There are several pruning strategies to keep your azaleas in top form.
Use this guide to learnwhen and how to prune azaleas properly.
Evergreen Azaleas
Evergreen azaleas mostly hail from Asia and are more dense, compact, and lower-growing.
Credit:Bob Stefko
These shrubs are often wider than they are tall.
Most evergreen azaleas flower in early to mid-spring, though some rebloom in summer and fall.
If your azaleas have outgrown their space or need serious renewal, a more drastic procedurerejuvenation pruningis called for.
Be sure the blades are well-sharpened so the cuts are clean.
This timing applies to rebloomerssuch as Encore Azaleasas well.
While they usually require minimal pruning, light pruning after their spring bloom encourages new growth.
Since they flower both on new and old growth, light pruning can increase the overall number of blooms.
Do not pruneany azaleas in late summer or fall.
It stimulates tender new growth that is easily damaged by winter weather.
This helps the plant heal and prevents disease spread.
Dispose of any diseased portion of the plant in the trash, not your compost pile.
Rejuvenation pruning should be done in late winter or very early spring before new growth begins.
If you are making several cuts, make them slightly different lengths to maintain a natural mounding shape.
Use hand pruners for smaller cuts and loppers for larger branches.
Loppers are usually needed if you plan to reduce the shrubs size significantly.
you might cut large branches back to about 12 inches if needed.
After pruning, apply aslow-release fertilizerfor acid-loving plants around the base of the shrub and water your plant well.
There are two approachesget it done all at once or space it out over a few years.
Late winter to early springbefore new growth beginsis the best time for either approach.
The downside of this approach is that you lose a year of flowering.
The second approach is slightly more measured, although it follows the same principle.
So, you are spreading out the process over three seasons.
you could prune azaleas in the summerup until abouttwo months before the first frostwithout damaging the plant.
Azaleas grow at different rates.
Many azaleas are slow-growing and may need pruning only once every four or five years.
Others may require an annual maintenance trim.
