by 
The Curious Bag
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<h4 class="dechead">On One Hand: Pruning Early
Early pruning of an azalea may interrupt your plant's flowering season. You'll have less blooms to enjoy since trimming away the plant's buds will remove any flowers that have started to bloom. Trim plants several weeks before they start to bloom to allow them a chance to develop their flowers.
On the Other: Pruning Late
Pruning your azaleas late in the season, such as in August, might make next year's flowers scarce. Trimming azaleas too late could interrupt the bud initiation which occurs in the fall while flowers are dormant. The azalea's greenery will respond to the pruning, but the flowers make take some time to catch up.
Bottom Line
The best time to trim azaleas is later in the season, after they've finished blooming but before August. July is perfect because the majority of blooms have flowered and the plant will have a chance to grow before beginning next year's bud initiation.
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