my azalea starting to bloom

[Ris]

This azalea has large foilage and would like to try reducing leaf size,
anyone every removed all the leaves on a azalea before?
Would it be safe to remove 90% foilage after blooming?

 

[Stan Kengai]

Ramification, confined roots, controlled watering, sufficient light, and light fertilizing. I think removing leaves on azalea weakens the plant and will actually lead to fewer, larger leaves trying to overcome the loss. I have observed this on more than one occasion when azaleas become stressed.

 

[Poink88]

Ris,

I love the trunk, base, and nebari but all the main branches need work (i.e. chopped back and re-built). JMHO.

 

[Ris]

Ris,

I love the trunking, base, and nebari but all the main branches need work (i.e. chopped back and re-built). JMHO.

Thanks, I know the branches need cut back on my to do list. )
I removed all wire in november so the main branch has nice movement and most of the
Twigs also. It also needs a new pot, which I have been looking but can't find one to complement the tree. Am going to house of bonsai today to take a look at some other trainer pots for the maples I just got.

 

[Ris]

Ramification, confined roots, controlled watering, sufficient light, and light fertilizing. I think removing leaves on azalea weakens the plant and will actually lead to fewer, larger leaves trying to overcome the loss. I have observed this on more than one occasion when azaleas become stressed.

Thanks for your advise, this azalea has been in my care going on second year. It's very forgiving so I will do my best on selection of branch and future development.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

I cut mine back very hard every couple years. I time it so its after blooming, after the first flush of spring growth, but early enough to give it time to regrow and set flower buds for next year...about mid-May.

Peter Warren says its important to keep the tree "young". This is done by constantly renewing the growing tips by pruning, both shoots and roots.

Here is an example of a fairly hard pruning on an azalea done last May. Before, about 75% of the foliage was removed, and the last photo shows it now; after winter leaf-drop, and with buds set for spring:

 

[Ris]

I cut mine back very hard every couple years. I time it so its after blooming, after the first flush of spring growth, but early enough to give it time to regrow and set flower buds for next year...about mid-May.

Peter Warren says its important to keep the tree "young". This is done by constantly renewing the growing tips by pruning, both shoots and roots.

Here is an example of a fairly hard pruning on an azalea done last May. Before, about 75% of the foliage was removed, and the last photo shows it now; after winter leaf-drop, and with buds set for spring:

View attachment 30295View attachment 30296View attachment 30298

Thanks Brian, the before after pictures are great. I haven't done any branch work on this sense I have it, only repotted it after it bloomed in 2011. I really would like to repot this year but also wanted to prune the branch also, I may repot this year and prune next year. My wife wanted to see it in bloom, that's why I didn't prune last year.