I know we have some people here who are quite knowledgeable about
rhododendrons and azaleas, so I want to ask a question. First,
let me say that we had a very lush-looking, perfectly healthy
rhododendron that has looked sickly ever since it was trimmed (not
at my behest, by the way--in fact, I was nearly apoplectic). At
the same time, possibly before this trimming took place, a very
sick, practically defunct azalea was severely trimmed back. We
read here that we are supposed to be very careful about
transmitting diseases--that we should sterilize our clippers
between every cut. Obviously, landscaping companies don't do
that. Not only that, but they would not sterilize their clippers
before they went to the next yards, and the next.

Okay, so I see a lot of sickly rhododendrons around now. I am
wondering whether, instead of being a natural phenomenon that is
mysteriously spread through the air, these blankety-blank
landscaping companies are spreading these diseases with their
clippers?

And we can broaden this and ask what else is being spread by
them?

--
Jean B., 12 miles west of Boston, Massachusetts, USA