Rhododendrons
am hoping someone can advise me on a rhododendron plant I have had for 4 years. It's always flowered, & been full of leaves, & been full of buds at this time of the year - ready for the next flowering season.
this year it has not flowered, has lost most of it's leaves, & is not budding ready for next year's flowering. It isn't thriving! It is planted in a big clay pot, with ericacious soil. it is about a metre tall. It stands close to a wooden fence.
i have a partner rhododendron plant in another pot, 2 years older, which IS thriving. It's an amazing plant, a prolific flowerer & it's full of buds for next year already. Btw, this plant stands under an oak tree right close to a wooden shed.
both plants are "properly pruned" at the correct time of year, are watered & fed regularly.
I need advice on how to nurse my "poorly rhododendron" back to health.
all contributions most welcome -
thankyou ????
Tads
Posts
Hi Tads - do you replace some of the soil each year? It may well have used up all the nutrients in the pot. It may well be all roots and very little else if it's been in the pot for a long time. Alternatively, has it had enough water and food? If it's dried out at any point it would struggle to recover. They're not the best shrubs for keeping in pots long term.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Thankyou Fairygirl.
have replenished ericaceous soil, yes.
will it transplant into the ground? And when could I do this? I have very clay soil here. If I dig a big hole & fill it with ericaceous soil, & replant it in this ground - will that work? ( I mean, outside the ericaceous soil, will be the clay soil!) will replenishing by digging in ericaceous soil each year, work In a situation like this? What do you think ?
Thankyou so much for your interest ???? appreciate it.
Thankyou Verdun.
we are generous with watering ! Yes compost is wet.
I will get some vine weevil killer, in case, Thankyou.
(see above my other reply to Fairgirl, too)
Thankyou so much for you interest, greatly appreciated. ????
Rhodos grow like weeds up here Tads - loads of rain and clay soil! It will be perfectly happy in the ground. A bit of shade is best but if they have the right conditions they'll grow well in sun too.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...