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Rhododendron Pruning?

CrazybeeladyCrazybeelady Posts: 778
in Plants

Sorry it's sideways, not so easy to crop on my phone. Anyway, I've never trimmed this Rhododendron, it's about 5 years old, should I have? It's just grown the lighter green leaves after flowering. 
All the stick bits that remain from the flowers, should I be removing them? 

Posts

  • amancalledgeorgeamancalledgeorge Posts: 2,736
    Gosh that looks like a tiny pot for such a big plant. Yes you remove the spent blooms carefully so as not to harm the emerging leaves nearby. Rhodos especially the older varieties are not happy in pots for too long, so make a plan to transfer it in the ground soonish. 
    To Plant a Garden is to Believe in Tomorrow
  • CrazybeeladyCrazybeelady Posts: 778
    @amancalledgeorge I actually removed it from the ground last year after it went yellow and didn't flower! I didn't realise at time of planting that it needed acid soil that I don't have. The change once it went into that pot was amazing, it's loving life again. The rootball had barely grown in the 4 years it was in the ground so I didn't struggle to get it in there, but yes it looks a bit big for it now!
  • amancalledgeorgeamancalledgeorge Posts: 2,736
    Oh what a bummer! Clearly the soil must be on the alcaline side. Then you can bump it a size when it becomes root bound. 
    To Plant a Garden is to Believe in Tomorrow
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    I would break of the old seed heads, be careful not to break the emerging side shoots, that’s your flowers for next year.
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

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