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Azalea & Rhododendron

Would these benefit from pruning?

6 months ago

I bought these a few years ago at Meijer's at end-of-season sale price. They seem to be thriving. They are protected from west wind and I spray with Wilt-Pruf, fertilize with Holly-tone, and mulch with pine bark. They seem to have a lot of leaves that can't be getting much sun. Would they benefit from pruning? If so, where would I find a good tutorial?

Thanks for any advice!

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Comments (3)

gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
6 months ago
No pruning necessary as far as I can see. Plants are dense and compact and the foliage looks good.

It is always a good idea to include your geographic location with these sorts of posts as advice can change dependent on location.
yewmonger
Original Author
6 months ago
Thanks very much! I am in SE Michigan USA. I bought these to replace some magnificent old Rhodies that died on one of those rare occasions when it hit 25 below here. If I had known what I know now, I would have just thrown some blankets over them :(
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Thanks Janet. I didn't even think of looking in the Toomey and Leeds book. I do love it but wish it were more Harry Potterish like and would automatically update with all the new cultivars out there! Everything I have seen shows the parentage of Duchess of Sutherland is unknown so the more important thing for me is whether it has viticella in its bloodline or not and how much viticella there is in its genetics. Pruning group doesn't really matter since a type II can be pruned as a type II or a III and not really be affected for the most part in most zones. If it does have viticella in its bloodline (and I would love to know how they determine this for clematis of unknown parentage), I wonder how diluted the amount of viticella a plant can have and still be considered a viticella? In other words, if a viticella is crossed with another type of clematis and gives rise to a new hybrid, and this new hybrid is crossed with another nonviticella, which gives rise to a new hybrid, ad naseum. At what point does the amount of viticella genetics stop being to the point of it being able to be called a viticella? Still no word yet from Richard at COTW. I will post when I hear anything.
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luis_pr
6 months ago
last modified: 6 months ago
Wow, they look just fine to me too. Besides, they currently have dormant flower buds now and you do not want to cut them off and loose spring 2023 blooms. Flower buds normally develop by mid summer 2022 and by fall 2022, the flower buds are getting to be well developed. If they ever need pruning, do so after the last flower buds opens; you will then have a few weeks (or a month) before flower buds begin to get developed.

If your plants are often subject to desiccating sun and wind in the winter or subject to warm spells in winter that may compromise dormancy then consider rhodies that are one USDA zone hardier than yours is. Also, fertilize only with slow-release fertilizers until about three months before your city's average date of first frost so the plants will harden and go dormant on schedule. So for example: the average date of first frost for Ann Arbor is around the 2nd week of October so stop fertilizing around the 2nd week of July there.

Note: they do appear to be too close to each other but then again, I do not know how wide these varieties get.
yewmonger thanked luis_pr

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