rhododendron

[bmpsands]

In the overgrown mess that is the garden of our new house i've found a rhododendron in a pot. I can recognise these plants but not necessarily spell their name. We can't usually grown them in the ground; wrong soil. this one, in a pot, looks very sickly and is "leggy". Can I revive it? The house is a money pit and any action will have to be cheap and cheerful - which is why I thought of asking on here. If I ask at the garden centre I know what type of response I'll get.

[Homemade]

You could repot it in a larger pot but you will need ericaceous compost.
Or you could feed it with fish blood and bone.
Rhododendrons like light shade and to be kept well watered.

[bmpsands]

Thank you for this response. I will get some ericaceious (oh goodness; spelling again) compost and do as you suggest. I think the "light shade" bit might be important. It's currently in a very windy, exposed but sunny place. Probably hasn't had any care for 2 years - which is when the garden was last tended. I'll move it, repot it in the right stuff, give it TLC and see what happens. Thanks again.

[entrus]

Hi bmpsands!

I used to have two acres of them and they can be a bit fussy.

Once it has recovered (the end of next spring) you can prune it.

The rule of thumb is:

If it is rough barked you can prune it back hard and it will send out shoots all over the place, but if it is smooth barked you must only prune 1/3 of of the branches in any one year, and then not too hard.

If you want to propogate it, do it like strawberries. Put another pot of compost next to the plane and weight down one of the branches into it with a large stone and forget about it. By next year the branch will have rooted and you cut the branch to the main plant and pot it on to a bigger pot.

Never put rhododendron cuttings and leaves onto your normal compost heap, they contain a grown suppressant which still works when they are composted, and remember that all parts of rhododendron are toxic to animals, and do not do us any good either.

Nick

[bmpsands]

Thanks for the advice. I have now repotted in the proper compost and have made a note of the pruning advice for when the appropriate time arrives.

The rhododendron is looking better already.

B