I always prune dead wood.

Prune dead wood and deadhead the blooms after they're finished for a nice display the following year. I treat my kalmia as if it is a giant bonsai (some of them are 15 feet high) and they are gorgeous...

Giant bonsai, that's a great description. That's just what some of mine look like after I pruned. I never thought of deadheading them. I love pruning and deadheading. I have so so many Laurels, I can see it will be a job and a half.
Thanks for the tips.
Domma Mae

I deadheaded my Laurels on the advice of the guy who planted them - that was a sticky job! And the next year I didn't get any blossoms. Now I leave them alone. What happens with your bushes?

I have laurels that must be 30 or 40 years old. They're very healthy, but I find that they bloom heavily only every other year. In the off year, I get just a few blooms (that's going to happen this year). They produce lots of new foliage every year, however. Probably also has to do with the weather conditions the year before, as it does with most woody plants.