arthurob

Re the Azalea you have dug up.

It is a bit rare to have hose in hose Satsuki though there are a few. You have been given good advice with Fred Galle's book, it is excellent as is the El Dorado CD.

Having dug it up you need to wash off as much of the garden soil as possible and pot up with either Kanuma - hang the expense you have an old plant to save - to which you should add a bit of Sphagnum moss particularly if you are in a mediterranean climate where you are.

Alternatively Pine Bark fines with the dusty particles seived out 60% and coarse gravel ( about 1/8th inch size ) 40% will do the trick. Add some Trace elements and remember this is an acid loving plant so no lime.

If you need to cut it back leave stubs of at least an inch and seal carefully with either Japanese cut paste or Kyonal so that no damp gets in and sets off rot and/or roots on that side of the plant die of from sap withdrawal

Keep in a fairly shaded area, dappled sun for part of the day and not too hot.

The 2 major reasons for loosing any transplanted Azalea are a) Root rot and b) lack of water. If you have a sudden wilting of the leaves and they are drooping get some fungicide to it immediately - wait an hour or two too long and you can loose the plant.

Having dug it up in June is the best time for transplanting so it should be ok
Hope this helps - I will have a comprehensive book on Satsuki and other Azalea Bonsai coming out within a year I hope. So watch out for one from Oz!!

Arthurob