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Rhododendron Help

kassie greenkassie green Posts: 55
in Problem solving
Please see attached images, I have one baby growth, the rest looks completely dead! Do i need to cut it back? Or should i Leave it as it is? Anyone know why it died? I cleared the soil from dead leaves. Is it too wet?


Posts

  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    It's not dead as you have new growth, so there's still hope.
    The underdeveloped brown flower buds may have been caused by the compost being too dry when the buds were forming in early autumn last year and caused them to wither and die.
    Alternatively (or as well as), it may be that the roots have been drowned over autumn/winter if the pot can't drain easily - planted pots need to be raised off the ground a bit with pot feet of some sort so that excess water can drain away.
    Pull out the willowherb weed that is in the pot and get rid of the dead leaves and ensure good drainage then wait and see what happens when spring arrives.
    good luck

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • Hostafan1Hostafan1 Posts: 34,889
    Unless it's a very rare variety, or of sentimental attachment,I'd give up on it.
    It'll take a lot of TLC and a number of years before it's a decent plant.
    Devon.
  • kassie greenkassie green Posts: 55
    edited January 2020
    Ok thanks
  • Mike AllenMike Allen Posts: 208
    Similar thoughts to Pete and Hostafan.  Try the thumb nail test.  Select a branch and gently using the thumb nail, scratch away a portion of the bark, outer covering.  If dead, it will be brown.  If alive it will be green.  Now cut off the dead portion.  The idea here is to get rid of the deadwood.  Strange as it may sound to some but.  Even deadwood on a plant, tree or shrub, still absorbs a certain amount of the, 'life-blood'.  Here we want to save the plant's energy and divert everything to the living cells.  Please do not feed the plant.  Wait until things are looking up.
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