Summarize the following:
Pruning azalea plants early will allow the plant's energy to be directed toward producing new growth. Assess your azalea to find dead branches and other spots that need trimming. Use a pair of hand clippers to thin the azaleas. Clip out any dead branches. Don't go overboard with this early-season pruning. Each healthy branch you cut away is a branch that could have produced beautiful spring flowers. If you want to drastically change the shape of your azalea, wait until later in the summer. Now is the time to reshape your azalea shrub if you wish. Cut long, stray shoots next to woody branches to retain the azalea's natural form. Trim back areas that seem too crowded to promote air flow and improve the look of the bush. Be sure you make careful cuts - don't use hedge clippers to trim the bush willy nilly. Don't prune too late in the year. Prune no later than 3 weeks after the blooms have gone - otherwise, you'll be cutting away next year's flower growth. If you have an azalea that has grown to large proportions and you're ready to cut it back, you can safely cut it to within a foot of the ground and it will grow back bushy and beautiful. Do it after the blooms of spring have faded, so the plant has time to reestablish itself before the next phase of growth.
Trim away dead branches in the spring. Do a light pruning after the blooms fade. Do a drastic pruning when necessary.