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Rhododendron yellowing leaves continue
TerrysWorld
Posts: 174
My Rhododendron is continuing to show yellow leaves despite watering with Iron.
After the recent heavy rain, the pot it sits in is wet. This despite adding grit to its soil at at 50:50 when potted early spring and the pot having a large drain hole and on steps.
Could I replace the soil now with more grit added or move it into my shed to allow it dry out alittle.
Its currently facing north at the rear of the house and now shaded by the house till late spring when it sees the sun again for a few hours a day and same till early autumn.
After the recent heavy rain, the pot it sits in is wet. This despite adding grit to its soil at at 50:50 when potted early spring and the pot having a large drain hole and on steps.
Could I replace the soil now with more grit added or move it into my shed to allow it dry out alittle.
Its currently facing north at the rear of the house and now shaded by the house till late spring when it sees the sun again for a few hours a day and same till early autumn.
South Monmouthshire stuck in the middle between George and the Dragon
0
Posts
As the ground is too soft for using a trolly to move the pot, would a covering of the white fleece over the Rhododendron help with the rain saturation of the ericaceous soil in the pot.
I think putting fleece over the rhodo would be pretty pointless (it won't stop water getting in but could cause mildew by holding dampness in).
You could put a few slates around the top of the pot, in order to shed water before it hits the soil.
But its always been off the ground by 4cm since planted, watered and fed in the spring/summer months
In these conditions, the roots are unable to access the nitrogen that will be in the compost.
It seems you're largely aware of this so key is to let the compost dry out a bit - somehow.
I think if it were mine, I'd take it out of the pot. Pour the compost out then mix in a load of grit and repot it. Use lots of broken pottery to cover the drainage hole(s) then a couple of inches of just grit, then the gritty compost on top of that.
When you water it, the water should come out of the bottom of the pot in a few seconds when the drainage is right.
It may be necessary to drill some more holes in the bottom of the pot.
I've done this before using a masonry drill at high speed but with very little pressure, then used a rasp in the drill to widen the hole.
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
To help it to revive with its yellowing leaves, would adding coffee grounds with its nitrogen, potassium and phosphorous be of any help or wrong time of year.
Coffee grounds are never a good idea - it's myth that they benefit plants and actually does the reverse to many plants. Put them on the compost heap.
Don't add anything to the compost - it's not needed and would stress your already unwell plant.
No feed until it's fully recovered sometime next year.
Fingers X'ed!
PS - If you want to feed it something, seaweed extract at 1/2 strength once a month once it shows signs of regrowth in the Spring. It's the best plant tonic there is.
It's very gentle and mainly supplies vital micronutrients that will help it recover.
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
Yellowing foliage can be a result of several things - drying out and not hydrating properly, waterlogging [poor drainage] and when potted - lack of room and therefore nutrients, or the wrong sort of soil mix altogether. They like plenty of moisture, but they're shallow rooted and need good drainage. Yellow leaves can recover, depending on just how yellow they are.
Certainly - don't feed it, as already said.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
"Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."