two Azaleas per pot

[bonsaidave]

Howdy you Nuts.

I picked up a couple Azaleas at a local place. They are not large but appear to have at least a little age to them. Plus there are two per pot. I am thinking Mame size as the trunks go from just under an 1 inch to 1.5 inch.

No Azalea Experience here so I have a couple Questions:
1. I am thinking of a late summer early fall root prune and repot.
2. Azalea_1 and Azalea_2 still have some space between them so I am thinking of cutting the roots ball in half between the trunks. Also want to take about a 3rd off the bottom or the roots. Do we think they will survive? Any other thoughts or suggestions?
3. Azalea_3 the roots have pretty much formed a solid mass so I don't think they can be separated. Any health issues just letting the two azaleas continue to merge together?

Thanks for stopping by!

 

[bonsaidave]

Forgot to add some full size pics. They are all three about 2 feet tall.

 

[Handsome John]

id wait on the repots, but maybe a cut back on the branches while its still hot out (but thats just me speaking from a really short growing season) but i like the idea of separating them except the third one. i dont see much of a problem with letting them grow and fuse together, maybe when repotting if there is enough roots on either side you can saw them apart but that in my mind ruins the surface roots you have going on

 

[Handsome John]

oh and maybe dig some more soil off the roots to really see how they look if you can haha

 

[Mellow Mullet]

I would wait until spring before I did anything. I have pruned too late and lost limbs on them. Do it in spring when they get that burst of growth. As far as separating them, the only thing that you can do is just what you mentioned, cut it right down the middle.

John