The rule I've always read is that you can prune an azalea until August, that is when the buds are set. But if you don't care about the blooms, I suppose you could trim them down anytime.

I have a neighbor that has white azaleas as a hedge in front of his house. For some reason, he shapes them into a sqaure hedge right before they are set to bloom. Every year!

I would use a hedge clipper and perhaps lopers to remove some of the larger branches.

I kind of know which tools to use. What I want is some guidelines for pruning them way back without butchering them.

Check WalterReeves.com - I heard him talking about azalea pruning a couple of weeks ago. And of course, can't remember the details other than probable loss of bloom. I'm wondering about cuttings. That research I'll attempt later today.

Rosie in Sugar Hill

Cut the branches that are in the way back to about 12-18 inches. This will cause them to branch out from the bottom. Then, later keep them in shape and size by pruning back any long branches that reach out beyond what you want. Go into the interior of the plant to a place where the cut will be hidden by the longer branches. You can do this type of pruning at anytime.

I think pruning azaleas to keep them within a certain size keeps them from getting leggy. Sometimes you have to bite the bullet and take them w-a-a-y-yy back and let them start over. A severe pruning done right after blooming will usually result in a nice sized bush for the next spring. those old azaleas are hard to kill.

I would hesitate to do any very severe pruning right now as we may have enough warm weather that would encouage them to put on tender new growth that could be damaged by a hard freeze.

Thanks for the help guys. The best time to prune seems to be in early spring before any blooms appear. Ruins the blooms for the year, but does less harm to the plant. So I guess this is another chore I can put off for a few months. I don't want to endanger the indicas, which aren't really supposed to be cold hardy here anyway.

I grow the azaleas as an evergreen backdrop for everything else, but right now they've taken over the plants they are supposed to be the backdrop for. Can't wait to get rid of some of that growth. Thanks for all the help.

If you keep up with your trimming and shaping every year you won't have to butcher them every now and then. Unfortunately I didn't prune enough and even skipped one year and this year had to butcher them. I plan to keep up now every year. I wish the person who owned this house before me had not planted such BIG azaleas. In this space we needed smaller plants to keep from blocking a view.

I had to cut down a row of Encore azaleas this summer. We were getting our house painted and I planted them 5 years ago too close to the foundation. I really thought I butchered them, but now they look better! Some of them had gotten quite leggy and I think I will get even a better bloom this fall.

What agnes said is right, go for the big branches that stick out, and cut as close to the trunk as you can. This will then cause new growth to come from the center so the shrub will be fuller but more compact.

On my regular azaleas I make it a habit of cutting back and 'lollipops' that sprout out right after blooming.

I read somewhere that if you cut a branch in the middle it will stress the plant. So cut the branch as close as possible to the piece it branches off from.