By Cammomile
west sussex,
United Kingdom 
My sister has a lovely orange azalea growing in her tiny garden and says it has never flowered (obviously it has or I wouldn't know it is orange). She lops it every spring and I say she is lopping off the flower buds. Am I right?
Update: I am hoping this picture comes out. My dear sister passed away this time last year and this is the first time the azalea has flowered so beautifully. Here it is and it's mine now.
10 Mar, 2012
Answers
I have just googled it and it says if it is to be pruned do it after it has flowered but before July as next years flower buds will be starting to form after that.
10 Mar, 2012
It flowers in the spring and she "lops" it every spring you have the answer is she related to the Adams Family Mortisha comes to mind with what she does with roses .
She wants to leave alone and let it flower , maybe she would be better off with a bonsai garden LOL
Some peole just love to prune
Gg
10 Mar, 2012
Yes she is cutting of the flowering buds before they can flower!
10 Mar, 2012
Bless her, she won't believe me but I am hoping she will let me have it for my garden. Thanks everyone.
11 Mar, 2012
Having read this thread, Cammomile, if your sister is anything like my sister, you can tell her what she's doing wrong, but it'll fall on totally deaf ears, lol
11 Mar, 2012
Totally deaf ears - she lops it because its under her rotary washing line - don't ask!
12 Mar, 2012
Strange place to put an azalea
12 Mar, 2012
People don't think it through when they put a rotary line in, Moon Grower - you need at least 6 feet all round clear of plants, and even then, on a windy day, sheets will catch on shrubs. I know from when I had a tiny garden...
12 Mar, 2012
I know Bamboo...
12 Mar, 2012
Yes thats why I said don't ask!!
13 Mar, 2012
People can be quite strange sometimes - I have known quite a few of them who complain about something, but, when offered a solution, ignore it, and carry on regardless, as if you've not spoken. I have come to the conclusion that a lot of the moaning that goes on is simply done for some sort of peculiar pleasure which must be derived from it, because it's not solution oriented, and by that I mean the point of the complaint isn't to find a solution to the problem, it seems to be the complaining itself that's important in some way. Nowt so queer as folk I guess...
13 Mar, 2012
Previous question
« I've got a cercis that I've grown from seed, it's 15-20 years old now....
I have a purple azalea and I have never ever pruned it and it flowers every year, I am not sure if they are to be pruned.
10 Mar, 2012