Azalea pruning

[kejacobson]

Hello,

I recently purchased an Satsuki Azalea bonsai from a different state. By the time it reached me all the flowers were in the bottom of the crate. According to my books, I am supposed to prune all new shoots and secondary shoots more lightly till mid summer. I am not exactly sure what is meant by this. Also will the tree flower again this year?

Thanks,

Kejacobson

[The Helpful Gardener]

Sorry Pro, you're wrong on this one...

The pruning info is mostly correct, but I always lkook for "fists", where previous pruning has left a clump of twigs on the end of a branch and I always take those in a spring prune. Do your pruning now, fertilize and let it go until mid-summer, when you do a tip pruning on long shoots, leaving the body of the plant alone. That's about it for azaleas; any more and you risk losing next years buds (only one set a year, Pro...)

Scott