Azaleas belong to the Rhododendron genus. They are popular ornamental perennials that impress with their exceptional flowering times. The pruning required varies by shrub and variety. Outdoor plants are treated differently than ornamental shrubs that thrive in containers.
Withered flowers should be removed regularly
The ideal time
Indoor azaleas bloom from January to March, while outdoor azaleas bloom in May. Pruning measures are recommended for indoor plants in spring as soon as the shrubs have faded. If you delay these care measures for too long, remove the newly formed flower buds at the same time. As a result, you have to accept reduced flowering. Specimens growing in the garden are shortened just before the leaves sprout.
Clean out room azaleas
Although slight topiary cuts are possible, cutting indoor plants is reduced to trimming faded shoots. Wilting flowers are pinched off with a finger or cut off with scissors. Cut the shoots about half a centimeter below the base of the flower.
This will encourage the development of new flower buds. They prevent the development of rot, since the falling petals do not get caught between the foliage. If infructescences have developed, you should also remove these in good time. Seed development costs the plant a lot of energy.
Cut outdoor azaleas
Regular pruning ensures that the shrubs branch well at the bottom and develop a bushy shape. It makes sense to prune for the first time immediately after planting. In the following years, pruning is recommended, which preserves the shape of the azaleas. With increasing age, the crown thickens and the willingness to flower of the ornamental shrubs decreases, so that rejuvenating pruning measures are recommended.
Basic rules:
- cut with a sharp and clean knife
- ensure a smooth cut so as not to squeeze the fabric
- Always cut branches above a bud
First cut
Remove all dead branches and those shoots that have brown and affected spots right at the base. Cross-growing and crossing specimens disturb the overall picture and are allowed to give way. Shorten the entire young plant by a third.
maintenance cut
Regularly break off wilted flowers with your finger. After the flowering period, cut in individual old shoots in such a way that they are guided to stronger and lower-lying branches.
taper cut
The plants tolerate radical cuts well. Reduce all shoots to a final size of 50 to 60 centimeters and spare young shoots. Another thinning out takes place in late summer or next spring after the bushes have sprouted again.
tips
Intensive thinning is recommended every three to four years after flowering in early summer, while evergreen garden azaleas are pruned in spring.
particularities
Evergreen species can be pruned back to old wood if the crown is patchy or one-sided. Intensive intervention means that the trees and shrubs sprout strongly.