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What’s wrong with my rhodedendron?

amyjayneukamyjayneuk Posts: 26
in Problem solving
We moved a large rhodedendron a few years ago. It has been well up until this year. It looks fine from the front and has plenty of buds, but much of the back and top appears to have died. Should I cut off the dead plants? What can I do to help it? I am a complete novice and rely on the internet to help me look after the garden. I have put a few spadefuls of compost and some plant food into the soil near the roots. 

Posts

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Hi @amyjayneuk - just cut out all the dead stuff. If there's any green growth when you cut back, that will hopefully come away.
    It's probably been very dehydrated over the last year or 18 months. The vital time for them is late summer, when the new buds form too. 
    I wouldn't feed it though, although I see you've given it some. The compost is fine, but ideally, add some compost, or mulch [bark chips are good] after copious watering. The roots of rhodies are quite shallow, so it's easy for them to get dried out, and unless you have really good, persistent rainfall, they will struggle to get going again. A mulch will help with that though.
    The grass is also competition for moisture. When you water, give it a good bucketful right in at the roots, and then leave it for a couple of days.  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • amyjayneukamyjayneuk Posts: 26
    Thank you @Fairygirl. I’ll give it a good prune today and hopefully that will help. I’d hate to lose it 
  • Novice23Novice23 Posts: 200
    Found this really helpful as my Rhodos are struggling.  They are green but only a few branches.   I probably don't water them enough in late summer, but I do give them an annual mulch of ericacaeous compost.  Will do the same this year, but water them well.  Despite the very very wet winter my clay soil is already drying out.   Thanks for the advice Fairygirl, 
  • jacquidunsterjacquidunster Posts: 1
    I have this problem with one of my Rhodis so thanks for the info.  He is potted so am going to pot up and cut out the dead branches - hopefully he'll sort himself out for next year.
  • amancalledgeorgeamancalledgeorge Posts: 2,736
    Just keep in mind that they don't do well long-term in pots. So if you can let it get its feet in the ground it will be easier to look after and have a longer living plant. Speaking from experience, mine were transformed by planting them in the ground. 
    @jacquidunster
    To Plant a Garden is to Believe in Tomorrow
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