I passed the azaleas and found this one with the thickest trunk I've seen there. I would say it's about 1" at the base.

I had to take it home, plus it was on sale for $9.88, and I got 10% veteran discount. With a trunk already this size it's off to a great start.

 

[Forrestford]

nice find! i'm always on the hunt at home depot and Lowes. I bought too much last year i've told myself only get the bargins this year.

 

[Pitoon]

They usually put a killer sale after the flowers fall when no one wants them. Last year I got a dozen for about $6.00 each plus 10% discount. That dozen are in the ground around the house. Once those thicken up I'll pull them and replace with smaller ones.

 

[shinmai]

Last June I got seven Japanese quinces off the clearance pallet at Home Depot for $6.99 each. At least four of the seven have real potential, and one is turning into a really nice semi cascade—in a Chuck Iker pot that cost seven times what the tree did.
That azalea has more going than just a thick trunk—there’s a lot of potential in its bones. Nice find, and best of luck with it. What cultivar, just out of curiosity?

 

[Potawatomi13]

Impulses often require masters to turn into "decent" Bonsai. Anemic trunk no big deal.

 

[Shibui]

Thick trunk is only a start on good bonsai. Plenty of work needed to get some shape and taper in the trunk and then grow some branches. Nice starting point though.

 

[Pitoon]

Last June I got seven Japanese quinces off the clearance pallet at Home Depot for $6.99 each. At least four of the seven have real potential, and one is turning into a really nice semi cascade—in a Chuck Iker pot that cost seven times what the tree did.
That azalea has more going than just a thick trunk—there’s a lot of potential in its bones. Nice find, and best of luck with it. What cultivar, just out of curiosity?

This particular cultivar is "Dorothy Hayden", it produces white flowers with a tint of light lime green in the center.

 

[shinmai]

Those are really lovely! Last summer I did something akin to your purchase, getting six Gerard's Pleasant White at HD on clearance. Two went into pots, and the other four are in the yard. Depending on how they develop, I figure I can always retrieve one for a new project, and replace it with something else.
For what it's worth, having repotted a bunch of similar rhodi's, I've been getting the best results so far by using somewhat deep-ish pots, and having at least a half inch, preferably more, of space around the perimeter for kanuma. This may be coincidence, but I used large-particle underneath, and smaller around the outside. In some cases I'm already seeing root hairs coming through the drainage holes, so I'm assuming there's some good root development going on inside.

 

[sikadelic]

Enjoy it and do something fun with it! There was a pretty good recent thread about trunk chopping azaleas that you may want to check out (in case you haven't already) https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/trunk-chopping-azalea.38033/

And Thank You for your Service!!

 

[Pitoon]

Those are really lovely! Last summer I did something akin to your purchase, getting six Gerard's Pleasant White at HD on clearance. Two went into pots, and the other four are in the yard. Depending on how they develop, I figure I can always retrieve one for a new project, and replace it with something else.
For what it's worth, having repotted a bunch of similar rhodi's, I've been getting the best results so far by using somewhat deep-ish pots, and having at least a half inch, preferably more, of space around the perimeter for kanuma. This may be coincidence, but I used large-particle underneath, and smaller around the outside. In some cases I'm already seeing root hairs coming through the drainage holes, so I'm assuming there's some good root development going on inside.

I plan to repot into a 7gal tall pot. Hopefully this weekend I can give it a trim and repot.

Enjoy it and do something fun with it! There was a pretty good recent thread about trunk chopping azaleas that you may want to check out (in case you haven't already) https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/trunk-chopping-azalea.38033/

And Thank You for your Service!!

Thanks! I still work for the Army as an Army civilian though. Yeah very good info in that thread.

 

[LanceMac10]

And Thank You for your Service!!

Two sets of thanks in order, am I correct? Army civilian? I bet your "superiors" don't look at it that way! @Pitoon



......much obliged!

 

[Pitoon]

Two sets of thanks in order, am I correct? Army civilian? I bet your "superiors" don't look at it that way! @Pitoon



......much obliged!

Yes, I was active duty many years ago. I was medically discharged, but stayed working with the Army supporting the soldiers, their families, and the Army mission. Our acronym is called a DAC (Department of the Army Civilian).

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

'Dorothy Hayden' is a Robin Hill azalea hybrid. This is good. Hardy thru zone 5 and still a "true" evergreen azalea. It has some Satsuki blood. I have not tracked down where the cold hardiness comes from, but it might be from a North American deciduous azalea. Big fragrant white flowers, a real bonus.

I would not move it to a 7 gallon pot. I would go maybe 2 inches larger in diameter and half the depth. Azalea continue to develop trunks in a pot, and it does not have to be an outsized pot. You need to begin to shape the root system in stages. Id start with larger diameter but half the depth.

Nice find.

 

[Pitoon]

@Leo in N E Illinois do you think Anderson flats would work? Or they too short?

I also have these planted in front of my porch, my guess is around 40-50yrs old. I believe I should be able to make atleast 2 dozen or more single trees if I seperate them when I pull them up. There's some really nice thick trunks in every bush. What I'm wondering is what cultivar are they?

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

The Anderson flat I use is 17 x 17 x 5, and I usually only fill to about 4 inch depth, but there is room if you need to go to 5 inches deep. I think Anderson flat is a good choice.

Deep for a bonsai pot is 4 inches. This is the benefit of an Anderson flat, they are an appropriate depth for training for bonsai.