"Lynda Thornton" wrote in message
...
Hi

There is a particular mature rhododendron bush in our garden (maybe
10-12 ft high) that looks like it needs rejuvenating

huge prune.......

Has anyone here rejuvenated a tired old rhododendron, how did they do it
and did it work, how long did the regrowth take?

Thanks for all and any advice!
Lynda

I'd wait until it's flowered so that you can see what colour it is and whether
you love or hate it :~)

Pruning is best done after flowering is finished. It will need feeding and
watering over the summer to build up for next year.

I've successfully pruned several right down to the ground and they are now small
bushy shrubs which will eventually be nicely shaped plants again. It looks
really brutal, but they do survive it - tho you won't get many flowers for a
couple of years.

You can spread the pruning out over several years. taking a third out each year,
but you might get funny shaped bushes for that length of time.

Here's a good site with more info:
http://www.eskimo.com/~enumclaw/Tips/pruning.html

Jenny