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Help with Rhododendron please!
TheBFG82
Posts: 4
Please help! Why has my Rhododendron ended up like this? It flowers every year but the leaves have fallen off the bottom making it look rather leggy! There appears to be buds along the stems but they never do anything. Any advice gratefully received. Thank you!
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Looking at the yellowing leaves I am wondering if your soil is acidic enough. Have those stones always been around the Rhododendron?
Hi there! Thanks for replying! Yes its been in the same position for the last 4 years. Someone suggested giving it some feed to see if it perks up?
As it's flowering, it's healthy but as Ladybird4 suggested, it may be suffering due to low acid/high soil PH levels.
It'd be worthwhile buying a liquid ericaceous feed to apply to the Rhododendron to increase the soil acidity. Adding ericaceous compost would be ideal but you'd have to remove the surrounding stones (and possibly a membrane!) which may not be easy.
Also, many Rhododendrons are thirsty plants and will turn yellow without sufficient rainfall or watering.
Thank you so much for your help. I'll try that and hopefully the leaves will shoot from the bottom again! I've always been cautious over overwatering as I read they don't like being water logged. When we planted it we put ericaceous soil around it but I guess it's lost the nutrients. I'll try the feed, scatter some more soil around it and eagerly await...!
Gently scrap some of the soil underneath away and replace it, rhododendrons are shallow rooted so don't pile on the soil too much like you would with a mulch. They hate it
What variety is it? Beautiful colour.
Last edited: 29 April 2017 16:21:30
It shouldn't look as miserable as that if the soil and conditions are right. It's probably flowering well because it thinks it's on it's way out!
I'd clear that gravel away and see what the soil's like round it. If it's been there for four years and is only that size - something isn't right. It should be covered in healthy foliage.
They can cope with any amount of rainfall but not if the soil's solid which I think may be the problem more than anything - assuming it's not too alkaline either. Neutral to acid is best.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Thank you everyone, I'll dig some of the soil away and replace with fresh. I just hope it picks up!