Tired rhododendron

brooksmichelle6716 · May 2019

My children bought me this rhododendron two years ago for my 50th birthday so it is special. It has been in a south facing position in a pot for two years. I noticed it was becoming droopy and the leaves were starting to become brown on the edges. I moved it into, my north facing front garden out of its pot 3 weeks ago and it has become worse. As it’s special I don’t want to loose it. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Paul B3 · May 2019

" A south facing position in a pot for two years" .......the absolute opposite of their requirements !

Rhododendrons are woodland plants from cool temperate zones , even cloud forests in some cases .

They need cool moist air , light acidic soil , dappled shade and only given rainwater .

It may be too late to reverse the damage already done , even by moving it recently .

A drastic method is to severely prune it to bare wood ; you'll lose flowers for maybe a couple of years , but the plant will re-generate and you'll still be the proud owner .

This has got to be better than losing it altogether .

Keep it constantly moist ; (was it pot-bound when you transplanted) ?

Were the roots too congested ? If that's the case they need prising apart so they can function normally .

Have you planted it into ericaceous soil ? This is very important .

brooksmichelle6716 · May 2019

Sounds like I’ve severely neglected my rhododendron!!!maybe I shouldn’t rely on information from some other gardening websites!!!
advice taken on board thank you 😔

debs64 · May 2019

Rhododendrons are pretty tough try not to worry just take the excellent advice given by Paul. I found a rhododendron completely overgrown and swamped by invasive grass and bindweed. Cleared area, watered it well and s bit of feed and it’s covered in new leaves and even has a flower on so don’t give up hope yet. Good luck

brooksmichelle6716 · May 2019

Wow, how beautiful. I think I’ll put it back in the pot for now and put it in the original place but I’ll use acidic Peaty soil/ compost. Any ideas which one I can use? ( I’m a novice gardener) WATCH THIS SPACE!!!!

debs64 · May 2019

Any ericaceous compost from a garden centre will do. It’s not expensive or difficult to obtain. Try your local garden centre or B&Q.

brooksmichelle6716 · May 2019

Thank you all I’m so glad I found this site 😀

Paul B3 · May 2019

There is a world of difference between a plant struggling in a pot with a limited supply of water , to an established mature shrub such as the one depicted by Muddle-Up .

That is an excellent specimen indeed , and illlustrates the resilience and adaptibility of plants in general .

A prime example is of my two stands of Maidenhair Fern (Adiantum venustum & A . pedatum) ; textbooks state their requisites as cool and damp in a wet soil in shade ; how is it then that mine flourish (too much in that I have to extract large amounts every year) in a sunny border in a dryish soil ?

With a lot of plants (and gardening in general) , it's a case of 'trial & error' .

Fairygirl · May 2019

A rhodie established in suitable soil and climatic conditions in the ground, is a million miles away from one that's been in a pot long term.
They'll cope quite happily with a lot of sun if they have the right general climate - which is what we have for them in Scotland.
I'd cut it back, and if you can't get it in the ground, get it into a decent size of pot, in suitable soil, and in a semi shaded spot. Just keep it watered, don't start giving it food - it won't be able to cope with that. If it's still alive just now, that will give it the best chance of surviving and doing well.

Tired rhododendron

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