AusBonsai

I have just dug up this azalea from the garden. At some point it has been damaged with one of the main trunks having been part broken off just above the base - unfortunately the one with the best movement. (At the rear in the first picture.)

I am going to repot and give it time to recover, but I am contemplating what to do then.

The break is fairly old, so if I bind it back together it is not likely to knit back together. My thought is the best approach may be to air layer above the break, and remove later, and develop using the two trunks in the foreground of the first picture.

As further background, this azalea is probably about 40 years old. It has not been in the greatest health, being crowded out and neglected, and suffering from azalea lace bug. But it should bounce back OK with some TLC.

Close up of the break.

Congrats on the azalea transplant. I have found them really easy to transplant but occasionally they have taken a few years to re-establish in a pot. Let the tree guide you as to best time to do further work on it.
Any break will eventually heal up but azaleas are quite slow and that crack is bug so likely to take many years to heal over. Your plan to layer that one off is likely the only way forward there.
It is a bit hard to work out exactly what shapes your tree has from the odd angles you have given us. My first impression is very long, untapered trunks - including the rear one you like so much. I seriously doubt that any of those trunks will be much use for bonsai at their current lengths but the lowest part of the trunk does have good potential. I would be considering much shorter trunks initially and regrowing the trunks(s) and branches from lower shoots but the tree needs to regain health and strength before tackling something like that.

Good luck with the transplant and future plans.

Thanks Shibui.

Yes I have found them really easy / forgiving to transplant too. I have over the years moved a few, and they are almost insensitive to time of year for moving up here - I just need to put them in a pot and they bounce back soon enough!

The lack of taper on the trunks is a problem. They have some nice width though…

For now i have just chucked it in a pot to recover.