My Azaleas progressions

This is a shohin Azalea with a slender trunk. I like the base of the trunk and the movement it has. It will need to be styled with thinner canopy.

Side

Another view

As with all trees first the front needed to be determined.

Probable front. From this side the base of the trunk is at its widest and trunk line is good. Also the first fat primary branches are best situated from this angle.

Azalea is traditionally styled with flat pads and space between the pads.

After trimming it.

I had to drastically shorten the two primary branches and need to lower the right one some more. They were just too straight and without much taper.Azalia back buds easily and is basally dominant, which means it will back bud at the lower section first. Azaleas have less growth at the apex and that is the reason I left some branches there untouched, and also they need to grow. Branches need to be grown and thickened.

I am still considering of using the top most wired right branch as the new apex, but I shall have to decide that after it back buds.

I have very hard water KH 120 GH 200 and PH of the water is 8.5. That is not good for azalea . They are acid loving plants. So I put a second tank on the stand of the water tank (just a drum) and I mix there acid (spirit of salt= hydrochloric acid) in the water to lower the PH. For a drum of 240 liters I add 125 ml acid. I water with that all my maples , ixoras, bougainvilleas, and other acid loving plants.

I have a borehole as water supply.

I drilled a hole in the drum and connected a pipe:

I shall post the rest of my azaleas later.