When I
tried to move them they had actually rooted themselves where they had
been thrown. I dug them up and replanted them. My questions are how
big do they grow? Should I cut them back to encourage them to grow?
What should I do?

Rhodos are easily transplatable - in the War, they dug up and abandoned large
Rhodos in England to clear the way for more important uses for th eland. They
just shoved them aside and forgot them. At the end of the war, someone noticed
that they hadn't died and replanted them and they were just fine.

As for whacking them back, I'd do it 1/3 each year. This makes for an ungainly
looking shrub, but it doesn't shock it as much and you will at least get some
flowers each year - if you cut it all back at once you'll lose the flowers for
at least a year.

Bill
www.rhodo.citymax.com

(Stephanie) wrote:

I have a very large garden alot of which is very overgrown last week
when clearing some of it I came across what looked like two
rhododendron plants, their rootball was above the ground and covered
in moss they looked like they had been thrown into the garden. When I
tried to move them they had actually rooted themselves where they had
been thrown. I dug them up and replanted them. My questions are how
big do they grow? Should I cut them back to encourage them to grow?
What should I do?

It depends upon what varieties they are. The stated sizes in
gardening books are for a plant 10 years old. Obviously they keep
growing. Some only grow to be a foot high and some grow to be trees.
I think you will have to take a look at them and guesstimate what you
have or get an expert that can identify them.

Regarding pruning, pruning is seldom needed except for removal of
faded flowers, but if it is needed, branches may be trimmed
immediately after flowering. Prune in the spring after the bloom has
faded and before mid-summer. Rhododendrons start to form the next
years flower buds in mid summer and by fall the buds are fairly well
developed. Pruning after mid summer removes the next years flower
buds. Rhododendron and azaleas may be pruned after the flowers have
faded to induce new growth. Prune out dead, diseased or damaged
branches, and in cases where plants have become scraggly, start
cutting the oldest branches back to encourage growth in younger
branches. Pruning in the fall is not recommended since it will remove
the buds for next years flowers.

A friend of mine has the most beautiful rhododendron and azalea
garden. All plants are about waist height. From any place in the
garden you can see just about every plant. During the flowering season
it is awesome. I asked him how he keeps the plants so well kept and
his reply was that he just removes the top foliage buds each year with
his fingers in the late fall or early spring. This can be done by
carefully breaking the buds off [pinching]. No pruning at all. This
technique minimizes disease and insect damage. It works very well for
him. It is labor intensive, but well worth the effort.

Visit my Rhododendron and Azalea web pages at:
http://www.users.fast.net/~shenning/rhody.html
Also visit the Rhododendron and Azalea Bookstore at:
http://members.aol.com/rhodyman/rhodybooks.html

Cheers, Steve Henning in Reading, PA USA