Now is the time to prune azaleas, camelias and other shrubs that bloom in early spring.

By pruning them right after they bloom, we are able to give them a little shape, keep them in the area we want them to grow in, and still allow them time to produce flower buds for next spring.

One of the best ways I’ve found to prune these shrubs that bloom in early spring is to select the branches that are getting too long or too tall and cut them back inside the canopy of the plant. Sometimes this will create a small hole in the canopy, but the hole is quickly filled with new growth in the spring and throughout the summer. The plant maintains relatively the same size and shape from year to year.

For other trees and shrubs, removing dead, damaged or diseased wood now is the only pruning that is really needed. This should be done to keep this dead wood from falling from the trees and damaging windows and vehicles during severe storms.

Photo Credit: Carolyn Hoss