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When considering how to prune azaleas , take into chronicle that such pruning is n’t really a necessity unless your bushes have outgrown their allotted space . you could forbid that by planting azaleas where there is peck of room for them to mature and by select midget azaleas for location beneath window .
Selecting a site where the bushes receive some sun , rather in the morning , will also helpkeep azalea compactwithout pruning . like for azaleas , among whose variety show of colors you could find the perfect shade for yourmonochromatic garden , is n’t hard unless you make it so .
When to Prune Azaleas
When to prune azalea depends on whether your bushes demand mundane pruning or a drastic cutting back . Azaleamaintenance pruningshould be performed just after the plant has finished blossoming , which can vary from recent winter to former summer , reckon on the cultivar and clime . Do n’t prune after the beginning of July , which is when the flora will start making new bud for the following year .
However , if you intend to cut an azalea back severely , do so in early leap before its maturation begin . relinquish yourself to give that class ’s flowers ; the other start will remove this year ’s buds but give the bush fourth dimension to recover to form buds for the undermentioned year .
Before You Begin
Before you begin pruning your azalea George W. Bush , clean the blades of yourpruning shearsandpruning lopperswithrubbing alcohol . It ’s a good thought to clean them again between each bush to avoid spread disease from one to another .
For healthy bushes, opt for thinning rather than heading cuts.
Because some azalea are evergreen , gardener occasionally shape them into stately ball or hedges . PennState Extensionwarns against this practice as “ heading cuts leave in a richness of growth below the cut that creates a rampart of maturation on the outside of the shrub that blocks Lord’s Day from the interior of the bush and block air circulation . ”
TheUniversity of Georgia Extensionadvises that , “ Thinning is the preferred pruning technique because it opens up the canopy , improve air flow and helps minimize diseases . It also result in a more natural development form than heading and ask less routine maintenance . ”
For rejuvenation, cut your azalea back severely in early spring.
If you want to begin over again with an honest-to-goodness azalea that routine pruning wo n’t serve , try cutting it back to within 6 to 12 column inch from the ground in early spring . Once it begins put out newfangled growth , wait until those shoots are 6 to 12 inches tall before snipping off their bakshis to force the plant to bush out . check that you keep it well water but avoid applyingfertilizerduring what will be a stressful time for your azalea .
For thinning, remove damaged, diseased, or protruding branches after bloom.
If your azalea does n’t require such drastic measures but could use a little thinning to permit light to imbue to its interior , wait until after the plant blooms to take away any damage , pathologic , or protruding branches . swerve each one all the way back to just above another branch or just above the works ’s luggage compartment .
Instead of using hedge shears on your plants to make what it cry “ meatball in the landscape,”University of Arkansas Extensionrecommends that you “ selectively thin at stupefying heights throughout the bushes . This will give you a more full , lifelike look and more flowers next spring . ”
Prune reblooming azaleas after their spring flush, not in autumn.
Because reblooming azaleas such as the Encore series make buds whenever they make Modern emergence , you ’ll want to prune them after their first flush of flowers in spring to promote them to make plenty of new buds for summertime and fall . However , you should head off prune them after the dusk flush — or at any time during the 2 months before the day of the month when your first fall frost ordinarily pass off . That will help prevent any tender new increment from happen too late in the season .
Use your azalea clippings to propagate new azaleas for free.
you’re able to use clippings from your pruning for propagating azalea if you like . As to how to propagate azaleas , University of Arkansas Extensionrecommends that you select 3- to 4 - in cuttings and remove the parting from the lower one-half of each stem . Then dip the bottom ½ column inch of each slip in root internal secretion and pile up the clipping in dampish peat moss .
Enclose the can in a closed moldable bag hold above the cutting with crossed arch wires . Place the locoweed in a shaded location and check up on the cuttings for rooting after 3 weeks or so .
Final Thoughts
To sum up up , if you pick out your locations carefully when found azalea plants , you should n’t demand to prune the bushes at all . The type of azalea you select also can make a difference as deciduous varieties are more potential to grow gawky than evergreen unity are . If you must trim the bush , do that forthwith after they flower . At all costs , avoidlate summer pruning , which is apt to remove all the buds that otherwise should bloom the next year . In other words , you do n’t desire to makecare for azalea bushes(AKArhododendron care ) any more stressful than necessary .
Our Best Advice for Beginner Gardeners
We ’ll avail you set up your first garden — whether that ’s a few pots on your terrace , a raised layer , or an in - ground plot of land out back — and select the correct plant for your grime and region .
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