Hi all-

I've lived in my home for 1.5 years, and when we moved in, the
previous owners had 2 azalea bushes. Both are about 12 feet tall and
about 10ft. wide. They are enormous. I don't want to remove them
because I believe that they have been on the property a long time...

The problem is...I pruned them last year quite a bit (still too
large), but I began cutting very thick branches just under the surface
of the leaves. I want the bush to be much smaller, but do I need to
cut it down to nothing, and hope it grows back? I am willing to cut
the whole thing so there is nothing left but a stump and let it revive
itself, but is that the best way to have it "start over" ?

Thanks for any help.

In article
,
wrote:

Hi all-

I've lived in my home for 1.5 years, and when we moved in, the
previous owners had 2 azalea bushes. Both are about 12 feet tall and
about 10ft. wide. They are enormous. I don't want to remove them
because I believe that they have been on the property a long time...

The problem is...I pruned them last year quite a bit (still too
large), but I began cutting very thick branches just under the surface
of the leaves. I want the bush to be much smaller, but do I need to
cut it down to nothing, and hope it grows back? I am willing to cut
the whole thing so there is nothing left but a stump and let it revive
itself, but is that the best way to have it "start over" ?

Thanks for any help.

How old is your house ? How old are you and how much do you like this
stuff ? I'd purchase or start propagating news ones and do it now.
Layering sounds like a viable option. Place a rock on a low branch
which is covered with dirt. Wait 2 years and separate.

Ours are getting leggy and strained so slowly in with the new and out
with the old. Meanwhile the old lingers about here as we are attached
to them. We chose good variety's 35 years and had just a few problems
mostly some sort of insect that likes to suck on the bottom of the
leaves.

Still just ordered 12 deciduous azaleas. My better picks up a few
that catches her eye too. But our mist propagating years are 25 years
ago are done.

Seems a few kids took our attention.

Bill who prefers pines and bamboo's.

--
Garden in shade zone 5 S Jersey USA

Our house is 85 years old and I can only imagine that the azalea is
about 30 years old. I like the azaleas...however, I am not attached
to them...if I do remove them, are there tricks removing such a
behemoth?

On Apr 21, 4:29*pm, Bill wrote:
In article
,



wrote:
Hi all-

I've lived in my home for 1.5 years, and when we moved in, the
previous owners had 2 azalea bushes. *Both are about 12 feet tall and
about 10ft. wide. *They are enormous. *I don't want to remove them
because I believe that they have been on the property a long time...

The problem is...I pruned them last year quite a bit (still too
large), but I began cutting very thick branches just under the surface
of the leaves. *I want the bush to be much smaller, but do I need to
cut it down to nothing, and hope it grows back? *I am willing to cut
the whole thing so there is nothing left but a stump and let it revive
itself, but is that the best way to have it "start over" ?

Thanks for any help.

*How old is your house ? *How old are you and how much do you like this
stuff ? I'd purchase or start propagating news ones and do it now. *
Layering sounds like a viable option. *Place a rock on a low branch
which is covered with dirt. * Wait 2 years and separate.

Ours are getting leggy and strained so slowly in with the new and out
with the old. *Meanwhile the old lingers about here as we are attached
to them. We chose good variety's 35 years and had just a few problems
mostly some sort of insect that likes to suck on the bottom of the
leaves.

* Still just ordered 12 deciduous azaleas. *My better picks up a few
that catches her eye too. *But our mist propagating years are 25 years
ago are done.

*Seems a few kids took *our attention.

* Bill who prefers pines and bamboo's.

--
Garden in shade zone 5 S Jersey USA

wrote:
Our house is 85 years old and I can only imagine that the azalea is
about 30 years old. I like the azaleas...however, I am not attached
to them...if I do remove them, are there tricks removing such a
behemoth?
Yeah, hook a chain or rope around them and pull them out of the ground
with a vehicle or a come-along. I removed 14 of the huge ones here in
1990 so I could put in a vegetable garden. They're generally not deeply
rooted and are usually easy to move.

I moved several of them up under three oak trees on a slope, put leaves
and compost over the roots that were just sitting on the ground. They're
still growing and have covered the area I wanted covered. The rest I
dragged behind a car over to the neighbor next door and he planted them
along a fence as a hedge. Covered the roots just as I did. They're still
growing.

I don't know about where you live but azaleas can be hard to kill down
here in SW Louisiana.

wrote:

I've lived in my home for 1.5 years, and when we moved in, the
previous owners had 2 azalea bushes. Both are about 12 feet tall and
about 10ft. wide. They are enormous. I don't want to remove them
because I believe that they have been on the property a long time...

The problem is...I pruned them last year quite a bit (still too
large), but I began cutting very thick branches just under the surface
of the leaves. I want the bush to be much smaller, but do I need to
cut it down to nothing, and hope it grows back? I am willing to cut
the whole thing so there is nothing left but a stump and let it revive
itself, but is that the best way to have it "start over" ?

If necessary, you can remove a great deal of material. It is a general
rule to not remove over 1/3 of the leaf area each year. Pruning is
generally used to control unsatisfactory height or width of a plant. I
don't prune very often and try to limit pruning to plants which have a
shape that is unsatisfactory or dead branches. If I want to cut trusses
for bouquets, I always cut the tallest flowers since this helps keep the
plant within bounds.

Severe pruning is not uncommon with rhododendrons and azaleas. A healthy
plant can be cut to the ground and will usually come back. Rhododendrons
and azaleas have dormant buds beneath the bark which sprout to form new
growth after severe pruning. However, Richard Colbert reported that such
attempts at Tyler Arboretum were only successful if the plant had enough
sun light. Those in heavy shade frequently died. He recommend first
opening up the shade by thinning the forest canopy. Then he recommends
just removing some of the top to induce new growth at the base. Then
when that new growth is established, the remainder of the top can be
removed.
--
Pardon my spam deterrent; send email to
Visit my Rhododendron and Azalea web pages at:
http://rhodyman.net/rahome.html
Also visit the Rhododendron and Azalea Bookstore at:
http://rhodyman.net/rabooks.html
Cheers, Steve Henning in Reading, PA USA Zone 6

When we moved into our house, the previous owners had pruned the azaleas
back to a stump at ground level. They were even with the ground and I didn't
even know what they were until the next year or 2. I have done very light
to no pruning until last year, and one was taller than me. The other was up
to the eaves, about 1-12 feet. I did cut them back to around 5 feet last
year, and I wish I had followed everyone's suggestions to leave them alone.
In spite of cutting them while the withered bloom was still on, they put out
a pitiful show this year and I really missed it. In years past, all you can
see is solid fuschia from ground to top.

Vicky
"Stephen Henning" wrote in message
news
wrote:

I've lived in my home for 1.5 years, and when we moved in, the
previous owners had 2 azalea bushes. Both are about 12 feet tall and
about 10ft. wide. They are enormous. I don't want to remove them
because I believe that they have been on the property a long time...

The problem is...I pruned them last year quite a bit (still too
large), but I began cutting very thick branches just under the surface
of the leaves. I want the bush to be much smaller, but do I need to
cut it down to nothing, and hope it grows back? I am willing to cut
the whole thing so there is nothing left but a stump and let it revive
itself, but is that the best way to have it "start over" ?

If necessary, you can remove a great deal of material. It is a general
rule to not remove over 1/3 of the leaf area each year. Pruning is
generally used to control unsatisfactory height or width of a plant. I
don't prune very often and try to limit pruning to plants which have a
shape that is unsatisfactory or dead branches. If I want to cut trusses
for bouquets, I always cut the tallest flowers since this helps keep the
plant within bounds.

Severe pruning is not uncommon with rhododendrons and azaleas. A healthy
plant can be cut to the ground and will usually come back. Rhododendrons
and azaleas have dormant buds beneath the bark which sprout to form new
growth after severe pruning. However, Richard Colbert reported that such
attempts at Tyler Arboretum were only successful if the plant had enough
sun light. Those in heavy shade frequently died. He recommend first
opening up the shade by thinning the forest canopy. Then he recommends
just removing some of the top to induce new growth at the base. Then
when that new growth is established, the remainder of the top can be
removed.
--
Pardon my spam deterrent; send email to
Visit my Rhododendron and Azalea web pages at:
http://rhodyman.net/rahome.html
Also visit the Rhododendron and Azalea Bookstore at:
http://rhodyman.net/rabooks.html
Cheers, Steve Henning in Reading, PA USA Zone 6