I'm new to this Forum and am really looking forward to receiving some knowledgeable feedback on rhododendron care. This is my story ... In the summer of 2006 I severely pruned back an older established rhododendron (about 20 years old, trunk about 4-6 inches). I now realize how stupid this was as I not only sent it into shock, I cut off all the flower buds for the next year ! So not expecting it to flower in the spring of 2007, I was really surprised to see that it didn't bloom in the spring of 2008 despite recovering really well with a lot of new growth and healthy leaves. Fast forward to now - spring of 2009 - and no flower buds only leaf buds. These leaf buds are bursting open into sticky multiple leaves and I wonder if I should be pinching them of to stop the plant from getting too leggy (which was the reason that I pruned severely in 2006) or should I let the plant take it's course of action and not interfere and hope that blooms will come next spring? Any advice or if anyone has experienced the same, I would be interested to hear. Thanks so much.
Have you not been fertilizing your Rhodo?, best be doing that all season for next years blooms... bin there, done that....
