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Musings re Sick Rhododendrons and Azaleas
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 |
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Musings re Sick Rhododendrons and Azaleas
"Jean B." wrote:
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? Most causes of generaly poor behaviour of rhododendrons is cultural, not disease. A healthy rhododendron is very resistant to disease. There are diseases that spread in the soil, but very few that are spread by pruning. The biggest cultural problems are walnut roots or leaves, high soil temperatures, drought, too moist a soil and over watering, lack of iron available in the soil and alkaline soil, improper planting and root stangulation, wind damage, sunburn, fertilizer burn, herbicide burn, salt burn, etc. Rhododendrons are very sodium sensative, so winter use of sodium salts is very toxic to them. On the other hand potassium salts are beneficial of not used in excess. -- Pardon my spam deterrent; send email to 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 http://www.users.fast.net/~shenning |
#3
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Musings re Sick Rhododendrons and Azaleas
"Stephen M. Henning" wrote:
"Jean B." wrote: 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? Most causes of generaly poor behaviour of rhododendrons is cultural, not disease. A healthy rhododendron is very resistant to disease. There are diseases that spread in the soil, but very few that are spread by pruning. The biggest cultural problems are walnut roots or leaves, high soil temperatures, drought, too moist a soil and over watering, lack of iron available in the soil and alkaline soil, improper planting and root stangulation, wind damage, sunburn, fertilizer burn, herbicide burn, salt burn, etc. Rhododendrons are very sodium sensative, so winter use of sodium salts is very toxic to them. On the other hand potassium salts are beneficial of not used in excess. Thanks a lot for this response, Steve. I wonder why my rhododendron has looked sick since it got pruned? Maybe it was just coincidental.... -- Jean B., 12 miles west of Boston, Massachusetts, USA |
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