Can someone help ? my rhododendron won't blossom..?

I live on the Puget Sound Peninsula and have lived in this place for going on 3 years and there are big rhododendron's with buds but won't flower. Any ideas?

Can someone help ? my rhododendron won't blossom..?
Please read these two links:





http://landscaping.about.com/cs/treesshr...





http://www.rhododendron.org/subsequentca...
Reply:Attached is a good answer - here are the salient points from it (the querent is in Detroit, so it is close to your zone - I am betting your plant needs to be burlapped during the winters and I expect it still might be too cold up there for your variety):





"Low temperatures. The buds could be flower buds that FROZE during the winter and in Detroit this could easily be the problem. Cold climates are too cold for many rhododendrons. Most rhododendrons have a low temperature at which the flower buds are damaged and will not produce flowers. It varies greatly from variety to variety. You may need a hardier variety like PJM.





Nutrients. Improper nutrients my be a problem that affects cold hardiness and flower bud set. A few things you can do are to fertilize with phosphorus (super-phosphate) per directions to increase hardiness and flower bud set. This can be done any time. Do not use nitrogen rich fertilizers as they may inhibit flower bud production and also reduce cold hardiness. Lawn fertilizers are notoriously high in nitrogen and should be kept away from flowering plants.





Acidity. Measure the pH and acidify if necessary. Since your plant looks healthy, this is probably not the problem. Flowers of sulfur (powdered sulfur) is the best chemical to use to increase the acidity [lower the pH]. Do not use aluminum sulfate since aluminum salts build up in the soil and eventually becomes toxic to many plants including rhododendrons and azaleas. If soil is too acid, the symptoms can be the same. Very acidic soil can prevent the roots from taking up nutrients. As many of my rhododendrons are planted in very acidic forest soil, an application of Dolomite and a light topdressing of mushroom manure in late spring is all they need. Sprinkle the lime on in late winter, very early spring. Don't overdo it - just a light sprinkle. If it is mid-spring, get the lime on right away so the rhododendron roots will be able to take up the soil nutrients in time for new growth. If you don't have rain, water it in well.





Protection. If the plants are wrapped in burlap during the winter, they may gain a few more degrees in hardiness.





Drought. When soil moisture is too low, the buds will not open. Watering will usually resolve this condition if detected soon enough."

Anyone familiar w/ rhododendron shrubs?

I removed the 2 red prickly bushes seen in this picture - I bought 2 rhododendron shrubs to replace without knowing anything about them. Do you think it will look ok here?


http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm112...

Anyone familiar w/ rhododendron shrubs?
Rhododendrons can be fussy. If they're happy, they grow well. But if they aren't growing in a spot they like, they will not thrive.





They need dappled sun or morning sun and shade from the afternoon sun. I've never seen a rhody growing in full sun and being happy about it.





They need acidic soil. Moist - but well drained. If there's ever standing water after a heavy rain, they'll most likely get root rot.





Where they grow naturally is in the understory of forests...dappled sun, mostly shade...and on mountainsides...in otherwords, sloped ground where there is never standing water.





-------





Edited to add - just looked at your picture. That looks like a full sun spot. That will most definitely not work for a rhododendron.
Reply:Yes , as long as you have bought the right varieties. Some rhododendrons can grow as large as trees, some grow to only about a foot. Hopefully you have bought something in between. They prefer an acid soil, so without knowing what your soil is, if the leaves start to turn yellow after you have planted them, give them a feed of sequestered iron, or a feed that specifies its for acid loving plants.
Reply:I have a one that is about 7 ft. tall and about that wide. I have had it for years, bought it in a small container at K-mart. It didn't bloom, until I bought the special plant food for it. Then it took off. I have never trimmed it, but am going to do that, after it blooms this year. It is filled with buds right now. So remember, how big they can get, when planting the two. Once established, you can take cuttings from the new growth, to start new ones.
Reply:I would plant it where the white garbage bag is , remember that any bush or tree will spread so move all the others a bit back or they will take over your patio.
Reply:I would only plant 1. It will fill that area up. two is to many for that spot.

Big Rhododendron Looks Sick. How to Fix?

Hi,





I have two big rhododendron plants about 7 feet tall and 6 feet wide (each) on my property. They are 4 feet from each other with a bush in between. One of them looks beautiful and is very full, but the other has lots of it's twigs and sticks coming through, the leaves have spots and are more brown than green, and it's not nearly as full. At one time they both were healthy. It's not dead as it does still flower. It's been like this for at least 3 years but maybe more (that's when I bought the house and it came like that).





I thought maybe I should cut out all the brown twigs thinking they were dead, but they are alive as they don't just snap off.





What could be wrong and is there a way to fix it? How should I treat it?





Thanks!

Big Rhododendron Looks Sick. How to Fix?
Ours was alot bigger than this and we really trimmed the devil out of it 2 weeks ago, we cut it back to about 3 ft tall and now it has lots and lots of new growth
Reply:Hi:


There could be a couple of reasons why your one plant isn't doing as well. Rhododendrons need partial shade. If they are in full shade for too long, they won't bloom properly and could become leggy. If they get too much sun, they will not grow properly either.





Sometimes one plant as it ages will not stay as healthy as others. You might try and prune back the branches that aren't looking so healthy. Go ahead and fertilize it and see if that will help the Rhododendron.





You can test if the shrub is healthy by taking your nail or a small knife and scratching the surface on a couple of branches. If it is green, it is healthy, if it is brown, it could be in shock. You can also dig around the base and add some organic mushroom compost to the soil. This is an organic fertilizer that will last up to one year. It doesn't smell great, but your Rhodendron will love it.





I will link you to the gallery of plants section of my website. There is a page on Rhododendrons that may help you. I will also link you to the site map, as this page has everything that is on the website. Browse through and see if you can find any other information that may be of help. Good luck to you and have a great day!


Kimberly





http://www.landscape-solutions-for-you.c...





http://www.landscape-solutions-for-you.c...

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Evergreen rhododendron plzzz help?

i have these evergreen rhododendron that always grow back every april for 3 yrs now and were in may2nd and they look as daed as they were in december. does anyone know about these flowers, why haven;t they grown back? what should i do abou them?

Evergreen rhododendron plzzz help?
If you had a harsh winter, the parts above ground level could have been killed. Happened to me one year. If you see no green growth in a month (DO wait that long), they're goners.





Also, I don't suppose you put down lime on your lawn last year, or this Spring? Rhodos hate lime.
Reply:Sounds like they need watering. If you are in a drought situation, they will need to be watered deeply at least once per week.

Rhododendron cuttings?

Has anyone taken cuttings from a rhododendron before. How can you do this succesfully? Im a beginner gardener.

Rhododendron cuttings?
The simplest and most foolproof way is to layer one or more of the branches.





All you have to do is take a low branch and peg it down into the soil, if you damage the branch slightly by scraping off a little of the bark at the point where it will be touching the soil then this will encourage it to make roots.





If you do not have a branch that is low enough you could place a pot filled with soil at a height to suit the plant and peg the branch into that. Just make sure that you do not allow the pot to dry out.





http://gardening.mweb.co.za/a0034.htm
Reply:well i have i just took a hard wood .didn't do anything Fancy just made sure there was a tail when i pulled it off i leave it in a small jar of water till it roots it worked for me i have some azalea's as well rootlng my dad showed me years ago.don't need any of the Fancy stuff they sell.good luck
Reply:http://www.rhodoland.nl/propagating_graf...


http://www.flounder.ca/FraserSouth/basic...


http://www.lib.virginia.edu/brown/scisca...

Rhododendron winterize?

I live in Nebraska, anyone know what to do with a rhododendron over the winter. I planted it this summer?

Rhododendron winterize?
http://extension.unh.edu/FHGEC/documents...





thanks for the reminder, try this link

Rhododendron Ecological Impact?

On visiting a stately home yesterday, I noticed many mid sized bushes which I thought would be excellent for a corner of the garden. On further research I found this to be the Rhododendron Ponticum. Research has revealed that this is likely to have a negative effect on local fauna and flora, and so is out of the question.


I have found a variety called R Fantastica, which seems similar.


Is there any eco concerns over this variety and is it suitable for my garden. The position it would go in is sheltered, has sun for 4-5 hours a day, the soil is sandy and well drained.


Any advice from expert gardeners would be appreciated.

Rhododendron Ecological Impact?
You are safe with your chosen variety, Ponticum is the hated one. ACID soils favour Rhododendrons, leaf litter rich, woodland edge, positions suit well. Dig in lots of well rotted compost or leaf-mould.
Reply:Ilive near woodland and have two rhododendron bushes in my


garden they probably were cuttings taken from the woodland


so i dont know the variety.


they have beautiful purple blooms every year.


also i have banana palms and New Zealand ferns.


my soil is well drained iron stone which is sandy.
Reply:I dont know what type mine is but it has wonderful pink flowers that go paler with time mine is planted in a large pot in ericaceous plant compost have had it for 3 yrs but being in a pot controls growth and no overtaking of the garden. It has a sweet aroma and there is a constant to-ing and fro-ing of honey bees now and everyone admires it I hope this was some help
Reply:The ecological concerns often raised about Rhodendrons arise from the fact that they are an introduced species (they are orginally from Nepal, and it remains the country's national flower). They are seen as a problem because they are incredibly invasive and will out-compete many British native plant species. However, if you intend to grow it in a garden I can't see why it would cause too much of a problem- as long as you keep it properly pruned, etc and don't let it get out of control.





I don't think you will have that many problems with your choice of site, as rhodendrons like dappled shade. However, do test your soil. Rhodendrons like slightly acidic soil (around pH 5).





As for the pest thing, there are a wide range of Coleopteran species (beetles) that absolutely love them (most are weevils). There is also a pest known as a rhodendron leaf borer that is wide spread in America. I am not sure what the situation is like in the UK yet.





Hope this of some use to you.

C++

Rhododendron Help!?

My rhododendron is trying to bloom again. I live in Zone 5, so I know it's got to be too late for that. After it bloomed (or rather, tried to bloom) this spring (it was in sorry shape), we pruned it back, and it produced some healthy-looking new growth. Yesterday, I went out to water, and realized that there were white blooms on it.


Will it have time to go dormant beofre winter? Is there anything I can do? Or am I worried needlessly?

Rhododendron Help!?
The state flower for Washington is the Rhododendron. There is a small town called Port Townsend that has a festival every year that is called the Rhododenron festival. It is also in zone 5. They grow high along the roads as high as twenty feet. There has been various types of them. Some more heat tolerant than others, and some that do bloom twice a year. You should not worry for it is an evergreen.
Reply:It may seem strange but put some pennies in the ground around the soil..it worked for me

Rhododendron -buds turn into leafs- no flowers?

I planted a 2 ft tall Rhododendron catawbiense 'Album last year in zone 5 and was looking forward to its flowers this year. It had big buds for the last week, but now the buds are open and there only are green new leaves. Leafs on the shrub look healthy- what is going on? The Rhodo a few feet away is in full bloom.

Rhododendron -buds turn into leafs- no flowers?
Usually when this happens, the Rhody was pruned too late in the year. Maybe the nursery or if you pruned it back before planting in the fall you have cut off the next years blooms. Any pruning needs to be done right after the flowering period, because the plant sets its flowers at this time for the following season, which would be now. Any blooms that fail to develop turn into a leafy segment. After the blooms are done, you can grab the spent flower heads after they dry out and gently wiggle them from side to side, snapping them off cleanly. There should be bud unions around and below this area waiting to develop flowers for the next year. The thing about Rhody's is that you can unknowingly ruin the next years flowers if you don't follow strict pruning practices after a blooming period. Same holds true for Azaleas. Let the plant go until next year and you should have a few beautiful flowers. Hope this answers your question...


http://www.flounder.ca/FraserSouth/basic...





...Billy Ray
Reply:Sometimes a newly planted bush won't produce flowers the first year. Try giving it some Miracle Grow or a vitamin specifically for a Rhodo.
Reply:this is normal the first year of planting! i had the same problem. it'll look better next year though, once it's established! do not fertilize next spring till after they've bloomed on their own!
Reply:One easy thing if you're a coffee drinker... Sprinkle leftover coffee grounds around shrubs - Makes shrubs healthy %26amp; vigorous %26amp; REALLY bloom!!





Also ou can use a well-balanced fertilizer (5-10-10) %26amp; feed shrubs by sprinkling 1/4 lb Epsom salt on soil beneath them then water in with *Shrub Stimulator in Spring.





*4 T instant tea granules, 4 T bourbon or 1/2 can of beer, 2 T liq dish soap, 2 gallons warm water - Mix %26amp; sprinkle over shrubs --





If mulched, pull back mulch, scatter fertilizer, then replace mulch.





Feed this recipe every 3 wks during growing season:


1/2 can of beer, 1/2 c fish fertilizer, 1/2 c ammonia, 1/4 c baby shampoo, 2 T hydrogen peroxide - Mix all %26amp; spray plants to point of run-off.





Good Luck!

Rhododendron, help?

My rhododendrons is 10 years old and dying. All the leaves are drooping and falling off, it has Plenty of flowers this year. Another rhododendron of a different variety beside it is thriving. why is this happening, and how could i go about fixing it?


Also does anyone know of a website for reference on this subject matter

Rhododendron, help?
Is it in a pot or in the ground?





If it is in the ground, you might have something getting into its roots.





If it has been dry where you are, it might need more water, or if it is wet, then it might be getting too much.





Try searching on yahoo! and you should find thousands of rhodendron fanatic websites with all sorts of info.
Reply:I agree, it is strange that the one beside is doing fine while this one is dying. One thing you could try is fertilizer for Rhododendrons (I believe Miricle Grow makes one). Rhododendrons have quite specific needs (I think high soil acidity is one), so a fertilizer specifically for them (its the same one as for azaleas) is the best way to go.

Rhododendron?

Vascular or nonvascular


Seed bearing or non seed bearing


Bryophyte, Pteridophyte, Gymnosperm, or Angiosperm


Monocot or dicot, or neither

Rhododendron?
Vascular, Seed bearing, Angiosperm, Dicot.

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Rhododendron?

Is there any way to take a piece off a rhododron and put it in water to get a new rhodoendron? Any advice or comments will be appriciated

Rhododendron?
Try this way.....take a branch of the rhododendron Ieaving it attache to the shrub, rub a open spot on the bark down to white wood, then push it down into the dirt (still attached to the shrub) and cover (bury) the wounded area with dirt. YOu might have to place a brick or stone to hold it in the dirt. Come back in a year and you will have a well rooted plant!
Reply:Yes but it is hard to get it to grow roots. You might try some root hormone sold at your local Wal-mart. You can try to bend a branch down %26amp; put some dirt on it. The you could cut it lose this fall %26amp; see it it will take off on its one.
Reply:This is a vegetative method of propagation which produces plants that are identical to the mother plant. Cuttings (sometimes called scions) are taken off of semi-hard wood any time between less than a month after the new growth is made, to about six months after growth. In the northern hemisphere this would be somewhere between the months of May through November. Generally, softer wood roots more readily than harder wood, though the softer the wood, the more likely it is that problems will occur with fungus diseases. So sanitation is important. For planting use new bark, sawdust, clean (coarse if possible) peat, perlite, or coarse clean sand mixed in practically any combination. The main thing you want is a medium that has some humus (bark sawdust, peat) to hold moisture and an inert matter (perlite or sand) to provide air spaces and drainage.





The cuttings should be made from the tip growth, cut from 2.5 cm to 10 cm (1" to 4") long, depending on the growth size of the plant you are trying to propagate. The lower leaves should be removed and often the ends of the top leaves are shortened to provide more space between the cuttings, to allow air circulation and to lessen the amount of foliage the scion has to feed while it is rooting. Wound the cutting with a cut on each side, about 12.5 mm to 25 mm (1/2" to l"), just deep enough to cut through the bark. Dipping the cutting in a rooting hormone containing indolebutyric acid wll make rooting easier. The exact formula depends on the hardness of the cutting and the difficulty in rooting the cultivar you are tying to propagate. Experience is the only good teacher as to the strength needed, though most commercial rooting hormones will give some instructions.





Preferably the rooting bed you use for these cuttings has some form of heating to keep the soil temperature near 21°C (70°F) (though many cuttings will root without heat) and some type of mist system that comes on and off to keep the foliage moist.


You must be sure that the mist system does not put too much water in the soil, as soggy conditions will rapidly promote disease. A variation on this moisture supply is to build a frame over the cutting bed, cover it with plastic, and make sure it is not in direct sun. For summer propagation the simplest method may be a small wooden flat with a plastic cover set in a shaded location. To root one or two cuttings, even a glass jar filled half way with the above mentioned rooting soil, lightly watered, sealed with a lid and left in a north window may do the trick.





Remember, some rhododendron or azalea cuttings root easily, often within 6 weeks, while others may take 3, 6, 9, or 12 months to root, or may not root at all. Don't be discouraged by your first attempts. However, don't expect to cut a limb off of your plant, stick it into the ground next to your plant and have it root. It may stay green for several months, but has virtually no probability of forming roots.





An example of rooting cuttings in a pot in a plastic bag. A simple home method used to root a few plants.

Rhododendron?

Can I transplant my rhododendron? If so, when is a good time?

Rhododendron?
Yes you can. After you dig it up, dig a hole about twice as deep and across as the root ball. Fill the whole with water and let it drain. Add a good soil mix to bring the bottom back up to where the rhody will be at the same height as it was before. DO NOT add fertilizer to the hole as this will burn the roots. After putting the rhody in the hole and filling around the root ball, water it in well and add more soil as needed. A top dressing of fertilizer can be added and again watered in. Now is a good time to transplant it as long as the soil isn't frozen (that would be too much work).





I live in Western Washington and was given two rhodys. One had been pretty much brutalized as the owner was going to throw it away. The other was about seven feet tall and still in the ground but the root ball had been loosened. This was last summer, one of the driest and hottest summers we've had in a long time. I kept them both watered every day but the brutalized one's leaves dried up and died. I cut back the branches and kept watering it as the ground dictated. After about three weeks, it started sending out new shoots on all but one branch (it's amazing how much you can cut these plants back). The huge rhody I left the hose on it all summer at a light but steady drip until the fall rains began. It is still thriving. I'll probably keep it heavily watered next summer to make sure the roots take and it can do well on its own. Fertilize in early spring before bloom and again after blooming.
Reply:Like most plants, you can transplant it after the blossoms die off at the end of the Summer or early Fall.
Reply:You can trasnsplant any plant but it doesn't mean that it will take to the new spot and might not make it.
Reply:If you live where they are healthy and living now do so, Those plants like mountain soil , Not flat land.

Rhododendron?

I have a rhododendron %26amp; the leaves shriveled up %26amp; the whole half of the plant died.I gave it some plant food. the plant is medium size growth. why is my plant doing this %26amp; what can I do to make it healthy. how often should I water it. and how often should I feed it. I found some silk worms by the plant %26amp; is it possible they killed it.

Rhododendron?
Might be the worms you found. Could be grubs or flea beetles in the soil. Maybe gophers or something.





Could be the soil. Need acidic soil with some clay. And must be kept moist, but not soggy.





They can be hard plants to get started.
Reply:Rhododendrons can be tricky...they like acidic soil





What zone r u in???....below zones 5-6 , they can look kinda scraggly in the spring....just keep well watered....





good luck
Reply:It could be the silk worms or it could be underwatered. It could also be the area it is planted or the soil. If half is still alive, carefully prune away the dead portion.





http://www.demesne.info/Garden-Help/Flow...