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Rhododendron: Will it flower?
theno2soco
Posts: 80
The rhododendron I have was planted by the previous occupant many years ago. We have had it for one year and I don't remember it flowering. It has never been looked after and the branches are old and straggly. Some have a 'bud' or the beginnings of a flower, not sure which. Most have been like this for months and newer ones seem to stop growing when they reach a similar stage. I would appreciate comment/advice please.
Every contact leaves a trace - LocardMy abode: Essex, soon to be a desert!
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If the spring is dry, the same thing can happen - any viable buds will shrivel and not form properly, although that can also happen if frost/ice occurs at the important point.
You can help it to be reliable in future by just making sure it isn't dry while those flower buds are forming, and also by adding plenty of organic matter from early spring, or even through autumn and winter, to ensure the soil is kept healthy. That's the most important thing - good soil retains moisture but also drains well. Although rhodos love lots of rain, they don't like being waterlogged. It's why they grow so easily here in the west. Our clay soil is also great for them too, but it has to be well enough amended on planting to ensure that drainage. Once established, it's easier.
They're also best with some light shade as that means the ground doesn't dry out so easily, so if it's in a very open, hot sunny site, that will be more difficult. A bit of respite from searing sun will make it happier if it doesn't have that.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Yes it is hot here most of the time and I find the ground is solid and hard to dig even with a fork after a few inches down. It is shaded in the afternoon.
In fact I am considering removing everything, sorting the soil and starting from scratch now we are established in the property and have more time. I have been unable to find any gardener, even just to pop in, do a bit and offer advice for a fee.
My abode: Essex, soon to be a desert!
REfresh the soil by each year adding some good acididc compost to the surface around the plant.
It is not clear from the pic, but there is a small risk that the buds have bud-blast, in which case they may fall off or dry out and be easily removed. There is plenty of literature on bud-blast.
"Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
You won't necessarily need to lift it, and organic matter can be added around it on a regular basis, which won't affect it in any way. An inch or two spread on top, and just leaving a little bit of clearance around the main trunk, is all you need to do. It'll gradually break down over time.
They're mostly slow growing too, and vary enormously in their eventual size, but they can also be pruned back which can be beneficial.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
My abode: Essex, soon to be a desert!
Today I bout some bags of farmyard manure to mix with existing soil when planting, could I put this around the base? It is to late to prune now but how far back to prune it after it has finished flowering next year? Perhaps get rid of all that dead looking wood which just has a flower right at the end.
My abode: Essex, soon to be a desert!
Rhosies need litle extra feeding; certainly not farmyard manure.
"Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
Ah! you got me lol. Rhododendrons! I have fed them!
My abode: Essex, soon to be a desert!
If the soil is less than ideal in structure [which you suggested if it's solid in summer and hard to dig anywhere ] then organic matter spread on the beds all year round will do more good than anything else.
Any material is fine - manure, compost, leaf mould [that's particularly good] and another useful product if you can get it is composted or ground bark. it all breaks down and helps the soil and therefore helps the shrub.
I can't see the stems/branches well enough, but you can certainly take off anything that's completely dead. It may not look very pretty though, and at some point you may feel it's better to replace it, if the overall shape isn't brilliant.
Some of them can be a bit more gappy in their habit than others, but if the conditions are less than ideal, they often just won't thrive well and therefore lack that good, dense shape, with healthy plentiful foliage.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
My abode: Essex, soon to be a desert!