In spring, rhododendrons please us with wonderful flowers in various colors. However, this flowering depletes plants. What shouldcare for rhododendrons look like after floweringso that the plants continue to decorate the garden and bloom again the next year? Here are the5 most important rules for caring for rhododendrons that have already finished flowering !
Proper care for rhododendrons after flowering will ensure abundant flowering again next year. Photo © Katarzyna Żywot-Górecka
1. Removing faded flowers
Removing faded flowers is a prerequisite for rhododendrons to form new flower buds and produce new leaves in the next season.The faded inflorescences are removed in the summer, when the rhododendrons end the flowering period, leaving new leaf buds underneath them.Break off the best faded inflorescences with your hand (do not cut them with pruning shears). Thanks to this treatment, the process of producing fruit and seeds is avoided, and the collected nutrients can be used by the plant for growth, development and the formation of new buds. Dead, dry shoots are also cut.
Removing faded rhododendron flowers
2. Fallen flowers and leaves must be removed
You need torake fallen flowers and leaves from under the bush . Especially if they are affected by lesions, they must be removed and burned. If left, they will undergo decay processes, constituting a medium for the development of fungal diseases.
3. Fertilizing rhododendrons after flowering
The rhododendron, after fading, lacks nutrientsthat have been used up in the process of flower production. In summer and autumn, phosphorus-potassium fertilization should be applied. The plants don't need a lot of nitrogen during this period. From mineral fertilizers, you can use potassium sulphate and superphosphate or available ready-made azaleas fertilizers containing all the required ingredients, also having an impact on soil acidification. Additionally, foliar fertilizers are used, containing microelements such as iron and magnesium, which contribute to the intense color of the leaves. Fertilizers should be delivered not exceeding the recommended doses.Providing the nutrients will allow the rhododendrons to form a lot of new flower buds
4. Watering rhododendrons after flowering
Plants are exposed to fungal diseases in excess of water. However, if there is a drought,in high sun and heat, which often happens in the summer months, after the rhododendrons have faded, the bushes should be watered Plants growing on light and permeable soils, in particular, require watering. In other periods, rainfall water is sufficient and the he althiest for plants. Plants need more water before winter arrives. In severe frosts, they will not be able to collect it anymore, and it is necessary for the proper development of leaves. With a lack of water, the leaves wilt and turn brown. That is why rhododendrons should be watered abundantly just before the onset of frost.
5. Covering rhododendrons for the winter
Most varieties of rhododendron are frost-resistant, even down to -30 ° C. Some varieties are less resistant to frost (down to about -20 ° C). Snow is the best winter cover, but snow is not always present.It is advisable to cover, above all, young rhododendrons planted this yearYou can use spruce twigs, straw mats or agrotextile for this purpose. It is good to mulch young and older bushes for the winter, which is why pine bark is perfect, which additionally acidifies the soil.Soil freezing is shallower and water loss is lower. Roots are less prone to frost damage. Rhododendrons that survive the winter in good condition will bloom profusely again next year.
MSc Eng. Katarzyna Żywot-Górecka
