How to Prune Azaleas Most azaleas are just going to need a little shaping.

May 05, If you are pruning an azalea in order to rejuvenate the plant because it’s become spindly or sparse, locate three to five of the largest branches on the azalea bush.

Cut these branches back by a third to a half. Trim all the other branches on the plant as though you’re shaping the plant.

Looking for the most crowded areas, do not let yourself be cut in scarce areas of foliage.

For major pruning, the best time is in early spring before the plant is ready to put out new growth, so it has the full growing season to fill out and for the new growth to mature. When pruning azaleas to reduce height, particularly older plants, it is best to do the pruning in stages, to minimize the shock to the bushfalling.barted Reading Time: 2 mins. Jun 24, The Best Time to Prune Azaleas. As with most plants, knowing when to cut back azaleas is important.

You should cut it back immediately after flowering finishes, or as soon thereafter as possible.

And the answer is similar for many plants and shrubs. Immediately after blooming is the best time to cut back or trim azaleas. Cutting back right after blooming gives the gardener a chance to get the dead blooms off of the plant and to shape up the shrub. When azaleas grow too big for their surroundings, they may need to be pruned drastically.

You can cut overgrown plants down to about 1 foot in height. Then feed them with a slow-release, water-soluble fertilizer. Frequently water the plants you cut back to encourage a. Apr 20, “To fully rejuvenate older azaleas, cut one or two large branches back to between six inches or a foot from the ground per year.” she says. “As the new growth develops from the base, keep removing the larger, older stems annually until they are all reduced.”. Dec 17, An azalea can become overgrown and leggy, and although rejuvenating pruning is beneficial, drastic measures, such as cutting the shrub down to.