Follow these tips to ensure successful transplanting of your rhododendrons. Larvae that look like caterpillars are often beneficial as well. I have a large Schubert Choke Cherry growing in my yard and a little tree s... What are good practices for switching out a control board? Seed capsules ripen August to September. Spring or late winter is second best. Rhododendron and azalea plants come in all sorts of colors and sizes. Broad planting holes are particularly important when moving plants from a container into the garden, and for transplanting maturing rhododendrons in the garden. Rhododendrons are the shrubs most likely to make gardeners happy in the Pacific Northwest — that’s because rhodos love our acidic soil, mild temperatures, large number of … Early spring transplanting lets rhododendrons adjust during milder summer and fall temperatures. Considered the most beneficial of all, spiders eat more bad bugs than any other critter in the garden. Transplant rhododendrons before they flower. Select a planting location in dappled shade or part sun. November’s often a stormy month, but rain provides good conditions for encouraging a plant to settle down in a new spot. You can transplant rhododendrons in fall or spring. Propagation: Seeds do not require stratification, but require light to germinate. 3. Rhododendrons (Rhododendron spp.) View our Privacy Policy here. Video includes container growing, suggested varieties and best growing conditions. Beneficials are highly susceptible to insecticides, and they are much slower to repopulate than are the troublemakers. Sometimes it's a better idea to move rhodies rather than cut them back. The Rhododendron Garden The Rhododendron Garden began in 1988 with 750 plants of 150 varieties. Then, the new growth that occurs after pruning will have time to set flower buds that will bloom the following spring. Branches will emerge most anywhere you cut because rhodies have latent buds where leaves once were. Rhododendrons is a genus of flowering woody shrubs that are enormously popular, at least partly because they are very easy to care for. You may need to transplant a rhododendron for a number of reasons: seedlings are ready for the garden, container rhododendrons are rootbound, or your original garden plants have spread out immensely and are crowding other flowers and shrubs. Level the mulch so it does not slope downward toward the root crown. 5. You may freely link This is because there are more than 900 species, including azaleas. Place a light mulch over the surface, but a finger-width away from the root crown which needs air to continue growing. If you wipe them out, it will take years before they re-establish in high enough numbers to effectively keep the bad guys in check. Try transplanting dormant plants to reduce the shock of transplanting. Seeds remain viable for 2 years. Plant seedlings at least 3 feet apart, as they will grow speedily in the first season. Delay transplanting until after the period of soft growth. Welcome to The Garden Helper! Rhododendrons thrive in soil that tests as strongly acidic, with a pH reading of no higher than 5.5. If you are introducing rhododendrons to your garden for the first time, choose a shady, well-drained location that faces directly north or east, or to the northwest. RHODODENDRONS IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST BY HERBERT IHRIG Ghairman, Rhododendron Committee Arboretum Foundation Seattle, Washington THE greatest area in America for growing rhododendrons is the Pacific Northwest. If you notice little green maggots gobbling up oodles of aphids, it is probably a syrphid fly maggot. Rhododendrons prefer acidic soil with a pH of about 5.5. Guide to safely moving and transplanting Rhododendrons, Roses and other large plants. If you are dividing an already-growing plant, pick a location within 6 feet. TGH. Move rhododendrons before the flowers fade. Website operating Elipidotes and Lepidotes are both hybrid Rhododendrons and are commonly available. Hand saws and pruning shears are helpful for smaller, less established branches, or when you are cutting less of the rhododendron. Helping gardeners grow their dreams since 1997. Azaleas, which are also members of the Rhododendron genus, are much the same way. Mix the soil well with the organic material for each individual potting hole you dig and let it rest for an hour for more effective blending. Choose an area for planting that receives ample amounts of both sunlight and shade — filtered sunlight is ideal. Keep an eye out for clever lacewing larvae that outwit their enemies by disguising themselves with the bodies of aphids they sucked dry with jaws that double as hollow feeding tubes. can be grown just about anywhere in the world. … In favorable climates the transplanting can be done at almost any time when the plant is not in soft growth, except at the very hottest times. Soft new growth forms right under spent rhododendron flowers. If the rootball is very dry, completely submerge it in water for half an hour in a suitably-sized container. We welcome your comments and The Garden Helper is a free gardening encyclopedia and guides to growing and caring for gardens, plants and flowers. PH test kits are simple to use and available to purchase at garden centers. The roots need to spread out immediately to acclimatize to the new soil and moisture conditions. The optimal soil pH level for rhododendrons is between 4.5 and 6.0. Leave the large trees until spring, and get a professional to do the moving. Rhodies that are too tall for their space usually grow back so quickly that, by the time they're ready to flower again, they're bigger than before you pruned them. They can be risky to transplant in any season, but are particularly so when foliage is present. Although quite hardy when full-grown, rhododendron and azalea initially require an ideal growing environment and watering schedule for the best chance of survival. In moderate climates, rhododendrons seldom require pruning, although they may benefit from occasional! When full-grown, rhododendron and azalea plants come in all sorts of colors and sizes MH., which vary greatly use and available to purchase at garden centers raised for. Will emerge most anywhere you cut because rhodies have latent buds where leaves once.. Is ideal shade — filtered sunlight is ideal crown which needs air continue. 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