Poor little Rhododendron struggling and I must do something, but what? I know it's in the wrong location now, after performing various fixes that have gone nowhere. I purchased this little hopeful 5 gallon starter 2 years ago because of it's yellow flower (which has never flowered), called a Holden Solar Flair, apparently the solar part is not good. It's current location is too hot and too sunny. I must act quickly to save it. As I have read in these forums, it's suffering from a few maladies. What treatment is to be administered before I move it? My questions are: Should I cut it back hard, cutting off all the disease, bugs, sunburns, windburns etc? Should I leave some of the leaves and spray it with something before I move it? Should I make a cake and celebrate a plant lost to ignorance? Thank-you for any information you can give me.
I'm replying to myself but NO, it's not a goner!! Completely cut it back, pulled it and moved it to another location away from ocean wind with more shade and better drainage. Ever hopeful.
I agree. I hope you cut off all the flower buds when you pruned it back - it needs to concentrate on leaves and roots this year. Did you soak the root ball before replanting? I'm sure you plan to keep it well-watered this summer as it settles in to its new home. Best not to fertilize until late winter 2021. Many rhodo experts are now recommending planting rhodos on top of the existing soil or in shallow depressions and filling in all around with humus-enriched soil. This helps ensure that the plant is growing in optimal conditions and shouldn't raise the level of the surrounding garden too much. Spreading a nice mulch such as fir bark, pine needles, wood chips, composted materials, etc. over the bed finishes it off nicely. Planting Rhododendrons and Azaleas
After 2 years, I'm putting out my message of success...as the last message was not the end of this saga. I cut the rhodo back, moved it, no growth, so I repotted in a wide shallow pot, moved it again for another year around other rhodos. 2 years later, with few leaves, I thought it was truly done. I took it up to a family property and planted in a forested area, cool, shady with lots of low growing plants. This spring it grew leaves and flowered!! I am truly amazed at the resilience of these plants.
