I planted this only two years ago. Around the immediate base it appeared with green mold. As you can see I dug it up and opened up the root base and just put it in a bucket of water. Is this the right way to go? I'll let it soak for a short while and try to spread what ever roots there are and replant. Please advise!!

It looks pretty dead. Are you mixing peat into the planting hole? I mix about 1/2 peat into a hole twice the width of the rootball (my soil is river bottom loam) because acidic soil is an absolute necessity. And keep them well watered. The root systems are shallow and fibrous - they don't hold onto water well.

In Japan, azalea are grown in straight kanuma soil. Its a soft highly water absorbent volcanic rock with a pH between 5 and 6. Azaleas are happiest at pH around 5. Peat moss has a pH between 3 and 4 so mixing with native soil before using is a good idea. Keep the soil moist always.

Thank You!! Just how long should let it soak in the pail?? I'll do the peat as suggested. Thanks again.

Did you scratch the bark? If the top is dead, the roots won't resprout.

There were two branched which showed some life, so I replant anyway and see what happens. I got nothing to lose. Thanks again.