Rhododendrons and Camelias dead!?

jrothwelluk · May 2023

We spent quite a lot of money on rhododendrons, in 2020 camelias and big pots to put in the shady area and hide the neighbours brick wall. We used ericaceous compost and pellets but admittedly used hard water from the hose in the summer. Well, they all seem to have died this winter. No buds so far anyway and I have just been to Scotland and saw them all in full bloom, which is a bit sickening. Is there any hope for them, should I try and cut them back and move to a sunny spot or should I now accept the fall of our beautiful plants? Any other suggestions for ways to screen out the wall? I was thinking about bamboo in troughs.

jrothwelluk · May 2023

Fairygirl · May 2023

Pots are the main problem - they really aren't suitable for that unless they're big enough, and those really aren't. They need width rather than depth, as they're shallow rooting, and they need huge amounts of water, regularly and consistently. If they get dried out in a pot for any length of time, it's extremely difficult to rehydrate them.
If you can't grow them in the ground, it's better to choose something else, especially if your climate doesn't suit them, or make purpose built, substantial containers filled with decent soil to plant into. Compost is no use either, except as an extra.
Lots of sun and dry weather isn't great for them either, as they're basically woodland plants.

jrothwelluk · May 2023

Thanks for the feedback, will have to look for some more native plants. We want to keep things in pots at present to prevent roots causing issues to buildings. They are huge pots -half whiskey barrels in some cases, we didn’t think that they had our grown them.

Fairygirl · May 2023

It may be down to what you're using to plant them into, and the ongoing care, as they need to have decent soil if they're potted long term, and if they don't have sufficient watering especially at the critical times, buds don't form well, and they'll generally not be able to thrive.
All shrubs/trees are far harder to maintain in a container. Much easier in the ground.

There wouldn't have been a problem with roots there, unless the soil was poor or prone to eroding or subsiding. They wouldn't be present in gardens everywhere up here if they were difficult

punkdoc · May 2023

How often did you water them last summer? It was very dry and they need to be kept moist.

Fairygirl · May 2023

I think the problems started a long time ago @punkdoc - and probably last summer had a fair bit to do with it. That's not been a sudden failure.
I had to ensure any potted shrubs were checked every day, and we didn't have the sort of conditions many areas had.

micearguers · May 2023

Additionally most of the UK had quite harsh frosts a few moths ago. My established camellia in the soil suffered. Plants in pots are much more exposed and pushed closer to or over the edge. For the (vast) majority of plants you need not worry about damage to buildings, certainly not if they are shrubs. If you decide on plants you like just check with a web search or ask here, it will nearly always be fine.

Fairygirl · May 2023

Frost doesn't affect them - if they're in the right site and conditions. The most it does is affect the emerging flowers as it damages the buds. It's why they shouldn't be in an east facing site, unless they have adequate protection from other planting, fences or buildings, as that's where they can get the bud damage in frosty spells. They wouldn't grow so readily everywhere up here if frost bothered them, although some people in the NE like to bring them under cover if they're potted.
In an average winter where I am, we get upwards of 50 or 60 frosts from October until April/May

In containers, they're more susceptible to roots being wet and then freezing. If that's repeated, as was the case this winter, it can be a problem, especially if they've been weakened by something else - too dry in summer for example.

Joyce Goldenlily · May 2023

I think I would wait until the autumn to make sure all of your plants are dead. They certainly look ill but that does not mean they will not recover if you keep them watered, no feeding and patience. If they have not started forming buds or leaves by Aug. then sadly they have died. Try the finger nail test, scratch a small area of stem to see if it is brown or green. I would not cut off anything for the time being. So many plants have been damaged by the last two seasons, especially newly planted ones. I would have thought half barrels would be OK for camellias especially as you say you used ericaceous compost. It is more likely frost, icy wind and long dry spells will have caused the damage.

bédé · May 2023

Yes, they do look dead. Hot, dry summer 2022 and vry cold winter 2022-23 probably to blame. I usually use hard tap water on my one potted rhodie. It doesn't seem to mind.

Is that a bonsai I see? That has survived.

Rhododendrons and Camelias dead!?

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