On Sat, 31 May 2003 00:49:18 +0100, " Emrys Davies"
wrote:

The flower buds of my friend's rhododendron has failed to open, except
for the odd one, and he is anxious to know what is the cause. His
azalea is doing fine.

Any ideas please?

Bud damage of some sort? Possibly frost damage either during their
formation or development (autumn or spring, respectively), or low
winter temperatures. But in the UK, I would have thought this unlikely
unless it's a tender variety. Alternatively, insect damage within the
bud may cause it to abort. If any buds still remain on the plant, open
one up to see if there are signs of larval activity. 'Bud blast', a
fungal disease, may also be the cause. Close inspection of the brown
dead buds shows tiny black hairs. Pick them off and burn them. Not
that common.


--
Chris

E-mail: christopher[dot]hogg[at]virgin[dot]net