Hello, I have planted many Rhodo's over the years and have recently moved one to the front on our house. It is very large (more in height, than width) and I would like to prune it to reduce it's height and have it a little fuller? I have had trees limbs break off half of one of our Rhodo's and have cut the other half of the Rhodo the following year and it has come back beautifully. My concern is that this Rhodo (Phyllis Korn) is one of my favorites, for its bloom. I don't want to lose it. Should I prune part of it each year? I'll wait till after it flowers. With just transplanting it this spring, should I not do anything with it until next year and let it root up in it's new site? If anyone has any information that would assist me, I would appreciate it very much.
I transplanted an 18 year old Rhodo, noting the shallow root mass.. I wanted to ensure its' survival... I removed every emerging flower bud, in order to give all the energy to the plant... it survived. I kept the roots moist for the entire summer. This spring it is loaded with buds. The pruning combined with bud removal should aid the development of your shrub. Good luck!
