Rhododendrons offer beauty to homes and landscaping. Novice and master gardeners can easily take care of this plant to ensure beauty returns year after year.
Deadheading rhododendrons is a simple task that can be done annually. This easy-to-apply technique will help your plant produce more blooms each year, giving you and others a stunning view of your yard.
Read on to learn everything you need to know about deadheading Rhododendrons. We’ll explore if deadheading is necessary, how often to deadhead, and the difference between pruning and deadheading. You’ll also find out when and how to deadhead.
Is it Necessary to Deadhead Rhododendrons?
It is not necessary to deadhead rhododendrons. If you do not want to deadhead, your plant will produce the same amount of flowers in the following Spring. If you choose to deadhead, then your plant will bloom more in the next season.
Deadheading will cause the plant to form more branches, which will ultimately result in more blooms. If your rhododendron is low to the ground, this will be an easier task to complete. If you have a tall variety, it might not be worth the risk of climbing up a tall ladder to deadhead.
How Often Will I Need to Deadhead Rhododendrons?
Taking care of the plants in your garden and landscaping can require seasonal maintenance, annual care, or they can be left alone for several years. It is essential to know how to care for your plants, including care for your rhododendrons. There may be a lot of different thoughts about how often to do this.
You will need to deadhead rhododendrons once a year at the end of the blooming season. Generally, if you choose to deadhead your rhododendrons, you will need to watch for any wilting petals. When you remove these petals at the point of wilting, you will promote growth for the following season.
Is Pruning the Same as Deadheading?
Plants need regular and routine support, which includes manual care for them. This may include the need for deadheading and pruning. It is important to note the difference between these two types of processes.
Pruning is not the same as deadheading. Deadheading is when you remove the wilted, dead, or fading flowers from a plant, promoting more blooms. Pruning is when diseased, damaged, or dead parts are removed from a plant or done for reshaping.
Pruning typically involves removing more significant portions, including the stem or branch, and can slow down growth as the plant adjusts to the trimming. Rhododendrons will not need to be pruned every year, whereas deadheading can occur annually or more often as needed.
Rhododendrons are typically pruned when they have branch issues or need reshaping. Pruning can be done after blooming and over one to three years to avoid shocking the plant. Pruning is not done at the base of the flower and is best done near whorls of leaves.
It will cause your plant to go into survival mode due to “injury,” focusing its energy on healing. It may inhibit the following year’s amount of blooms but may be necessary for the growth and health of the plant.
When To Deadhead Your Rhododendron
Deadheading is done when the “heads” or blooms of the flower are dead or wilting and can be removed. Deadheading allows the plant to transfer its energy into creating new growth instead of seeds, and this can often lead to increased branching and more blooms in the following season.
Deadheading can be done annually and is an excellent opportunity to remove any diseased or dead branches from the plant in question. It is an optional task that you can consider if you’re hoping to boost your plant’s flower production.
Generally, you’ll know that you can deadhead your rhododendron when the petals are wilting, which tends to occur after flowering in the spring. The top stalk, which supports the petals, can be snapped or cut off. It’s okay to cut the stalk or branch even when the plant is still in bloom.
Deadheading can be an annual task that’ll only take a short time to complete. This makes it easy for even novice gardeners to find time to care for their plants.
How To Deadhead Your Plant
Follow these tips and steps to deadhead your Rhododendron successfully:
- Gather some gloves, a bucket, and a pair of pruning shears. If you have a tree variety, you may need a ladder. Pruning shears are ideal because they’re strong enough to remove the small yet thick branches of the Rhododendron. The old heads may snap off easily and quickly, but have those shears ready just in case.
- Determine where to deadhead by looking at the base of the bloom. You’ll see some new growth underneath as well as healthy leaves. Carefully twist or cut underneath the deadhead, avoiding injury to the new growth and any set of leaves directly under the old bloom.
- Toss the deadhead into a bucket. This way, you’re staying organized, and this keeps you from the extra task of picking up loose leaves from the yard.
- Continue the above steps until all dead blooms are removed. You’ll find that time goes by quickly and efficiently.
- Compost or dispose of your clippings. Research your local disposal options for organic waste and practice the best option for you. This ensures that you’re taking good care of the environment.
- Feed your rhododendron with fertilizer, mulch, and water. The Dr. Earth Acid Lover Organic Fertilizer (available on Amazon.com) offers specially formulated acidic fertilizers that your plant will love. This product provides continuous feeding for several months, with additional support for acidity and the use of microbial probiotics for superior blooming.
If you have more questions, you can consider consulting experts such as the American Rhododendron Society to search their plant database.
If you’re a visual learner and like to see how it’s done, here’s a YouTube video that shows gardeners in action and visual examples of what your plant may look like when completing the process of deadheading: