We hope you have enjoyed the SRGC Forum. You can make a Paypal donation to the SRGC by clicking the above button

Author Topic: Rhododendron pruning  (Read 881 times)

Palustris

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 777
  • Country: gb
Rhododendron pruning
« on: May 10, 2022, 11:40:58 AM »
Do Rhododendrons re grow from brown wood? IE. If I cut back ours to a foot from the ground where there are leafless stems will they regrow from those stems?

ashley

  • Pops in from Cork
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2806
  • Country: ie
Re: Rhododendron pruning
« Reply #1 on: May 10, 2022, 01:18:57 PM »
In principle, yes.  However in my limited experience some are less eager than others. 
Therefore for a valuable plant it's worth taking a cautious approach, by pruning part of the plant to test response before completing the job next season or thereafter.
Ashley Allshire, Cork, Ireland

Palustris

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 777
  • Country: gb
Re: Rhododendron pruning
« Reply #2 on: May 10, 2022, 02:14:33 PM »
Too late I have cut the Cunnungham's White to the roots. In 60 years of gardening I have never seen as many insects on one plant before. Scale insects off the scale.

ian mcdonald

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2340
  • Country: gb
Re: Rhododendron pruning
« Reply #3 on: May 10, 2022, 03:31:20 PM »
R. ponticum takes some killing as witnessed on Nature Reserves where it has become invasive. I can,t speak for others. It re-grows after being cut down to ground level.

ashley

  • Pops in from Cork
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2806
  • Country: ie
Re: Rhododendron pruning
« Reply #4 on: May 10, 2022, 04:56:32 PM »
Too late ...

 :o  ;D  This might still be worth taking a look at.
Ashley Allshire, Cork, Ireland

Maggi Young

  • Forum Dogsbody
  • Global Moderator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 44564
  • Country: scotland
  • "There's often a clue"
    • International Rock Gardener e-magazine
Re: Rhododendron pruning
« Reply #5 on: May 10, 2022, 05:26:42 PM »
Success for regrowth after cuting back into old wood varies a lot for Rhodos - as Ashley says, it's best to test a part first, to see if there  is  a sign that dormant buds are willing to break into growth, before getting chop happy, especially on a precious plant.
Margaret Young in Aberdeen, North East Scotland Zone 7 -ish!

Editor: International Rock Gardener e-magazine

Palustris

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 777
  • Country: gb
Re: Rhododendron pruning
« Reply #6 on: May 10, 2022, 05:42:52 PM »
They have flowered very sparsely since we moved here and were covered in sooty mould and as I said more scale insects than I have ever seen, so even if they do not reshoot they are no great loss. It does give me 4 sq metres more to plant up though.
Thanks for the help.

Diane Whitehead

  • Queen (of) Victoria
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1453
  • Country: ca
Re: Rhododendron pruning
« Reply #7 on: May 11, 2022, 03:35:18 PM »
The most impressive regrowth I have seen -

A huge rhododendron growing close to a road was broken off by a truck. Only a piece of trunk remained.  It re-grew.
Diane Whitehead        Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
cool mediterranean climate  warm dry summers, mild wet winters  70 cm rain,   sandy soil

 


Scottish Rock Garden Club is a Charity registered with Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR): SC000942
SimplePortal 2.3.5 © 2008-2012, SimplePortal