What is the big magnet of rhododendrons ? The spectacular flowers that comprehend the entire shrub in spring . Rhododendron bloom come in a range of colors to equip any garden conception schema . gardener choose rhododendron in the first place for the flowers . Making sure that the rhododendron bloom heavily , year after class , is a top priority . Three factors influence bloom , and gardeners keep in line them all : localization of the rhododendron in the garden , right fertilizer and concluded deadheading of expend blooms .
Location
Step 1
Find an area of your garden that provide some overhead shelter for the rhododendron . Once the rhododendron bloom , they are sensitive to frost . Overhead protection preclude scathe from a sudden spring frost .
Step 2
Plant the rhododendron where it will meet bright , filtered Light Within . dayspring sun and good afternoon tincture promote bloom .
Step 3
Avoid placement that receive other morning sunlight in the winter . This heats the parting while the root are still cold in frozen ground , moderate to misfortunate water circulation , which can wipe out flower bud .
Fertilizing
Fertilize the rhododendron with phosphoric ( superphosphate or three-fold superphosphate ) when planting or transplanting . Phosphorous can not be applied from the airfoil . It is an important financial support for bud geological formation .
Avoid high - nitrogen fertilizers , which boost vegetative ontogeny rather than flowers . Cottonseed meal is an organic , and therefore slow - departure , generator of nitrogen . If the rhododendron leaves are green but blooms are few , try determine even this frame of fertilizer .
Apply atomic number 19 to promote hardiness in flower bud . Compound fertilizer numbers show the respective level of atomic number 7 , phosphoric and K . Choose a plant food with a high third number .
Deadheading after blooming
Put on garden glove to protect your workforce from the sticky honeydew bring forth by rhododendron blooms . Look at the pass off blush and note that the flush grow in clusters or " truss . "
Find the stem of the truss and shew where it fit the new bud form beneath it .
twitch the bottom of the truss theme and snap it off or " deadhead " it . Be careful not to disturb the growing bud underneath .
Step 4
Toss the spend truss in a 1000 thriftlessness container , to be sum up to your compost pile .
Step 5
keep on to deadhead the entire rhododendron for maximum efflorescence the following season .
