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Spring is when it all happens for the rhododendron enthusiast. Most rhododendrons are spring blooming, although flowers can be had from mid-winter until well into the summer.
Dead heading
When the rhododendron flowers have gone over, carefully remove the flower head at the base, taking care not to remove or damage the growth buds at the base of the flower shoot. Plants that re not deadheaded will put growing and flowering energy into seed production. Young, newly planted or transplanted bushes are especially worth deadheading.
Weeding
Rhododendrons are surface rooting plants and weeding should be done with care, and never with a hoe or digging with a fork or spade as this will damage the delicate feeding roots that lie near the surface.
Mulching
Rhododendrons provide a natural mulch with their fallen leaves. Do not remove this as it adds required nutrients to the soil.
If you live in warm or dry climate supplementary mulch such as pea-straw will help to retain soil moisture. Mulch after the ground has warmed - to suppress weeds and to retain moisture. Never mulch over dry soils but wait until a rain shower or the hose has thoroughly dampened the ground. Some mulch materials can deplete nitrogen as it decomposes; the signal is leaves that begin to yellow.
Take care when mulching to keep the main plant stem clear or collar rot can result. Never use mushroom compost as this is alkaline and rhododendrons are acid-soil loving plants.
Feeding
Rhododendrons planted in good garden soils should not require supplementary feeding. On thin and poor soils, add generous amounts of well-rooted compost (not mushroom compost) into the soil before planting.
Mulch with a good compost, or use a specialist rhododendron fertiliser following the instructions carefully.
Shade
Rhododendrons are under-storey trees or come from climates without hot dry, blazing summer days. Planting under the canopy of suitable shade trees or on the shady side of a house or wall will protect plants from sun-scorch, as spring becomes summer.
Pure, pale yellow R. 'Roza Stevenson' |
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Scented R. nuttallii has thick almost waxy trumpets in a loose umblel
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'Lady Dorothy Ella'
Deep black-red R. 'Impi' flowers late
Tissue-like R. 'Princess Alice' |
Pruning
In the main, rhododendrons require no pruning. However, sometimes some shaping or size control may be needed and this should be done in spring, after flowering. Do not prune smooth barked rhododendrons, the large-leaved species and the Thomsonni series.
Shorten the branches by cutting to a whorl of leaves. Remove any dead wood. Young plants will develop a more dense shape if the leaves are pinched out from the growing tip, encouraging side branches.
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