Recently purchased azalea. Advice

[Bonsaipadawan]

Hello everyone as the title says I recently purchased an azalea and I am looking for some tips and advice on what you would do with the material.
I am thinking of removing a couple of the very large branches and even trying to see if I can wire up and bend any of them. The larger ones do feel like I can bend them a little bit but they are a little too straight and large so idk if they will move into any shape I might like.
There is one photo that has what I think I am going to call the future leader of the tree. I plan on leaving h that part mostly alone and hope for it to grow taller as well as thicker there for the distant future.

I am thinking to possibly cut most of the lower branches which obscure the trunk line. Also thinking of maybe keeping it in this type of container or something similar and placing it ontop of a large grow bag so it can root a little into a larger soil basin to grow more vigorously. It's either something like that or getting it into a bonsai pot at the very end if winter/beginning if spring with an attempt to lightly wire the plant Maybe mid spring ish. What are your thoughts?

 

[penumbra]

Sounds like a plan. Watch the wire , azaleas are brittle.
Grow bags are great but I see no advantage and possibly some detriment to placing a pot in a bag. It just sounds counterintuitive to me. Just plant it in new fresh mix in the bag.
Best luck.

 

[Bonsaipadawan]

Sounds like a plan. Watch the wire , azaleas are brittle.
Grow bags are great but I see no advantage and possibly some detriment to placing a pot in a bag. It just sounds counterintuitive to me. Just plant it in new fresh mix in the bag.
Best luck.

I was thinking of placing the pot on the bag because it will limit the root ball but still allow for some of the roots to grow more freely idk. Haha not sure. I've seen Peter chan let his maples in containers grow into the ground to thicken them a little faster.

 

[penumbra]

I was thinking of placing the pot on the bag because it will limit the root ball but still allow for some of the roots to grow more freely idk. Haha not sure. I've seen Peter chan let his maples in containers grow into the ground to thicken them a little faster.

Understood. But the pot in a bag makes no sense. I use lots of bags and lots of pots. I have dozens of bags in the ground. I have dozens of pots in mulch or wood chips.
Peter Chan does the pot on ground to let roots escape. So do a million other people.

 

[Bonsaipadawan]

I think that's what my intentions are to put a pot on a bag to let roots escape my yard is entirely concrete I live in nyc.
I am really excited for this azalea. All my others have very thin trunks in comparison. Thank you so much for your feedback

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

This is a deciduous azalea.

It might be a good idea to check out the deciduous azalea techniques thread before moving on. It’s also why the branches are a bit wider then others.

I think you’ll find out deciduous azaleas act differently then evergreen azaleas and are styled differently.

cheers
DSD sends

.

 

[MorddexxBonsai]

You can check out my deciduous azalea and what I did here. I have experimented with them and I'm developing my second one as my first one died from trying to do an exposed root.

Morddexxbonsai's "Azalea 2020-2025" entry

First one I tried I was too aggressive and it died so going to use my other azalea. This was purchased untouched in March from lowes. It's a Gibraltar deciduous azalea.

www.bonsainut.com