I have to turn to all of the Georgia experts here. Due to my hectic landscape renovation which took most March through June, I forgot that I had planned to prune back the raggedy looking Azalea bushes. Am I too late, will I destroy all of the blooms for next year?
Who has experience with this??? Thanks all. Coby
More than likely you would destroy blooms for next year depending on how much pruning you do. I've chopped 6 foot azaleas down to 18 inches or so and in 3 years they are as lush as the day I chopped them. We had to do it a few times at our last house for painting reasons.
So the question is can you live without blooms next year? If so, go for it.
Here are the Coral Bells that were chopped a few times while we lived there.
Now THAT is a beautiful lush looking Azalea! I guess I will have to sacrifice next years' bloom then? I feel so stupid having forgotten to trim them earlier but I was soooooo busy with tilling the frontyard (3000 sq.foot) and adding fill dirt etc. But rather than looking at skinny brownish sticks with some flowers on top, I'll have no bloom then.
Wish me luck.
Just don't cut all the way to the ground. The harder you cut, the longer it will take to come back.
OK will do!
The azelia in the picture is a larger type, from the coral bells, and really I don't think it is that tall, at least not compaired to mine.Mike
I have never heard of a coral bells azalea, do the stores or local nurserys have these?
Any respected nursery should carry it.
http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&safe=off&q=azalea+'Coral+Bells'&um=1&sa=N&tab=wi
http://www.monrovia.com/PlantInf.nsf/269905a1fb059eb48825683c0080938a/1277d03c0da165418825684d00706cfb!OpenDocument
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/55601/
http://www.arhomeandgarden.org/plantoftheweek/articles/Coral_Bells_Azalea.htm
I think some of my bushes are Coral Bells, at least that's what some one told me when I first joined. They are fairly small flowers, right? I have pink ones. They bloom early.
Here's my first bloom this year (March I think).
Well, it's all going to be trimmed today. guys. Wish me luck. hope I am not destroying them.
