AZALEA SHRUB

I BOUGHT 3 SMALL AZALEA SHRUBS LAST SPRING. THE TAG SAID THEY WERE A RHODODENDRON HYBRID NAMED 'HERBERT'. I COVERED THEM WITH STYROFOAM CONES FOR THE WINTER AND WHEN I UNCOVERED THEM THIS SPRING, I THOUGHT ALL 3 WERE DEAD. SOME OF THE BRANCHES WERE BRITTLE AND BROKE OFF EASILY. THEN AS TIME WENT ON, IT STARTED TO LEAF OUT BUT ONLY A FEW BRANCHES ON EACH,SO THEY WEREN'T DEAD AFTER ALL! JUST LAST WEEK, MUCH TO MY SURPRISE, FLOWER BUDS WERE FORMING! NOW MY QUESTION IS, SHOULD I CUT THEM BACK A LITTLE THIS FALL TO FORCE MORE BLOOMS FOR NEXT YEAR? I WILL COVER THEM AGAIN FOR THIS COMING WINTER.

MDETOUR