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Vanishing rhododendron buds

Tanty2Tanty2 Posts: 231
in Problem solving
Hi - I have a very happy rhododendron (no idea which one, label fell of yonks ago) which has flowered beautifully every year.  Looked at it today and all the gorgeous fat flower buds that were on it last week are gone.  Just gone.  There's no notching on the leaves, no buds on the ground, no clues at all.  There are no deer in the garden (epic deer fencing does a grand job).  The rest of the plant looks healthy.  Anyone any ideas?  Do I wait a year and see if it flowers next year or is this a sign of something terminal?  Thanks!
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Posts

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Sounds like something's eaten them if they were definitely there last week.
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • Tanty2Tanty2 Posts: 231
    It definitely has (and it wasn't me, sleepwalking, pretty sure of that...).  I'm very annoyed, it's a super pretty rhodie and its flowers make me happy.  
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    edited March 2022
    Not a problem I've ever had, but I expect someone will have an idea. 
    I don't recall rabbits eating them, but it could be something like pheasants, although they never touched mine when we had both in the garden. 
    Are you sure they haven't shrivelled in dry weather or similar? They can disappear quite quickly if they get frosted and dried out for example. Again, not something that really happens here, but it's surprising how easily they can shrivel up.
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • DogmumDogmum Posts: 96
    We have a squirrel which nicks whole camellia buds if they grow too close to the fence, so that could be a possibility.
    Tomorrow is another day
  • LunarSeaLunarSea Posts: 1,923
    Yes squirrels. We had that problem one year and I actually saw him eating them. Out of desperation I smeared the remaining buds with axle grease and amazingly I stopped them being eaten. What's more we got flowers!
    Clay soil - Cheshire/Derbyshire border. 

    I play with plants and soil and sometimes it's successful
  • ErgatesErgates Posts: 2,953
    Squirrels often help themselves to the buds of camellias, rhododendrons and magnolias in our garden. Too high for me to reach most of them, but I have tried spraying some of the smaller camellia bushes with dilute washing up liquid, seemed to help a bit.
  • Tanty2Tanty2 Posts: 231
    Thanks, everyone, for the insight.  Squirrels, eh?   Greedy little cretins.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    "Greedy little cretins." 

    Much worse than that unfortunately  :/
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • valerierobertsvalerieroberts Posts: 726
    @VictorMeldrew , @Dogmum that’s answered my question and what I can do about it, don’t know if OH has axle-grease though, as that’s what has been happening to my camellia tree. Valerie 
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    I've never had a problem with them in all the years I've gardened [well over 20 just in this area] and there's no shortage of the little sods here. Must have plenty of other food available.
    Maybe they're eating all the buds over in the NT garden instead  ;)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
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