Pruning Azaleas
A Few Tips On Pruning Azaleas
For the most part, the need for pruning azaleas is very rare, as these prized flowering evergreen shrubs tend to flourish and shape nicely on their own after the first year of planting or transplant. There are cases, however, which require some human assistance, especially when dealing with established bushes that are losing their luster for life and bloom. Some people find that their azaleas are looking like tall, skinny, legged plants with struts of color striking out at random, and this is not a favorable condition for this bush to be in. Pruning azaleas that have taken on this form usually entails a complete heading at the 6 inch point of the stalks from the surface of the soil. This should be done during the spring, and though your shrub will miss the bloom, it will come back vigorously the following spring.
If you want to prune azaleas for more sunlight and new growth at the center stalk, you will also use the trimming technique. This is the term that gardeners use to describe the removal of full limbs from the stalk of a plant, or full branches from the limbs of a plant. You will successfully remove branches that are unfavorable to the growth and health of the tree whilst giving room for new and more vigorous branches to grow. Spot trimming when pruning azaleas is a great way to regenerate and rejuvenate a stagnant or elderly bush.
The other term that you may need to familiarize yourself with when pruning azaleas would be heading, and this is the technique used when shaping a bush. The tips and ends of branches will be removed when using this method, and you will be able to make a big impression if you do it correctly. Gradual heading is the best way to go about this, and you may want to snip at it during the fall months, before the bush lays dormant for the winter. This way, more energy will be stored by the roots for the spring bloom.
If you are learning about pruning azaleas for use as a bonsai specimen, there are a great many resources for your informational needs. There are some smaller varieties of azalea which are commonly used for the art of bonsai, but they must be trained from a very early age and constantly tended to in order to succeed. Your potting soil will require the same acidity and compost mixture as your outdoor garden holds, and you can accomplish this with a good peat moss and chopped oak mulch mixed into a nutrient rich potting soil. Remember to water without drowning, and give your indoor azalea plenty of indirect sunlight.