Growing Your Garden: When and how to prune your azaleas Kathy Robinson of Robby's Nursery gives tips on how to get the most out of your azaleas. and last updated 2021-04-15 16:26:46-04 BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) â In this Growing Your Garden segment, we are learning all about azaleas! How to take care of and prune them. Kathy Robinson of Robby's Nursery in Bakersfield has some things you need to know. "If you prune the azaleas at the wrong time you are not going to get any flowers," explained Robinson. "Early spring bloomers need to be pruned in the summer and they set their bud at the end of the summer for next year's bloom, so if you prune them after the 4th of July you're not going to have any flowers."