Any helpful hints or ideas will be greatly appreciated.........My Brother brought me this rhododendron from the greenhouse that he manages. It wasn't sellable so he thought I could bring it to life I don't know if it will help it to cut it back only to the new growth. should I cut it back or should I let it go?
I'm not an expert on rhodies, but I had one that looked like that a few years ago.
I pruned all the dead parts back to just above a healthy leaf node. I bounced back beautifully.
I would also re-pot it right away. Keep it in the shade.
I agree with Lynn, that is what I would do if I came across this baby at work... I work at a nursery. When transplanting it, I would make sure it was into some good organic nutrient-rich soil/mix, and give it a good feeding too, while I'm at it.
**********************
In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt. ~ Margaret Atwood
I was hoping to find a thread on rhodies.
We have inherited a lovely but quite large one I would like to cut back a bit. When is the best time of the year to do that?
Do I just try not to cut all the way back to old growth?
Thanks!
In my experience rhodies are pretty forgiving. Prune back to any set of rosettes, depending on how drastically it is desired to prune. Always make the cut about a quarter of an inch above the rosette.
They can be pruned at any time without harming the plant. If buds are already set for next year, you might miss a year of blooms.
I agree with Lynn, that is what I would do if I came across this baby at work... I work at a nursery. When transplanting it, I would make sure it was into some good organic nutrient-rich soil/mix, and give it a good feeding too, while I'm at it.
