Azaleas – Pruning For Next Year

Q: The rain kept me out of the garden! Is it too late to prune azaleas?

A: If you prune now, you’ll remove most of the flower buds for next year. Look at the tip of an azalea branch. That tight bud is where a flower will appear next spring. That said, you could remove the tallest, most objectionable branches now and do more severe pruning next spring after flowering. Your shrubs won’t be covered with blooms but you’ll still have an acceptable flower show.