You're right. Let me put my question in another way:Yes, but that plant doesn’t have any old wood yet!
Kurume Azalea after the show
I’ve been cooped up with the rest of the country, so this tree got the full spa treatment. Removing blooms is getting to be a big task, as the tree has grown to about 32″ wide. So let&#…nebaribonsai.wordpress.com
My picture was just an example. I'm going to prune it even harder than the example I think.Yes, but if you prune as in the picture you will just get 1 to 3 new shoots growing from your current four branches. Also looks like you have two plants in the same pot.
Leo, I always hard prune my azaleas back like the picture I posted above in late winter, before any flowering. That works in lower NY at least.Yes, if pruned after flowering, to bare twigs, leafless, they will back bud, and back bud in many areas.
I know that 2 plants close together isn't a twin trunk. But as I said i don't know what direction I should take yet. It's a learning material, I don't take this tree so serious. It won't probably ever become a bonsai. I just use the tree to learn how to take care of Azalea, how to prune etc.2 plants close together is not a twin trunk. Need to be able to see the join in twin trunk, otherwise it is just 2 trees.
It is unusual to have 2 in the same pot. Maybe it was originally a plant with 2 trunks that was potted deep. By now both trunks will have lots of roots so it's probably not viable to rescue the twin but it will be easy to split into 2 separate plants. You will only know when you unpot and have a look at what's under the soil.
Azalea have no problems with cutting lots of roots so no problem to repot or separate these, even if they are connected.
Perfect! Thank you very much for a good advice and explanation. Especially about prune all the growing endsYes, if pruned after flowering, to bare twigs, leafless, they will back bud, and back bud in many areas.
Do prune the growing ends of all the twigs, if you leave any apical bud (growing ends) the apical bud will monopolize the tree's resources and the other branches will be sparse in back budding. So "prune 'em all". You can leave leaves, but do cut all the growing tips of all the branches. Then you will get a nice full flush of back buds.
Now I'm confused whether I should prune after the flowers fall or in winter. Everyone say they prune them after flowers fall. Why do you prune in winter? Thank you.@OP, I let it grow freely (no pruning) for the first year to regain strength. Then this late winter I cut back hard again to begin ramification. I'm just starting to see some tiny green buds peeking out from last year's leaf scars. I feel like I left them a little too long this year but I can always cut back more later.
Azaleas like to grow in whorls, so make sure to prune to just 2 bifurcations all along the branches. Seal the wounds.
Anyway, best of luck!
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