Azaleas

Question

The underneath branches on my Azaleas are dying out. I have three rather large plants that were very thick at one time and now you can see through them. Is this a disease? I have looked on the internet but could not find anything relating to the branches dying. I would like to know what I can do to keep from losing these plants.

Answer 1

If it is only the lower branches that are fading and the top still looks lush, it is likely the top branches are shading too much light from the lower branches. This can cause the lower branches to thin and die. Pruning the upper part of the plant to allow the light to reach the lower half a little better will help to fix this.