leatherback wrote: But would you not be better of finding a better tree to start with?

Ok, right. That is a good point.

One more question :blush:

If I were going to apply the sacrifice branch method... Which branch would you pick to do so? :whistle:

I would probably take the blue one for new top, to let grow freely for a year or two. And the red one would become a sacrifice branch to be left on for much longer.

but well.. Without knowing the species, and not seeing the plant live, this is dificult. There may be many alternatives.

I think it is something that you can grow and work on to practice your horticultural skills. If it was mine I would leave it in the ground - or move it to your ground, prune the roots and remove some branches as suggested.
I also am not sure of the species
There is no reason why you cannot keep the tree alive, it looks quite healthy.
Leaf size at the moment is not relevant, only when it is mature and styled do you need to consider leaf size. Too late for much fertiliser this year, but next I would be fertilising with a high nitrogen to get growth for the next 3 or 4 years, then pot up and continue to style the tree. It may not be the best material, but there is no reason not to give it a go, and you never know it could make a nice bonsai in time.
Geoff.

m5eaygeoff wrote: I think it is something that you can grow and work on to practice your horticultural skills. If it was mine I would leave it in the ground - or move it to your ground, prune the roots and remove some branches as suggested.
I also am not sure of the species
There is no reason why you cannot keep the tree alive, it looks quite healthy.
Leaf size at the moment is not relevant, only when it is mature and styled do you need to consider leaf size. Too late for much fertiliser this year, but next I would be fertilising with a high nitrogen to get growth for the next 3 or 4 years, then pot up and continue to style the tree. It may not be the best material, but there is no reason not to give it a go, and you never know it could make a nice bonsai in time.
Geoff.

Thanks Geoff,

I think I would finally wait for next spring to dig it out. I know it is not the best material but I´ll give it my best efforts and care when the time comes. I will also follow your advices (Leatherback and yours) and see if someday can become a nice bonsai. The only thing that continues to puzzle me is the fact that we just don´t seem able to identify it without any uncertainty. First time I see it in this blog and it confuses me :huh:

Oh, and the only thing I wouldn´t probably do is plant to plant it in the ground... I don´t own any open space... In return I will put it in a big training pot. It´s not ideal, but it is a fair start.

I have a theory that it may be some kind of an azalae hybrid or just an azelea. I could be wrong.

Actually, your plant has fruit if you can see them, they are very small, you can see one on the top left branch, on the picture that LB posted. That may look like some clue or something.

bob wrote: I have a theory that it may be some kind of an azalae hybrid or just an azelea. I could be wrong.

What serrated leaf type azalea would that be precisely, bob ?

what i am trying to do is create a brain wave or something in someone's mind, you could have just said @?/#! guess.

my last post was a joke by the way. if you may have taken it the wrong way.

it could be a plant only native to spain?