Pruning My Azaleas
The weather here at my Bedford, New York farm is expected to be pleasant and sunny for the next few days - perfect for doing lots of pruning and grooming in the gardens.
This week, my gardeners have been focusing their attention on the azalea beds just outside my Summer House. Of all the shrubs that flower in spring, azaleas provide some of the most brilliant displays. And now that the flowers have faded for the season, it's a great time to get out the clippers and loppers and do some routine pruning. Trimmed correctly and these plants will continue to produce layers of beautiful bell-shaped blooms.
Enjoy these photos and tips.
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- My large azalea collection is in a lightly wooded area, where they get filtered sunlight through the day.
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- This photo was taken last spring. Azaleas are generally healthy, easy to grow plants. Some azaleas bloom as early as March, but most bloom in April and May with blossoms lasting several weeks.
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- Azaleas are flowering shrubs in the Ericaceae family, which includes blueberries and mountain laurel. They are also all rhododendrons and members of the genus Rhododendron. Many azaleas have two to three inch flowers and range in a variety of colors from pink to white to purple, red, orange and yellow. In this area is a collection of pink azaleas.
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- Now that they’re finished blooming, it’s a good time to cut out any of the “three Ds” – dead, damaged or diseased branches.
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- Pruning removes unwanted branches, but also keeps the shrubs in proportion to the rest of the garden. It is a time consuming task, but a very crucial one for the wellness of these specimens.
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- Because I have so many azaleas, Brian does this task over the course of a few days. He trims any superfluous or crisscrossing branches to better the overall shape. Azaleas look best when minimally pruned so they retain their naturally graceful form.
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- Most of the trimming can be done with pruners. We use Okatsune Hand Pruners with their distinguishable red and white handles. These are made from Izumo Yasuki Japanese steel, and are angled to provide a smooth, clean cut without crushing. Cuts should be made always just above a bud eye. The “bud eye” refers to the area on the stem where branching occurs.
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- Dead wood is typically brown in color, so they are very easy to identify.
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- Loppers are the second most useful tool for pruning. The long handles allow farther reach and better leverage with minimal exertion.
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- Loppers cut anything that can fit entirely between the blades when open – typically, this includes wood of up to one inch in diameter or more. Brian uses them to remove long stray shoots by reaching down into the plant and making cuts next to larger woody branches. This allows sunlight and air movement in the center of the shrub and promotes healthy new growth.
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- Anything thicker necessitates a pruning saw. And always keep pruning tools sharp in order to get good, clean cuts.
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- Here is another example of dead wood cut from the base of the azalea.
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- Brian steps back often to assess the work done and to see where else he needs to prune.
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- Azaleas are both deciduous and evergreen. Deciduous azaleas typically have large leaves that may be up to four to six inches long. In horticulture and botany, the term deciduous means “falling off at maturity” and refers to trees and shrubs that shed leaves seasonally – usually in fall.
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- Evergreen azaleas rarely have leaves that are longer than two inches. The leaves of both types are typically solid green, but some varieties of each may have white or yellow mottling or edges. Most azalea leaves are roughly football-shaped.
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- Here, one can see the nice round shape of this azalea after pruning.
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- On this azalea, one can also see the growth of the layers. Plant height ranges from about three to six feet for most azalea varieties, but rare plants can range from under one foot to well over 15-feet tall. When selecting a location for planting an azalea, be sure to consider the mature size of the plant so it can be grouped accordingly in the landscape – tall plants in the background and short plants in the foreground.
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- Earlier this year, I added some azaleas to this side of the bed outside my Summer House – they are thriving. Azaleas have short root systems, so they can easily be transplanted in early spring or early fall. Be careful not to plant too deep and water thoroughly after transplanting. These don’t need too much pruning, but Brian looks at every one to make sure.
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- Meanwhile, Ryan spreads fertilizer. This is triple super phosphate – high phosphorus plant food. This promotes root growth and maturity and is perfect for all acid loving plants. Many factors influence the quantity of azalea blooms. If an azalea fails to bloom, it could be lack of moisture during late spring and summer; less than three hours of sun per day; or, poor plant nutrition, which could reduce the number of buds. I always say, if you eat, so should your plants.
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- Once all the azaleas are pruned, Brian starts the cleanup – such an important detail after every garden task is completed. He places all the debris in my handy Martha Stewart XL Garden Tote available on my shop at Amazon.
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- Use a soft rake to gather any clippings and leaves and always be careful around specimens when cleaning.
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- Many of these azaleas are in the same bed as my tree peonies. Everything looks great – all are now well-shaped, and ready for their cold season nap. This is among my favorite gardens here at the farm.
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