In general Azaleas should have there routine pruning done early in the summer or late spring after the blooms have passed.

"I have three very large water oak trees in my front yard. All three are encircled by azaleas that are at least 6 feet tall. I would love for them to be completely gone, but I've come to realize there's no getting rid of these things"

If you want to get rid of them completely (which is easily possible) I would recommend actually digging out the root system by digging a circular hole around the stump and rip it out. You could also go to your local hardware store and buy some granular/powder chemical you could spread in that spot to cause the roots to rot and die. The only problem with this is it leaves residual chemicals in the soil for some time (a few years or longer) which can be a problem if you would like something new to grow in the general area.

Too bad you live in Atlanta I would have gladly come over to your house and removed them for free to take them to mold into Bonsai specimens :) I already have three that are beautiful.

-Mike

You could contact the Georgia Chapter of the American Azalea Society and see if any one there wants the azaleas:

Oconee Chapter
Jim Thornton 770-483-1593
884 June Drive
Conyers GA 30207

You can also email below for the Southeast Azalea Chapter of the American Rhododendron Society

Hugh Denny
hughdenny@comcast.net

Another suggestion: let a landscaping company do the work but ask first how much it will cost and ask several well known companies. Check the BBB to see what record they have of the companies you are considering. You want a reliable company that will fix things if they break something (the sprinkler system for example).

Please don't follow Mike's suggestions (cutting, digging, or herbicides), which will surely cause significant damage to the roots of your trees. The essential feeder roots of oaks (and other trees) are within the top 12 inches of soil. Though water oaks aren't especially long lived as oaks go, I assume that they are some value to you.

You can cut the azaleas all the way to the ground (to six inch stumps or less) in the later winter/early spring. This procedure is called rejuvenation pruning and azaleas respond very well to it. My only caveat would be that the older the plant, the more stressful this type of pruning can be. But it doesn't sound like you'd be too upset if they all didn't come back.

If you go ahead and cut these azaleas back, I'd recommend against fertilizing for a year or so. New growth should occur in the spring, and you'll probably be surprised at how quickly the plants begin to look gorgeous. In subsequent years, do some heading back cuts to maintain the shrubs properly.

I think that you will be well pleased if you decide to go this route.