Everything you need to know about pruning Azaleas
Azaleas are among the most beautiful flowering shrubs that belong to the Rhododendron family. Azaleas are in the Ericaceae flowering plant group. As part of a flowering plant azaleas have funnel-shaped flowers consisting of five projecting stamens. Its distinctive and exquisite appearance makes these flowering shrubs beautiful additions to gardens and homes. When defining the subgenera, azaleas are in the Azaleastrum subgenera which is part of genus Rhododendron.
Some species of Azaleas are incredibly fragrant. Their perfume-like scent can easily compete with roses or other aromatic plants. But other species can have no scent at all. The reason behind that is that azaleas come in a wide variety; the evergreen species tend to have little or no scent at all, while native deciduous are known to be very fragrant.
Azaleas shrubs grow into flowering plants. Sometimes overgrown azaleas need to be pruned. Pruning azaleas helps the plant stay healthy and keep it to a good size. Azaleas plants require trimming in the spring after flowering. Trimming the plant keeps the plant bushy and healthy.
Azaleas are overall low-maintenance shrubs. But they tend to grow out of shape. So, if you want your yard to look the best on the block, regular pruning will become an important aspect of your maintenance routine.
Below you will find everything you need to know about pruning Azaleas.
What are Azaleas?
Azaleas shrubs are in the Rhododendron group of plants. Additionally azalea plants belong to the Azaleastrum subgenera. The Azaleastrum subgenera are within the Rhododendron classification of plants.
Azaleas are evergreen or deciduous flowering plants. Azaleas evergreen and azaleas deciduous both are flowering plants and they both bloom in spring. Azalea plants are found in most places around the world. Azaleas shrubs found in the northern atmosphere flower between April and May. Azaleas plants found in southern atmosphere flower between October and November and last several weeks.
What is pruning Azaleas?
Pruning means cutting or trimming azaleas to improve air circulation, encourage growth, or shape the shrub to your desired forms for a pleasant visual appearance.
Pruning means cutting above the node of the azalea plant. The pruning needs to be done on the stem which is between two nodes or a stem can be between a node and a leaf or bud. To encourage growth, trim off the stem of the azalea plant. The stems you prune off should be grown off the main stem.
Pruning azaleas requires cutting after the node to encourage plant growth. Pruned azaleas releases the plant hormone Auxin. When azaleas release the hormone Auxin, the chemical encourages growth by promoting cell elongation.
How far back can you trim Azaleas?
The distance to trim azaleas should be no less than 12 inches. Do not trim Azalea shrubs to the ground. Doing so means the plant will struggle to grow again.
Trimming azaleas encourages growth and keeps the plant looking great. How far you trim the stems of the plant should be 1/3 from the node or 1/3 of the stem. The best time to trim azaleas are in late spring, just after flowering.
How do you prune Azaleas bushes?
Pruning azaleas bushes requires tools such as shears or loopers. Pruning encourages the growth of new sprouts through the release of the hormone Auxin. To get started on pruning Azalea bushes, identify the branches you want to prune. Second step is to cut the stem or branch just above the node. When cutting above the node, new stems will grow and make the azalea bushier.
Recommendation on the best time to prune is late spring when the Azalea bushes have finished flowering.
Why are my Azaleas scraggly?
Azaleas are part of the Rhododendron family and require the right soil and sunlight for healthy growth. When azaleas are scraggly means the plant has poor soil nutrition or not enough sunlight. Scraggly azaleas have woody branches and growth is usually non-existent. To encourage scraggly azaleas for growth, means quality soil, water and direct sunlight. Healthy Azaleas have the right amount of soil, water and sunlight for the photosynthesis process. Photosynthesis promotes more energy for Azaleas to grow.
Why prune Azaleas?
While Azaleas are rather easy to maintain, pruning azaleas shrubs will encourage new growth, improve overall health of the plant and maintain a good shape. Some horticulture practices promotes pruning and here are four reasons why you will want to trim.
Avoid an overgrown yard
- To prevent overgrown azaleas in your yard, it is recommended to plant species that don’t grow past a certain height. Although azaleas look like delicate flowering shrubs, some species tend to overgrow, which is not visually appealing. Overgrown yards and gardens are usually the best environments for different diseases and pest infestation. So, if your Azalea shrub species tend to overgrow, trimming it will become a regular practice.
Give your Azaleas the desired shape
- Shaping or styling gardens and yards a certain way has become quite trendy in the last few years. Since naturally, it tends to overgrow, pruning azaleas to give them shape is the best way to control growth and form so that they match and fit well with the rest of the landscape.
Encourage growth
- Pruning spent azalea flowers can help encourage growth and more buds for the next flowering season. If your plant is no longer producing as many flowers as before, renewal or rejuvenation pruning will prep the shrub for the next year.
Improve air circulation
- Azaleas require good air circulation in order to thrive, develop buds and keep pest-free. Additionally, they tend to grow quite fast and out of control, regular pruning will help carry air through the branches.
How to prune Azaleas?
Overgrown azaleas plants require pruning to maintain shape and encourage new sprouts to grow. Usually azaleas require minimal trimming. Use shears or clippers or loopers to trim azaleas branches. When Azaleas plants are trimmed, the response from the plant will be to release the hormone Auxin. The Auxin hormone released, encourages new sprouts.
Start the trimming process by identifying which branch needs to be trimmed. Usually it’s the old or leggy branches that need to be pruned. Cut just after the node, usually 1/3 from the node. Azaleas stems that a trimmed should not have a long distance from the node.
- Best time to prune azaelea plants is after spring. When the flowers have died off.
- Pick out the dead branches you want new growth from and trim them off.
- Additionally to help give a nice shape to the plant, trim off live steams as well.
- While trimming notice any pest that might be growing on the plant and remove them
How much should I trim my azaleas?
Trimming your azaleas is easy. Ideally make a cut just 1/3 distance from the node of the branch. Cut off leggy azalea branches or older branches to encourage growth of new stems and buds. By trimming your azaleas, you also keep a good shape and keep it healthy.
How can you encourage new growth on Azaleas?
There are two ways to encourage growth on azaleas. First way to encourage growth is to prune the branches just above the node. By trimming or pruning the azalea branches, a plant hormone called Auxin will release. When Azaleas stems are pruned, Auxin is realised which promotes new growth.
Second way to encourage new growth on azaleas requires soil nutrition, sunlight and water. The process of involving soil, sunlight and water is part of the photosynthesis process for plants. Photosynthesis will give more energy for azaleas to grow. Provide azaleas shrubs quality soil, water and sunlight to encourage growth (Photosynthesis).
How to prune overgrown Azaleas?
Overgrown azalea requires pruning off branches just before the node. Large azaleas should be pruned after spring when blooming has finished. It has taken a long time to grow a large azaleas and you don’t want to trim it down to the ground. Rather begin the pruning process by selecting a depth for your cuts. By bench marking the ideal height and width for your azaleas scrub, you can be more consistent with the trimming of branches.
Start the pruning by cutting off a few azalea’s branches to have the ideal depth and width. Continue pruning branches off the overgrown Azaleas. Keep pruning until the desired size of the Azalea plant is reached. Important to know, is to make cuts above the node of the branch.
Cutting Azaleas
Azaleas are to be cut after spring. Cutting azaleas promotes growth and removes bacteria and pests from the plant. Azaleas bloom in the spring therefore cutting azaleas should be after spring.
When cutting azaleas plants, use either shear, hand pruners or loppers. Make the cuts before the node to ensure the healthy growth of stems. Cut 1/3 from the branch node and maintain a consistent depth and width for the azalea’s plant.
Can you cut back Azaleas to the ground?
Cutting the azaleas scrub to the ground will significantly affect how the azaleas plant absorbs nutrition and how the azaleas plant handles diseases. Therefore it is not recommended to cut the azalea plant to the ground.
The possible reasons someone would want to cut a beautiful plant such as azaleas could be that the plant is overgrown, or there are too many dead branches or there needs to be space for other plants.
If the plant is over grown then lightly prune it or cut off most branches but leave a few behind. Additionally, if there are too many dead branches then trim off some branches, like in the above guide we provided.
Deadheading
Deadheading is removing spent flowers from the plant. Ideally, you can use your hands and pull off the flowers from the azaleas.
Deadheading helps promote the growth of new flowers and should be done carefully.
To deadhead any azaleas plant:
- Simply pull or trim the flower.
- Do not pull or remove the bud.
- Keep an eye out on any fungal growth that may happen
Should you Deadhead Azaleas?
Deadheading azaleas is not needed. However deadheading azaleas or Rhododendron plants can promote blooming of flowers. Usually deadheading is required for flowers to focus their energy on growth of new flowers, however deadheading for azaleas does little to no difference in focusing their energy on growth.
Most varieties of azaleas species don’t need to have their flowers removed. The purpose of deadheading a flower is to promote more flowering. However deadheading most varieties of Azaleas species (deciduous and evergreen) does not promote flowering. Basically deciduous and evergreen azalea species do not need to be deadhead. Deadheading can sometimes cause more damage than good.
Healthy Azaleas
Growing healthy azaleas shrubs require acidic soil, water and sunlight. Azalea grows in slightly acidic soil with a PH between 4.5 and 6.0. Provide azaleas water and sunlight for the photosynthesis process, which gives the plant energy for growth.
Why is my Azaleas not bushy?
To encourage azalea to be bushier requires nutrient-rich soil, water, sunlight and especially trimming. Pruning stimulates the growth of new stems. Trimming azaleas releases Auxin hormone which promotes new stems.
How do you rejuvenate old Azaleas?
Rejuvenate old azaleas requires trimming branches. When the plant becomes leggy and old, it will need some help to rejuvenate. When trimming branches of azaleas, the chemical Auxin hormone is released, which encourages the azalea plant to rejuvenate.
Additionally a healthy rejuvenated azaleas plant requires nutrient-rich soil, water and sunlight. The use of water, soil and sunlight encourages the photosynthesises process for old Azalea plants to grow. Photosynthesis is how plants turn sunlight and water into energy.
Season to prune Azalea
Usually the best time to prune azaleas is right after they bloom. Azaleas bloom in the spring, this means trimming the beautiful azaleas should be done in late spring. Most azalaes are flowering plants, like the Stewartsonian Azalea or Duc De Rohan or Azalea Kirin.
Usually azaleas do not need to be pruned.
Start the pruning by identifying branches or stems which need to be pruned. Make the trim just before the node of the branch. The trim should be 1/3 the branch length. Use shears or hand pruners to make the cut.
When to prune Azaleas?
The best time to prune is at the end of the flowering season in late spring or early summer and when the flowers fade and die off. Cutting them in late summer, winter or fall will result in no flower buds for the next flowering season.
How do you prune Azaleas after they bloom?
Prune azaleas after they bloom is the best time to prune these beautiful Rhododendron plants. The reason why you cut back the plant after they bloom is because all the flowers have already blossomed. Azaleas bloom in spring, this means to make cuts on the plants should be done late spring.
What could cause Azaleas not to bloom?
Azaleas not to bloom means the flowering stems have been pruned. Either the flowering branches were pruned at the wrong time, like late summer or just before spring. Other factors that can affect azaleas from blooming include:
- Poor sunlight
- Not enough water or too much water
- Poor soil condition
- Pest damage
Leggy Plants
Leggy Azaleas plant is when the growth of leaves and flowers happen on the outer edges of the plant. Refer to the image of what leggy looks like. Leggy plant growth is not healthy and is something you don’t ideally want.
Improving leggy Azaleas is a slow process and requires trimming off larger branches down to sturdy branches or dormant buds. Every year thicker and larger branches will need to be pruned off so new growth can occur. This will help improve the health of the plant.
Tools to prune Azaleas
Pruning tools are standard for any flowering shrubs. Since azalea is a delicate shrub, the best way to prune it is by using hand pruners and loppers. Hand pruners or clippers are used on smaller shoots and branches, while loppers are used when the branches are too large for hand pruners.
Taking care of plants is a chore and is a great way to relax. Pruning and trimming will help grow and promote next year flowering. Taking care of Rhodendron plants do not require much trimming and when the plant blossoms it is a beautiful sight.
