Why You Should Reconsider Pruning Azalea Shrubs During Fall

While autumn is a time when gardeners start preparing their plants for winter, not all plants require pruning at this time of year — and there are plenty of plants you don't want to prune in the fall. Pruning in the fall can be detrimental to certain plants for various reasons. Oak leaf hydrangeas, for example, bloom on old wood, so you might be pruning into next year's flower buds in the fall. If you have azaleas (Rhododendron spp.) in your yard, this is one of the plants that may make you feel the need to prune, but once fall is here, it's too late to give this flowering beauty that kind of attention. Pruning now will leave you disappointed in the spring, but we'll explain that soon enough. 

It's suggested that the latest you prune your azaleas is the end of July. In fact, you can start shaping and maintaining them in spring, and do your heavy pruning in mid-summer. If you live in a warmer climate, you may be able to prune your azaleas into August, but once September arrives, you'll want to skip them as you're roaming through the yard with your clippers. Once that ship has sailed, you'll want to leave this plant be until spring. When you do prune, remember that the worst time of day to prune is from about noon till late afternoon, when the sun is high and hot.

Like oak leaf hydrangeas, Azaleas produce buds during the late summer months, so cutting them back when fall arrives means you're removing those little buds that would have turned into flowers in the spring. They may also develop new buds into early fall. When you do prune your azaleas, you want to give that new growth plenty of time to harden before the first frost sets in, so that the plant doesn't get damaged by the cold. Another reason you will typically want to do this project in mid-summer. If frost strikes your plants when new growth hasn't been established, older plants will likely recover without any intervention.

When fall sets in, however, there are some things you can still do to help care for your azaleas and be sure they're thriving when the spring warmth returns. If you notice that your azalea is suffering from any dead spots or limbs with infections, you can trim them off — be sure to cut down a bit far from the damage to ensure you remove it all and then get that piece out of the garden (This is vital if in case it is a disease or infection — you don't want it to spread). Be sure and clean your pruning tools with disinfectant wipes, also to avoid spreading disease.

It's worth noting that these plants don't actually require pruning to inspire new growth. So unless you're trimming for aesthetics or to keep the azalea healthy, you can skip pruning altogether. Azaleas aren't the only plants where fall may be too late. Look around your garden: There are plenty of plants you should think twice about pruning when winter gets near.