How to Deadhead Rhododendrons (& Why You Really Should)

The path going past my rhododendrons is appear extra careworn out , and I ’m the reason why .

You see , I was pacing back and forth for a calendar month in anticipation of the rhododendron open in full peak .

We ’ve had a peculiarly wet and very frigid springiness this year , so these lovely bush took their scented time . It was only around mid - May that the flower really start to open up . As I ’m writing this article in previous June , they ’re already on their way out .

How to deadhead rhododendrons

When the long wait is finally rewarded.

But there ’s one job leave for me to do now that the rhododendrons are done flowering – I postulate to deadhead them . permit ’s see why that ’s so important at this time of twelvemonth .

Should I deadhead rhododendrons?

Yes , you should . But not for the main reason we usually deadhead other perennial .

The most coarse understanding of deadheading centers around removing the spent prime in ordering to encourage the plant to bloom again .

There is no chance of reblooming for rhododendrons . These evergreen shrubs set up their delightful spring buds last summer . So no amount of bounce deadheading will develop more flowers this year .

However , deadheading rhododendron this year , after they ’ve bloom , willimprove flower yield for next year .

Why should I deadhead rhododendrons?

When we ’re deadheading rhody shrubs , we ’re essentially removing the come fuel pod that the plant is putting out to regurgitate . By doing so , we ’re narrate the industrial plant there ’s no need to pass its limited vitality on setting seeds . Instead , the rhododendron will redirect that energy towards raw growth – both flower buds and leaf buds . It ’s that unexampled growing that forge the basis of next year ’s blooms .

So we ’re deadheading for a rather remote hereafter , at least in “ gardening meter ” . We ’re deadheading for next yr .

What happens if I don’t deadhead rhododendrons?

If you choose to skip deadheading this class in fiat to compile fledged seeds , nothing bad will come about . But you might acknowledge that the flower product next year will not be as showy . You will get little flower and perhaps few of them .

Deadheading rhododendron also get the evergreen foliage look neater and tidier over the summer month , as the come cod might take a couple of months to dry up and return all by themselves .

When should I deadhead rhododendrons?

This reckon on your tolerance for deplorable - looking dying efflorescence . you may start deadheading as soon as the flowers look like the ones in the photo below . The bush have already had their good life in the sun ; the pollinators have dutifully done their job ; so it ’s now just a matter of the flowers shriveling up and exposing the inchoate seed pods .

In my garden , it take about three weeks for the rhododendron flowers to go from full bloom to full collapse . But that vary from year to yr , even in the same garden , depending on temperature and precipitation patterns .

In general , it ’s better to deadhead earlier rather than later for two reason . First , the works does not spend energy in setting the seeds . And secondly , the longer you leave it , the self-aggrandising the new bud will get , which makes it potential for them to get in the fashion while you cut into the old maturation .

When the long wait is finally rewarded.

Ok , but I ’ve left it too deep . Can I still deadhead rhododendrons ?

Yes , you may still deadhead rhodies even when the seed brain are all brown and shriveled up . Just ensure you do n’t take away the Modern growth .

How do I deadhead rhododendrons?

First , depart by key the closing of the heyday cluster .

The flower clustering , also called trusses , end in a sort of ring where they connect to the primary radical . Check out the pic below . That ’s where the truss want to get off .

Once you ’ve identified this ringing , you have two pick .

Rhododendron blooms are the result of the care we put in them last year.

Choice 1: Deadhead your rhododendron by hand.

This is really the most satisfying part for me . Simply grip the truss nigh to the set and rotate it gently until it breaks off in your hand . Your other deal will be holding the master stem so as to prevent it from rotate too .

The drier the ejaculate head is , the easier it will come off . When I do this manually , it ’s easier for me to palpate for the right spot where it will break . It ’s also easier for me to protect the raw growing , as match to when I ’m working with secateurs .

However , the disadvantage of doing this by hand is the glutinous , syrup - like fool that the rhododendron release both from their seed pods and from the spot where you ’re fall in them . So ensure you ’re wearing gardening gloves when you deadhead your rhododendrons .

The new growth and the seed production are competing for the plant’s energy.

And keep in mind that you might have to wash off the gloves as soon as you ’re done , particularly if you ’re deadheading a big bush or several plants in a rowing .

Here ’s a immediate video showing the process of deadheading your rhododendrons .

Choice 2: Deadhead your rhododendron using shears.

We ’re using the same principle as above , but instead of snapping the seed heads off by hand , we ’re cutting them using a pair of small pruning shear .

The advantage of using secateurs is that you ’ll get a more accurate cut . But I found that it ’s harder for me to be as soft when I swerve off the corbel . I by chance nipped the new bud with my shears a few times and felt very bad about it .

I ’ll still get sap all over the shear , so there will be something that needs a right cleaning anyway .

The pollinators have dutifully done their job, so the plant is going into seed production.

Will my rhododendron self-seed if I don’t deadhead it?

Oh , we should be so lucky ! No , the rhododendron wo n’t self - seed in the manner of most perennials . It takes a long time ( I ’m talking years ) and just therightconditions to originate a fresh rhododendron from semen to blooming shrub .

If you want more rhododendrons from your fledged shrubs , the easiest way to propagate them is by read semi - hardwood cuttings . ( Stay tuned for a tutorial on how to take rhododendron cuttings afterward this summer . )

I think I was very nervous the first time I deadheaded my rhododendrons . I had no idea what I was doing and did n’t want to harm my vivacious shrub . Especially since it exact months for the injury to become observable . Luckily , once I get rid of a few seedheads , it sour out to be quite an easy ( albeit messy ) job . Like in most first - fourth dimension gardening scenarios , the confidence came only after I ’d take off doing the job .