GardenBanter.co.uk - View Single Post - Confused about pruning azaleas and rhodies

Phisherman[_1_] · 08-06-2008, 12:06 AM posted to rec.gardens

On 07 Jun 2008 22:10:42 GMT, (Patty Winter) wrote:

I have a handout from the American Rhododendron Society that
says the best time to prune rhodies and azaleas is in the spring,
just after flowering. Makes perfect sense to me, but the plants
aren't cooperating. :-)

By the time the current year's flowers are fading, the plants
are already forming buds (flower? leaves?) for next year. So
if I prune then, I'll end up removing new growth, and then
won't I have a barren plant for a year? But if I don't prune,
then I keep getting growth farther and farther out the branches,
leaving the centers of the plants increasingly empty. Any
suggestions?

Thanks!
Patty

You only have two choices:
Prune and lose some next blooms, or
Don't prune and allow the plant to get larger.

Personally, it would depend on the location and I'd prefer to leave it
alone (not prune) and mulch the azalea. Azaleas and rhododendrons
often look just fine in their natural unpruned state.