features of growing Rhododendrons?

How to Grow Rhododendrons?

Shrubs are forming a big part of our life, not only in the villages and green spaces but also in the metropolises. Everyone has at least one plant in the house and tries to keep it more natural.

Rhododendrons are one of the most common ones, but is it hard to keep them? Where to plant them? How long does it take them to mature? How to grow rhododendrons in the first place?

What are some common problems and diseases on the way of the people who keep an eye on a Rhododendron? How much watering and soil matter in this case?

What are Rhododendrons?

• Now, before jumping to the main section of the essay, which is how to grow rhododendrons, let’s get closer and see if we know what we are talking about here.
• Rhododendrons are popular flowering shrubs with a significant variety of colors. The species make it an ideal option for many people, which is why it is so popular.
• They can easily choose the color they think is going to suit their gardens the most and then start growing a rhododendron to, after a partly short time, see its pretty colors all over everywhere.
• You can find them in pink, purple, red, orange, yellow, etc. Sometimes, you can find a perfect combination of two or more colors, making it incredible.
• Rhododendrons are mostly grown alongside azaleas; they are often classified as the same species, while some differences make one distinguishable.
• One crucial difference is that rhododendrons are often green, but sometimes, it happens in the fall; you find them in rest. Meanwhile, azaleas are green every day of the year.
• There might be better choices than growing deciduous rhododendrons in the falls. However, they would also look pretty awesome and represent a face of fall in your garden.
• Overall, rhododendron is a colorful, small, and primarily green shrub that makes it an excellent choice for people who care about their garden appearance and the shape of their plants.

Some tips when you want to buy rhododendrons

• Once you make sure that you want to grow rhododendrons properly, here are a few tips and tricks that would be useful to you because you need to be informed enough to purchase them.
• Just like other plants, you can provide them from nurseries and garden centers, but note that there is a slight difference between them, and that is in greenhouses, you would have more options than in garden centers.
• One more thing you need to be watchful of is plant health; the one you pick should be empty of any disease symptoms, unusual color, or anything that makes it weird compared to the ones you have seen on the web.
• If you plan to buy it online, it is a great idea to make sure what you are receiving will look the same as its picture; the credibility of the online shop matters, my friends.

Best site for rhododendron growth

• The condition of where you will be growing the rhododendron shrub is undoubtedly one of the most crucial of keeping it; if you are determined, this section belongs to you.
• It needs to be protected from the cold and drying winds in the first place, so one great way is to consider setting a shelter or some other plants around them so that they would last longer.
• On the other hand, it is not supposed to be deep under another tree, so a slight shadow is enough; they need sunlight during the day anyway.
• It would be best to avoid freezing and the sunlight at the beginning of the day; that might look delicate, but it is what most people do not know and has become a common mistake.
• Rhododendrons need moist soil to grow. In addition, the ground you are using needs to be well fertilized; this way, it can support it way better and help its growth even more than ever.

• Outdoor

• Planting your rhododendron in October or March until April is a great idea to get the best result in outdoor planting. During this time range, the weather is excellent for hosting it.
• It is essential to nutritionist the soil before planting with acidic or neutral organic matters, such as compost, leafmould, and decomposing pine, as it would be more prepared for planting.
• Do not plant it so deep; remember, the goal here is to cover the roots, so to do that, something around 7.5 centimeters sounds just fine; again, you need to consider the conditions.
• Mulch is a layout of materials applied on the soil with at least 5 centimeters thickness, from the latest of fall to the latest of winter; this would help the plant to grow better and support it with coldness.
• Using it off and on is a great idea, depending on your area and the minimum temperature you know your plants will go through.

• Container cultivation

Home-made garden compost or business products are all fine; the indoor-grown rhododendron is flexible enough to cope with both goodies; they are helping your plant so much.

Although the weak fertilizing and low air stream can quickly end up in leaves getting brownish, no matter what the size of your container, you should ensure everything is working fine.

By the end of the year, you can chop off some of the roots or move the plant to an enormous container so there would be enough space for new composts with at least 5 centimeters of layout thickness.

• Grow rhododendron 

1. Doing the munch annually, watering well, and keeping an eye on the soil to ensure it is acidic enough and letting it receive enough sunlight is all you need to do to grow it.
2. It is not very likely to be eaten by pets. However, you need to be careful since each part of it can harm them; difficulty breathing, nausea, and depression are only a few.
3. Consider setting a fence around it or anything you think would work best to keep them away from the plant; if it is eaten too much, it can even result in death for a big-sized dog.

Where to grow rhododendrons?

• Even though we have already gone over where to grow rhododendrons here and there, some points are worth emphasizing, like the acidic soil, sunlight, etc.
• It is crucial to avoid planting your plant in alkaline soil; it is relatively easy to check the PH so you can do or at least ask your neighbor about the area soil PH level.
• Then, choose a suitable spot in the protected and partial shade of your garden for planting it, and then you can make sure what you are doing can be rewarded with beautiful rhododendron flowers.
• Also, if you plan to grow them indoors, the little ones look great at the edge of the vases.

• Irrigate

• Rhododendrons would never grow anywhere better than in rainy and tropical climates, so that is why you can be happy if your condition is this way, but other than that, it is still not impossible.
• Watering in rhododendrons, growth matters even more than the acidic soil, so growing this plant somewhere dry will be even more difficult than doing it in the alkanic earth.
• In some regions, the water in the cities has too much calcium, which is terrible because it can decrease the soil’s acidity, so that is one more thing you should watch for.
• One great idea is to use rainwater for watering your plant; then, you can ensure the plant does not absorb unwanted calcium and has no problem with its growth.
• If you are not living in a region with much rain, the tap water can work for approximately a few months during the warm seasons.

• Feeding 

One of the most essential things in feeding rhododendron growth is keeping the soil acidic; if you do, your plant will avoid some problems.

For example, a common issue is that your plant will suffer from the lack of magnesium, iron, or even manganese, which are essential to your plant and its growing process, so keep checking that.

Note that fertilizing is one of the most well-known ways to reach the suitable level of PH of your soil, so it is a great idea to help your plant this way and give it some bonus acid.

On the other hand, you do not have to cross the lines and make the soil around your plant too acidic; in that case, the roots and other oranges will be burned out.

• Pruning & training

1. Many of you might have wondered how much pruning a rhododendron needs during its lifetime. Well, there is no need for concerns. They do not need too much pruning, which is good.
2. If it is necessary to do the pruning to prevent its size from getting out of hand, you can always follow the instructions across the web, but overall pruning in rhododendron growth is optional.
3. Your plant will usually be fine once you prune it. However, sharpening your eyes and looking for any trouble afterward is wise.
4. Considering the maximum size of the plant is always the best thing you can do before planting so that you would not need to deal with it.
5. Doing it in the fall and winter is more recommended since the plants are resting, and it is easier for them to cope with the changes.

• Propagating

• Rhododendrons cuttings are taken from the growth following year in the latest summer and fall. Be careful; once the shoots are entirely done with their seasonal change, it is time.
• It is suitable for encouraging root production and propagating in rhododendrons growth is generally straightforward. However, there are still a few things you need to be careful with to do even nicer.
• You must be patient when generating new roots for the younger rhododendrons; depending on their species and skin type, it might take up to 3 years.
• One thing you can do is to check it in the second fall; if you do not see any remarkable procedure, it is better to repeat it once more in the upcoming spring to give it another chance to grow.
• How to grow rhododendrons? Well, it’s pretty straightforward, but let’s talk about how to recreate more seeds, which, in other words, is seed propagation, which is even more fabulous.
• Sow into pots in January; then, you need to let them be on the surface of the compost. After that, you let these tiny ones absorb the materials and necessary elements.

Why has my rhododendron died?

• A common problem many plant keepers complain about is that their rhododendrons would die without any particular issue or symptoms! But why does that happen?
• Knowing how to grow rhododendrons might seem easy, but sometimes, mistakes would quickly result in uncompensatable damage, like death.
• Overwatering is one of the leading causes; if you need to know when to stop watering your plant, that can easily prevent roots from absorbing the necessary elements, which could be better.
• However, knowing when they need to get watered is another challenge; the point is that the roots in these plants are placed in very shallow depths, so they do not have strong roots to absorb water from the depths.
• Diseases, planting in too much depth, and over-fertilizing are other reasons your plant might have died; however, any of these can be an independent mortal reason.
• For example, planting the rhododendrons too much under the ground can make the roots not absorb goods properly, as they are weak, short, and unsuitable for high, deep soils.
• That is why knowing how to cure a sick rhododendron is a big part of growing rhododendron shrubs; so to do that, roots are the first things that need to be inspected, in their depth, humidity, or even dryness.
• You can prop the damaged roots and then re-plant the rhododendron, so then, by next summer, the problem will be resolved.

+3 Common problems that cause rhododendron dying

Speaking of problems, now let’s see what are some of the common issues in rhododendron growth:

1. Non-flowering & bud drop

The flower buds would start to be formed by the end of the summer; now, due to the timing of their blooming, they are automatically dealing with the heat and dryness.

Another problem is that the blooming needed to be opened, which happens for the same reason.

Using mulch and regular watering seems a valuable solution for this problem, so remember your plant and its sensitive condition regarding the buds in the warm and long summer days.

1. Leaf drop

The main reason for leaf drops on the way of growing rhododendron shrubs is that there has been a recent drought, so the plant is reacting to this change. Remember, the first leaves that drop are always the eldest ones.

Turning to brown means they are the next leaves will drop, so you need to do something to stop it before things get worse.

Note that seeing leaves drop at the beginning of summer and spring is expected.

1. Other problems

There could be some other problem causing reasons as well, coldness and the low temperature is one of them you must be watchful during the winters the most.

Changing the color of leaves is another problem that mostly is yellow, also known as chlorosis.

And finally, bugs are the last things you should be careful with when growing rhododendrons!

Final words

Growing plants is one of the most amazing things anyone could do; since prehistory, they have served humans in many different aspects, including food and shelter.

But what about today? Is it still necessary to raise some plants around you? What are some benefits of doing it? What is a drawback to you?

Regardless of how to grow rhododendrons, is that a good choice for you as an indoor plant? What challenges will you have to deal with on this road?

You can share your ideas, comments, and experiences!