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Rhododendron - Possible (probable) vine weevil issue

amykav4297186amykav4297186 Posts: 7
in Problem solving
Hi, 

I'm fairly new to gardening, or should I say 'proper' gardening. In the past I've enjoyed planting up some bedding plants in a border but since moving to my new house, I want to create a more eco-friendly garden with lots of varieties of plants.

The first real issue I'm facing is my poor Rhododendron.

It was bought last year and planted, it gets what it needs in terms of water/sun however I kind of just left it to itself over late autumn and winter. Whilst taking stock of my plants ahead of spring I've noticed it's been decimated by what I'm assuming after lots of googling is Vine Weevils.

I should say this plant is at the side of my house that I rarely walk past so I've just not thought to check on it over winter (bad gardener!).

Is this a write-off? How do I fix it?!

Appreciate any help I can find.
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Posts

  • amancalledgeorgeamancalledgeorge Posts: 2,736
    The planting site looks a bit tight from the little I can see in the photo. Is it stuck against the house wall? They eventually become quite sizeable plants so a bit more space is necessary for good growth and also if too close they won't receive enough rainwater.

    As for vine weevil, being in the ground won't kill it thankfully and if looked after it will improve. But they do need watering if the weather is dry or in the shadow of a building. 
    To Plant a Garden is to Believe in Tomorrow
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    That's a very unhappy looking rhodo, even before the weevil damage.
    It's chlorotic, so the soil may not be ideal. They love plenty of water, but they also need decent enough drainage. Those are all things to consider with most rhodos.
    Can you give a little more info - your rough location, and a bit more info about the soil etc will help with advice :)

    As said, weevils will rarely cause the plant to die, but it's aesthetically unnattractive, so it's understandable you're concerned. 
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • amykav4297186amykav4297186 Posts: 7
    amancalledgeorge said:
    The planting site looks a bit tight from the little I can see in the photo. Is it stuck against the house wall? They eventually become quite sizeable plants so a bit more space is necessary for good growth and also if too close they won't receive enough rainwater.

    As for vine weevil, being in the ground won't kill it thankfully and if looked after it will improve. But they do need watering if the weather is dry or in the shadow of a building. 
    Thanks for your response! So the site it has is a bit bigger than what you can see - the turf in front of it is being taken out and it has a large corner plot to grow in to. Do I just need a Nematodes treatment to tackle the weevils? I think I've perhaps not watered it enough over winter. Hopefully I can bring it back from the brink!
  • amykav4297186amykav4297186 Posts: 7
    edited 18 February
    Fairygirl said:
    That's a very unhappy looking rhodo, even before the weevil damage.
    It's chlorotic, so the soil may not be ideal. They love plenty of water, but they also need decent enough drainage. Those are all things to consider with most rhodos.
    Can you give a little more info - your rough location, and a bit more info about the soil etc will help with advice :)

    As said, weevils will rarely cause the plant to die, but it's aesthetically unnattractive, so it's understandable you're concerned. 
    I know, it's a sorry-looking thing at the moment. We do have quite clay-ey soil here in Wakefield however I did remove quite a lot of the soil when digging out the bed. I did add a good amount of Ericaceous soil when planting the Rhododendron but perhaps not enough. It also gets a good amount of sunlight after the hottest of the day during spring and summer. I have ordered a PH tester for the soil to see what I'm working with. Thanks for your help!
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Unfortunately, just adding an ericaceous product in the ground won't really change the pH of soil long term. It's how the plants access the nutrients they need that matters, and that's where there's often a bit of confusion with that kind of plant. They'll actually grow perfectly well in neutral soil, but once it gets too alkaline, that's where the problem is apparent for most of them.
    Most of them are fine in a lot of shade, so it sounds as if that isn't really a problem. Searing mid day sun, for a long time, is the worst sort of aspect. Clay is perfectly fine, but it needs some amendment to ensure drainage is adequate, and if there isn't regular rainfall, the soil needs enough moisture to keep them happy, as they're shallow rooting shrubs. That's where mulching can be really helpful, and something like bark is good because that also breaks down over time and gives the soil some help. 
    If the soil isn't going to be suitable, and you want rhodos, you may have to consider a raised bed for it instead.  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    I agree with @Fairygirl and think the soil is the main problem.
    If it's decent soil and not alkaline then it probably need a dose of sequestered iron which is widely available.

    I wouldn't waste money on a pH meter they're very unreliable.
    If you're in England or Wales you can use this site to give a rough idea of the soil type and pH in your postcode-
    https://www.landis.org.uk/soilscapes/


    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • amykav4297186amykav4297186 Posts: 7
    Pete.8 said:
    I agree with @Fairygirl and think the soil is the main problem.
    If it's decent soil and not alkaline then it probably need a dose of sequestered iron which is widely available.

    I wouldn't waste money on a pH meter they're very unreliable.
    If you're in England or Wales you can use this site to give a rough idea of the soil type and pH in your postcode-
    https://www.landis.org.uk/soilscapes/

    The issue is that we're on a new build site and a lot of the soil was brought from elsewhere I would imagine so I'm not 100% sure that site would be fully accurate either. I'll try the PH meter and see if it matches what the website says and we'll see. The site you linked says that the soil is slightly acidic. So perhaps I'll try the sequestered iron and see if that perks it up a bit. Would you suggest cutting the leaves off that have been damaged?
  • amykav4297186amykav4297186 Posts: 7
    Fairygirl said:
    Unfortunately, just adding an ericaceous product in the ground won't really change the pH of soil long term. It's how the plants access the nutrients they need that matters, and that's where there's often a bit of confusion with that kind of plant. They'll actually grow perfectly well in neutral soil, but once it gets too alkaline, that's where the problem is apparent for most of them.
    Most of them are fine in a lot of shade, so it sounds as if that isn't really a problem. Searing mid day sun, for a long time, is the worst sort of aspect. Clay is perfectly fine, but it needs some amendment to ensure drainage is adequate, and if there isn't regular rainfall, the soil needs enough moisture to keep them happy, as they're shallow rooting shrubs. That's where mulching can be really helpful, and something like bark is good because that also breaks down over time and gives the soil some help. 
    If the soil isn't going to be suitable, and you want rhodos, you may have to consider a raised bed for it instead.  :)
    Thanks for your update - I'm going to assess the soil, apply an iron treatment and see if it perks up. It has good drainage as a lot of the clay was dug out and replaced - it's not like thick clay slabs but it's more clay than not clay if that makes any sense. I have mulched it with bark already :) would you suggest removing the damaged leaves?
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    I wouldn't do anything to the foliage just now, and it wouldn't look great when it's flowering. A sickly plant is always more susceptible to pests and diseases too, so getting a healthy growing medium is the way to get them thriving.
    Try the iron treatment, and see how it goes, but regularly adding organic matter is the best way to improve clay, and keep shrubs in good heart. How quickly it responds depends largely on the condition it is to start with, and the general climate etc. Rhodos like decent soil with enough nutrients, but drainage is important. They grow like weeds here where I am, because although the soil is predominantly heavy clay, we have a suitable climate for them - plenty of consistent rainfall, but a cooler climate    :)
    You can prune rhodos too, although many people don't realise that. It largely depends on how you want them, and the space available etc, but they can be cut back quite hard if they get too big, for example, and it rejuvenates them.
    Yours wouldn't be needing that just now of course.  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • amykav4297186amykav4297186 Posts: 7
    Fairygirl said:
    I wouldn't do anything to the foliage just now, and it wouldn't look great when it's flowering. A sickly plant is always more susceptible to pests and diseases too, so getting a healthy growing medium is the way to get them thriving.
    Try the iron treatment, and see how it goes, but regularly adding organic matter is the best way to improve clay, and keep shrubs in good heart. How quickly it responds depends largely on the condition it is to start with, and the general climate etc. Rhodos like decent soil with enough nutrients, but drainage is important. They grow like weeds here where I am, because although the soil is predominantly heavy clay, we have a suitable climate for them - plenty of consistent rainfall, but a cooler climate    :)
    You can prune rhodos too, although many people don't realise that. It largely depends on how you want them, and the space available etc, but they can be cut back quite hard if they get too big, for example, and it rejuvenates them.
    Yours wouldn't be needing that just now of course.  :)
    Great - you've been a great help! I'll go to the garden centre tomorrow for supplies! 
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