I have Mario’s Azalea for a few years and I like to keep him up to date.

This was it back in June in flower.

The canopy was getting too expansive and the apex was far too large. I opted to seek advice from Peter Warren about what was best for the tree and between us we reduced the foliage mass and I was able to open out the branches a little to start creating definition within the tree. This is it now.

Heavy wire was used to create a gradual bend in the branch. Peter advised that a heavier wire than you would normally use should be utilised in azaleas. This allows for greater support for a brittle tree. You can see that the apex is reduced and the tree is more open. More foliage could have been removed but as it was so late in the season we opted to leave some work until the Spring. Always do what’s best for the tree.