zooba, mainegrower has given you good advice. You really have nothing to gain by pruning before bloom, better would be immediately as flowering has finished. And if you aren't familiar with the growth habits or pruning procedures, Azaleas have growth buds all along their stems under the bark and will sprout from just below any cut you make. Rhododendrons have dormant growth buds in the leaf axils (where leaf joins stems). Make your cuts just above a rosette of leaves and new growth will emerge from the dormant eyes there. If you have to cut into a branch below any leaf rosettes, look for faint rings in the bark where there once were leaves - close inspection should reveal small bumps, those are the dormant buds where there once were leaves and cutting just above the rings/bumps should stimulate the dormant buds into growth. If you can't find the rings - make your cuts where you must, then go back when growth emerges and remove any bare stubs that remain above...

hello, harryshoe. no, i haven't amended the soil. that is what i am wondering about. i do appreciate your info on how long it took to establish the little buggers. my other plant of the same type is not in clay, but still alkaline according to my pink nikko blue hydrangeas. to add to the illinois claim that they can't grow azaleas: probably not a good thing, but i rarely follow the rules too closely! life would be easier if i did. poor plant at the mercy of fairy_toadmother.

Just moved back to the foothills and want some Flame Azaleas and Rhododendrons to grace my Giant yard...Any help is appreciated...plants. cuttings, etc. I have numerous different plants to trade

jdumas; a hearthy welcome to the Gardenweb and the Azalea/Rhodie forum; Each year the Massachussetts Chapter of the American Rhododendron Society submits a 'group' order to Van Veen Nurseries of Portland Oregon, a wholesale grower . These plants are mostly yearlings from rooted cuttings. These are hight quality plants at an exceptional prices. Here is 2005 possible 'yellow' hybrid selection that is available for members of that chapter; August Moon , Golden Star Banana flip , Goldfort Bernstein , Goldstrike Blondie , Goldsworth Yellow Bo-Peep , Grumpy Borneo , Harvest Moon Cream Crest , Hotei Crest , Inamorata Crystal Springs , Jeanne Church Dr.William Fleming , Merley Cream Evening Glow , Moonstone Festivo , Mrs Betty Robertson Flava , Nancy Evans Golden Harbinger , Odee Wright Golden harvest , Shamrock Unique , Viscy Yellow Hammer , Yellow Petticoats Yellow Saucer-, ------------------------------------- This chapter also has a wonderful program called Plants for Members (P4M) where members take cuttings of their unique rhodies that they have in New England area and they propogate those and make them availbale to the other members-- last years cuttings 2004 - the list contained over 5000 plants that were available- You will 'never' see that many varities in 'any' catolog in the world. The volunteers from the chapter who take care of this function for other members meet in Rhode Island. Even Though I live in Illinois , I took an oppurtunity myself this past spring- in obtaining the latest Hybrids that Mr.Joe Parks created in New Hempshire.- If they dont grow it there, it probably doesn't exist unless it is very new. Check out the best web site in the world about Rhodies , and especially for zones 4-7. Here is a link that might be useful: Mass Chapter