Azaleas look best when they are allowed to keep their natural shape and size. Prune azaleas just after flowering. Cut back errant branches and shape as needed. This is also the time to shear formal hedges. Cutting back plants in summer or fall will result in the loss of the next year’...
Don’t prune all the old wood because this is what will keep flowering as the new growth matures. Prune for Size If your hydrangea has outgrown its space and you need to prune it, you can prune away select branches to curtail its size. Prune away select branches all the way to ground ...
Flowering Shrub Type Examples When to Prune How to Prune Spring-blooming shrubs (bloom on old wood) Lilacs, forsythias, azaleas, weigelas, traditional bigleaf hydrangeas Prune immediately after they finish flowering in spring. Remove one-third to one-fifth of the oldest stems every two to thre...
Pruning or pinching back young Azalea plants helps to promote bushy growth. This gardening task should be done early in the spring. But, any pruning may result in cutting off next year’s blooms. If you prune an established bush heavily, it may not bloom again for two to three years. At...
Prune azalea plants after the flowering period but before July 1. Remove tall growth and suckers growing from the ground if needed. Only prune to shape the plant and create a desired look. Fertilize azalea plants by applying a broadcast fertilizer 4 to 6 inches from the stem of the plant ...
Prune lilacs soon after flowering. If you wait too long, you’ll be sacrificing next year’s flowers. Remove dead, diseased, or damaged branches to keep your shrub healthy. Improved air circulation throughout the plant will also help prevent powdery mildew. Spent blooms should be deadheaded....
Camellias are generally pruned only to maintain size and shape. Prune away dead, damaged or diseased branches as well as those that cross, rub or otherwise grow in the wrong direction. The best time to prune is after flowering. Deadheading spent blooms will also improve the appearance of the...
To keep bushes compact, tip-pinch frequently, starting after flowering ends and continuing until mid-June. Prune deciduous azaleas while they are dormant and leafless. Azaleas don't need as careful pruning as rhododendrons―the leaves are relatively evenly spaced along the branches, with a ...
Tips for Pruning Rhododendrons Charlotte Bleijenberg/iStock/GettyImages The best time to prune rhododendrons is after a full flush of blooms. This applies to both evergreen and deciduous azalea varieties. Pruned at this time, the plant has plenty of time to develop new wood; this growth will...
To keep your plants looking good year after year, select a few of the longest and oldest canes and prune them close to the ground level each year. Start this procedure when the plants are young and you’ll always have good looking plants. ...