Forum home› Problem solving
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

Rhododendron Fading Away

MTB79MTB79 Posts: 52
in Problem solving
Hi, I have another plant issue. This one is my rhododendron, it's been in for 7 years and it has gone from strength to strength as you can see in the photos. But over the last 18 months it has become very sickly looking, lost most of its leaves, didn't flower well at all last year and looks like it won't at all this year. In fact it looks like it's about to die.

Any reason anyone can think of for this? The leaves are not yellowing at all, they are staying dark green and but just gradually dropping regardless. Previously you could not see the centre of the plant, now you can see straight through it.

It would be really sad to lose it as I planted it as a baby when I first bought my house and people always used to comment on how good it looked.

Posts

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    There's a lot of competition there for moisture. Lots of other shrubs, grass, plus the proximity of the pavement won't help it thrive unless you get very regular, decent rainfall.
    Do you add any bark/compost/organic matter around it?
    Long term shortage of water is the most common reason for them struggling. They're shallow rooting shrubs.  Often, as with things like conifers, the problems aren't really obvious until it's a bit late though. 
    Check the moisture level in at the base. I don't think it's a goner though. Just needs water by the look of it.  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • bédébédé Posts: 3,095
    In my garden it would be Honey Fungus.  But for you, I hope not.  Look for the "bootlaces".

    But it might just have had a hard 2022.
     location: Surrey Hills, England, ex-woodland acidic sand.
    "Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    We have a hedging of rhododendrons,  they got to about 12/14ft and very leggy,  in 2020 we cut them right back to the ground,  these two photos are same ones now.

    You can see the hydrangea in the bottom photo,  the rhododendrons had grow right out over the top of it. 

    They responded well to hard pruning.  But they do need the right soil conditions to thrive for many years,  so slightly to full acid soil and lots of water. 







    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • Joyce GoldenlilyJoyce Goldenlily Posts: 2,933
    MTB9

    I would guess it is lack of nutrients and water. As Fairygirl suggests, try clearing the ground around the bush in a circle the same size as the spread of the bush. A slow release general fertilizer, Growmore or similar, or special feed for acid loving plants, applied in Spring and again in July, as well as plenty of water daily, especially in dry spells, and it should recover. The very close proximity of the pavement is going to prevent a huge amount of rainwater away from the roots of your rhododendron. You may well have a problem for the foreseeable future with lack of water.
Sign In or Register to comment.