How to prune a Kalmia?

Ergates · August 2020

We have a large established Kalmia, been in place since we moved here 16 years ago. I don’t know what variety it is, but it has pretty little pale pink flowers. It hasn’t flowered very well for the last two years. I’d read that it doesn’t need much pruning, and it has a drooping habit, quite tangled underneath the top surface.
Our soil is very acid, and it’s not in a particularly sunny spot. Being on the side of a hill, not much of the garden is sunny all day long.
Can anyone advise on if and how to prune it, and if this would encourage it to flower any better in future?

Borderline · August 2020

You can prune it how you like. You may lose flowering for next year. Always best done in the early to mid summer time. It's a mature shrub, and possibly suffering from the drought conditions over the last few years. Shrubs don't flower sometimes when they are under stress from lack of water.

If it receives a fair bit of sun during the summer months, it's very likely all the soil underneath is too dry. Evergreen shrubs can get stressed with lack of water as their canopy shadows the water from going into its root area. Maybe help it with watering in the summer months.

Ergates · August 2020

Thanks. I’ll take out some of the longer trailing branches, I’ve also added it to the dry weather watering regime, and will see if there is any improvement next year.

How to prune a Kalmia?

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