If you have driven around the Charlotte area, you've probably noticed the profuse pink and red flowering shrubs that seem to be everywhere. Azaleas are beautiful. Their wonderful color announces that spring is in full bloom and summer is just around the corner. Some people are confused as to when and how these shrubs should be pruned. When looking online, you can find conflicting information regarding pruning of these area landscape staples.
It is generally best to prune azaleas directly after they bloom but before the new buds have formed. Since azaleas are blooming now in our region of the country, it's best to wait until the blooms start to fade or fall off. Then it is safe to prune your azaleas back. Since next year's flowers usually start appearing around mid-summer (beginning of July in our area), waiting to prune these shrubs in July is not a good idea. You'll cut away the buds that your shrub needs to flower in the coming season and you may not get flowers next spring.
Why should you prune? Established, healthy azaleas really need very little pruning or maintenance.
- You may need to prune your shrub if it is damaged or diseased. Cutting off dead or injured wood can prevent diseases.
- To keep an overly enthusiastic plant under control (scaling it back). Perhaps it has grown too large for its space or is crowding your house. As always, it's best to think long term when planting. If you consider the size of the shrub at maturity and plant in the appropriate location, leaving room for it to grow, then you may not need to prune the azalea.
- If your azalea has gotten leggy with bare stalks on bottom and leafy tops, it may be necessary to prune or trim it to encourage branching.
- You may want to create a shaped hedge from your azaleas. (Although the natural shape of the azalea plant is very attractive, sometimes it is preferable to have a hedge.)
To prune your azaleas, you'll need a pair of hand clippers or loppers. As with all tools, you'll want to make sure they are sharp. Dull blades tear the plant instead of making clean cuts. Imagine cutting through paper with dull scissors. That is never the best situation for a precise cut. As a landscaper we may deal with a multitude of azaleas on a property. Hedge trimmers help us to make the most efficient use of our time on site to trim en masse.
When trimming, there are a couple of things to keep in mind. If your goal is to scale back an exuberant bush, cut overly long branches back into the shrub at the main stalk. (Don't leave a stub). This will keep the symmetry of the bush but thin it out. It won't take long for it to flush out again. If your goal in pruning is to encourage growth on the lower limbs, trim the new growth during the growing season to encourage branching (mid-summer). These cuts do not have to reach to the main stalk. The azaleas will grow new branches right below wherever you cut it. If your shrub is so overgrown that you need to do a drastic cut, azaleas will usually tolerate this well, also. If you need to cut it back to a foot in height, be sure to use a slow release type of fertilizer after pruning give it the nutrients it needs to regenerate. If you peruse the fertilizer aisle at most nursery or home improvement store you'll see that there are special fertilizers especially for flowering shrubs like azaleas or rhododendrons. This will encourage growth. You also need to be patient with the shrub that's left behind. In most cases, the following spring you'll have a smaller shrub with lots of new growth. As a general rule, though it is best never to cut down more than 1/3 of the plant in a season.
No matter how you do it, azaleas are hardy and will thrive with a little attention. We fertilize our azaleas soon after we prune to give them an extra dose of nutrients to sustain them through the summer months.
With 100's of varieties of azaleas available, the possibilities are endless. They bring spring beauty to our lawns and lives. Place the correct variety in the right spot and they are worry free, beautiful additions to your landscape. Once established, they provide great value with very little care. Thanks,
The AA Tex Lawn Team
