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Rhodendron pruning

Fred1991Fred1991 Posts: 13
in Problem solving
Hi all I’m quite new to gardening so I have maybe quite simple question. I have rhodendron bush in my house that I want to take better care of. It seems healthy enough but I want to
learn how to best care for it. After flowering there a lot of dead flower buds and seeds. I’ve been told to snip of the seeds but unsure if I should just take of the dead buds aswell? Or if leave them? 

Thanks In advance 😊

Posts

  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    I suggest you have a read of the info on this link which explains rhododendron care - https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/popular/rhododendron/growing-guide and follow links within it.

    Normally, you nip off the spent flower with your thumb and finger and the new flower buds will develop there.  It is important to keep rhododendrons, azaleas and camellias well watered during August and September and into October as this is when they form their new flower buds for the spring display.  Being thirsty will lead them to drop these buds.
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    It shouldn't be in the house, it's a very hardy outdoor shrub. 
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • Fred1991Fred1991 Posts: 13
    Thanks you obelixx. So these dried up flower are from too little water? And is it best to nip these off off at this point than leaving them? It’s quite a big bush you see 🤣 
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    Hadn't spotted it was in your house!  Get it planted outside in a suitable position after reading the link.  It's from countries that have monsoons about now so wants to be well watered and not sitting in a dry atmosphere indoors.   Nip off all those dried buds and read the info I gave you to see about pruning.

    If it can't go in the ground, give it a bigger pot than it's in and some fresh, ericaceous compost.  It will say on the bag what it is and means it is formulated specially for plants like rhododendrons that don't like alkalinity in their soil or water.
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • Fred1991Fred1991 Posts: 13
    Sorry bad English from my side! It’s definitely in the garden. A few meters wide! 
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    Then you have options to reduce the size.   You can take every single stem back now to just above a leaf node and make it less wide and high all over but you would lose the flowers for next spring.

    Alternatively you could do it over 2 or 3 years.  Take out one third to a half of the stems at even intervals right back to the base.   This way you thin out the shrub and don't lose flowers.   Next year, as soon as flowering finishes, your remove another third of the stems, making sure you don't cut the new ones, or the other half of the old stems if you're being more drastic.

    Whichever you do, make sure the shrub gets a good soaking now and until autumn and then a mulch of ericaceous compost and/or well-rotted manure.    Repeat the mulching next spring.

    Your shrub will renew itself and can then be kept to a size that suits you.
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    I did wonder if it was just a slip of the tongue!
    Probably easiest to take some stems out completely round the sides to get the width reduced, but as @Obelixx says, you can do an all over haircut, or the 'taking out a third of stems' instead.
    It just depends on how you want it to eventually look, and what else you have nearby if you want to keep it from overwhelming other plants. :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • Fred1991Fred1991 Posts: 13
    I’m actually fairly happy with the size of it. My main problem is the health aspect. One part has very elongated shoots. One has unhealthy new shoots that are stickinG with some small white bugs and the another side seems less dense but unsure how to get it fill out better. I’ve uploaded some pictures in order. Thanks both for replying 🙏😊


  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    edited August 2020
    In that case I suggest you do the copious watering and mulching as advised above, feed and mulch again next spring and see how it gets on this autumn and winter.   Healthy plants, like healthy people, are good at fending of pests and diseases.

    Next spring you can assess it for any winter damage and then prune that back to a healthy leaf node and also see where flowers are appearing and make a better decision about any shaping that needs doing.
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
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