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Rhododendron / Azalea

philwalker66philwalker66 Posts: 10
edited June 2020 in Plants
Hi everyone I’m quite new to gardening. When do I deadhead my rhododendrons and azaleas   They’ve stopped flowering now. Where do I cut them? The rhododendrons are in pots the azalea in the ground. Thank you in advance.  

Posts

  • Ladybird4Ladybird4 Posts: 37,906
    Good morning Phil and welcome to the forum. Dead heading of those plants is very easy - you do not need to cut the flowers off, they will snap off easily. Go to the base of the flower , get hold of the short stem and just bend until it snaps.
    How to Prune Rhododendrons Deadhead - Garden Mentors

    Cacoethes: An irresistible urge to do something inadvisable
  • Mary370Mary370 Posts: 2,003
    Never thought to deadhead mine......does it make any difference?
  • Ladybird4Ladybird4 Posts: 37,906
    Hello Mary, it stops the plants wasting energy producing seed and usually tucked in at the base of the flowers are the new growth buds for next year. If the flowers are too awkward to get to they can be left of course but when I visited Bodnant Gardens, I was told there that they spend weeks deadheading all of theirs.
    Cacoethes: An irresistible urge to do something inadvisable
  • philwalker66philwalker66 Posts: 10
    Mary370 said:
    Never thought to deadhead mine......does it make any difference?   

    Ladybird4 said:
    Good morning Phil and welcome to the forum. Dead heading of those plants is very easy - you do not need to cut the flowers off, they will snap off easily. Go to the base of the flower , get hold of the short stem and just bend until it snaps. 

      Thank you very much I’ve done that now (see photo).   Do you know what to do with azalea’s??
    How to Prune Rhododendrons Deadhead - Garden Mentors


  • philwalker66philwalker66 Posts: 10
    Do you know what to do with a azalea’s xx
  • Ladybird4Ladybird4 Posts: 37,906
    You do similar with Azaleas Phil.
    Cacoethes: An irresistible urge to do something inadvisable
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    All azaleas are rhododendrons, but not all rhododendrons are azaleas  :)
    They have pretty much the same treatment for care, regardless of which 'type' they are.

    I don't know how long you've had your rhodo in the pot @philwalker66, but they need a lot of care to be successful in them.  :)

    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • philwalker66philwalker66 Posts: 10
    edited June 2020
    Only bought them this year.  Going to transfer the potted ones to the back garden next year. This is the other azalea but it looks different to the rhododendron.  That’s in the ground already.  Thanks for your help. Alison (my hubby‘s email) 
  • Ladybird4Ladybird4 Posts: 37,906
    Ooops. Sorry for calling you Phil Alison. The rhododendron/azalea family is vast Alison with some quite small examples to others that grow to a huge tree size.
    Cacoethes: An irresistible urge to do something inadvisable
  • philwalker66philwalker66 Posts: 10
    edited June 2020
    No problem one day I’ll get my own email address lol.  It’s a minefield but it looked lovely anyway when it flowered.  I saw a video saying cut them back so hence the confused question.  But I’ve dead headed the rhododendrons in pots like you said.  They seem a completely different type to me. Don’t worry.  Thanks I’ve put a picture above somewhere of the ones in the ground.  I’m not very technical so it could be anywhere.  Loving all the help from everyone anyway.  I might be on here a lot.    Alison 🙃
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