Root-death is what occurs when overwatered. And so you'll have to wait for new roots to grow....if they are going to grow. However, this isn't so much about the watering, per se, but more about the moisture retention of the potting mix/soil itself. If the mix doesn't drain well, then the problem will never correct itself, even if you attempt to water in "sips," which is not an effective solution. Josh

i am not staining my steps which are PT until this time next year..dont knowif its right way or not but i believe wood needs to weather awhile..

Lots of variables to take into account here. First what is sizeable? How are growing conditions? Fertilization regime? I know of some Dutch nurseries that can get a saleable/sizeable plant from cuttings in about 2,5 to 3 years. This is of course under very professional conditions with heavy fertilization. The pot size is usually 2 or 2,5 liters (you have to do the gallon conversion yourself!). But note that it is not that easy to get an azalea cutting rooted under amateur conditions. It is not impossible but success rate may be low.

I have had good success at dividing hydrangeas. Yes, dividing like a perennial. Try taking a couple of hunks off the larger masses of roots from the older plants. For some reason, this is not recommended by most nurseries or books, but works for me. We recently divided a 6 ft Nikko - about 25 - 20 years old and all 5 pieces are doing just fine. I did not cut them down very far - just took off the old blooms, and pulled and pushed and tried to keep as many roots as possible. Then, I washed the roots really well, untangled the ones attached and spread them out and put them into pots. If it stops raining here in the PNW tomorrow I will take some pics for you. I gave about 10 from other plants - Endless summer, Kluis Superba and Nikko Blue to the Seattle Volunteer Park last spring and they were done the same way. They made it through the winter out doors just fine - but remember, this is the PNW about zone 8b or so. The great result of this rather uncommon way of propagating is that the first year they are 4-5 feet tall - immediate gratification. I have also divided some smaller Japanese varieties. Don't worry about exposing the roots, the latest articles show that this assures the soil is all the same texture throughout the pot and the ground if planted directly. Compacted soil in the middle of the root ball and lose soil in the rest of the pot or planting site will kill the new cutting. Washing the root ball also means that you can inspect the roots and make sure there are no critters or that the roots are circling and not growing out. Dr. Chalker-Scott reports that this root pruning is as valuable as pruning the top of the plant.