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...

children boots