Doing an Annual Maintenance Pruning
Know your azalea. Azaleas are available in two main classes: native azaleas and Asian azaleas. Native azaleas grow like vines, and they don't need pruning. If you have an Asian azalea shrub, it could be one of two main evergreen varieties: Kurume hybrids are usually bright red and don't tend to grow very large - no more than 3 or 4 feet (0.9 or 1.2 m). They do well with some maintenance pruning, but they may never need much pruning at all. Southern Indian hybrids grow very large and fast, and are most likely to need pruning - especially if you have one planted near your house. Take note that when you're picking out azaleas to plant, choosing a Kurume instead of a Southern Indian will be your best bet if you don't want to worry as much about maintenance.
Disinfect your pruning tools. Wipe down the shears to make sure that you do not spread diseases between plants. You can use a household disinfecting spray, bleach, or rubbing alcohol. Let it dry before you prune.
Clip out dead stems in the spring. Even though both varieties of evergreen azalea should survive the winter, you'll probably see a few dead or diseased looking stems and branches in the shrub come spring. Use hand trimmers (or loppers, for thicker branches) to remove dead or damaged stems where they connect with healthy wood. Try to make as clean and small of a cut as possible, so that the healthy wood isn't left with a large cut in it; this can be an entry point for fungus and disease.
Trim the bush carefully after the flowers are gone. When spring comes and goes and the bright flowers begin to die, it's time to do your annual light pruning. Use hand trimmers to carefully trim back long stems. Make careful cuts in order to improve the shape of the bush. Trim back areas that seem too crowded, and don't overdo it in the thinner areas. Don't take hedge clippers and shear the bush into shape. Make precise, carefully selected cuts instead. Otherwise, you're needlessly creating spots on the plant where no flowers will bloom.
Don't prune beyond three weeks after the flowers have died. In general, you should not prune after July. If you wait too long and prune in late summer or fall, you'll be taking off the maturing buds that will turn into next spring's flowers. If you forget to prune, it's best to just wait until the following spring, unless you don't mind having gaps in your blooms.
Doing a Drastic Pruning
Assess your azalea. You probably don't need to do a drastic pruning unless you have a Southern Indian azalea that has gotten quite large. If your bush has started to obscure windows and take up room you'd like to use for other plantings, you can trim it back drastically without causing long-term harm. Decide how much you want to trim back your azalea, and have a shape in mind when you start making cuts.
Cut each branch to within a foot of the ground. You can safely cut it back this much without worrying that the shrub will die. Use loppers or a hand saw if necessary to cut back the individual branches. Aim for a rounded shape on top. above the ground and cut the remaining branches to about 2 feet (0.61 m) in length.
Fertilize the azalea. Use slow release fertilizer labeled 12-6-6 to keep the plant healthy while it restores itself. Keep it watered until the following spring. You won't have to wait an extra season to see more flowers; your drastically pruned azalea should produce plenty of leaves and flowers in the spring.
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