I bought a property on the Sunshine Coast in 2021. The garden had a very old and neglected Rhododendron that we wanted to reshape and show off the beautiful multi stemmed trunk. It was pruned in 2022 and 2023 and is putting out a lot of new growth from the bottom. Of course, it thinks we are trying to kill it! It is located on the cusp of a hill and in full sun. I have attached some photos taken today as it currently looks. How do I prune it this year to try and reshape it, get rid of more dead wood and encourage flowers on the top. The hummingbirds love the beautiful purple flowers. Is it possible to show off the multi stemmed trunk or is it too late for that?
Wish I had that to tackle! So fun. You can snip off the new shoots on the trunk to bare it. I would maybe pick a couple that are strong and pointing in a good direction, to grow as "replacement trunks" for if/ when a bigger one gets damaged. Looks like most of the branches and weight are off the one side--a heavy, wet snow could damage it. Anything "dead dead" you can remove any time. I think you were referring to the dead-looking long straggly branches, with a few leaves on the end? My rule for those is no more than two nodes without branching or leaves (unless it's a thicker branch, or necessary for symmetry). That's enough to keep rhodos green and bushy without making it into a hedge blob. Also, any branches that are pencil thin and floppy can go. In the spirit of caution, because we don't know what the summer might bring, it might be better to limit the pruning to the outer perimeter this year, and do the middle next year (says the person with no caution whatsoever). Your yard looks lovely, by the way!
Thanks! It's been quite a lot of work as the garden was totally neglected. I find treasures hidden in the mess, like a lilac tree I just found this spring! And two Japanese Quinces that I am going to try and propagate later during summer.
