Rescued Azalea

Here is an azalea that was dug up from my old yard. I thought that with pruning and time, it has the potential to become a bonsai (if it survives).
I like the surface roots and trunks!

If I'm not mistaken, azaleas tolerate heavy pruning well - though it probably just went through a lot of root trauma. Should I wait before chopping it down to size?

I would also really appreciate advice on where it should be cut.
Let me know if I should post some better pictures.

Thanks so much!

I dug up 8 last year, put them in garden store pots with lots of dirt from where they came from, then put them in large pots this winter with bonsai soil. So far they are all alive. They all had flowers last month. I fertilized sporadically with azalea oriented fertilizer but used akadama in6of konuma. They all are doing fine.
Eventually you will chop it shorter, but I would wait till next year.

I would prune, but to larger than what I wanted to keep. The severely damaged rootball will need to regrow and having such a tall plant on tiny roots cause a lot of wiggling. A lower more compact plant will be more stable. Certainly remove all flowers.

This is how I go about by garden rescues: www.growingbonsai.net/bonsai-material-digging-from-a-garden/

I appreciate your replies Ivan and Leatherback!
It has been trimmed back a bit and had all the flowers removed.
I have been going through and learning from your website as well - thanks for that!

As a rule of thumb, I tend to prune azaleas back a similar percentage of growth to roots removed, and yes remove all the flowers and flower buds. I suggest you also tie the tree securely in the pot as any movement will damage new roots. Good luck

You do not dig up plants in bloom, maybe it will live.

Plants put a lot into that flower, now it will need to recover, from the flowers, and the root chop,

It'll take some TLC.