In terms of peach rootstock, I grow my own. I have planted pits before but don't do that anymore. A lot of fruit falls on the ground. Later in the fall I add mulch under the trees (on top of whatever pits are there). This seems to be a pretty good sprouting medium and the peach seedlings come up like weeds. I don't move the seedlings but graft them right where they come up. Peach pits that land in the grass (where I mow) don't sprout, or if they do I mow them down without noticing. I've heard some say you need to clean the pits, refrigerate with a wet towel, or remove the seed from the stone, etc. I've tried some of those things and found it a waste of time. A couple years ago, I simply planted a bunch of peach pits in a fence row (in the Fall) where I wouldn't mow and the next Spring a fair percentage sprouted. Like I say, now with the mulch they come up under the trees automatically.

Verticillium and fusarium wilt is fairly unusual in rhododendrons. Purdue University considers rhododendrons resistant. Ohio State considers rhododendrons to be typically free of this disease. There are other fungi that cause dieback in rhododendrons. It probably isn't a root rot since that is usually fatal. Dieback is usually caused by f Botryosphaeria Dieback, Phomopsis Dieback, Phytophthora Dieback, or Rhizoctonia Dieback. Botryosphaeria dothidea causes leaves to turn dull green and then brown and roll and droop. Cankers form on branches which may girdle the branch. This is the most common disease of rhododendron in the landscape. A typical symptom of this fungal disease is scattered dying branches on an otherwise healthy plant. Leaves on infected stems turn brown, then droop and roll inward. These leaves often lay flat against the stem and will remain attached. The pathogen can infect all ages of stem tissue through wounds, pruning cuts, and leaf scars. Heat, drought stress, and winter injury can increase disease incidence. Cankers on branches can gradually grow through the wood until the stem becomes girdled. Diseased wood is reddish brown in appearance. Discolored wood viewed in longitudinal cross section often forms a wedge that points toward the center of the stem, and the pith may be darker brown than the surrounding wood. Sanitation and applying a fungicide such as metalaxyl (Subdue) after pruning my provide some control. Plants should be grown in partial shade, with mulch and kept well watered during dry periods. All dying branches should be promptly pruned out in dry weather and all discolored wood should be removed. Plants should also be protected from rough treatment during maintenance activities to prevent unnecessary wounds. Phomopsis rhododendri symptoms vary from leaf spots to chlorosis and then browning of leaves which then wilt. Browning streaks extend down the stem to a wound. Fungicides such as metalaxyl (Subdue) should control an outbreak. Sanitation and applying a fungicide after pruning may provide control. Phytophthora cactorum causes the central vein of a leaf to turn brown and the discoloration extends to the petiole on tender new growth. The infections spreads outward from the midrib tissue and the leaf wilts. Infections are more severe on azaleas. Some varieties of rhododendrons are vulnerable (Chionoides, Catawbiense Album, Nova Zembla) and some are resistant (Roseum Elegans, Scintillation, PJM). Control of the disease is difficult. Since the infection goes from the roots to the tips, when you see the symptoms it is too late. To prevent it, use a raised bed with lots of sphagnum peat moss. Also, keep the mulch back 2 to 3 inches from the stem. Prevention with fungicides and careful control of exposure to high humidity may be practical. Rhizoctonia solani: causes small necrotic spots on leaves, which later become dark brown or black. Defoliation follows severe leaf spotting. The fungus is omnipresent in the soil and appears to be most virulent at high humidity levels. Microscopic examination of roots and crown are the surest diagnosis. Cultural practices to control this disease include improvement of drainage and avoiding excess irrigation. It seems to only be present in irrigated beds such as at nurseries. Nurseries now have a chemical-free way to prevent Rhizoctonia; a hot water treatment. Rhizoctonia Web Blight causes dieback of interior leaves of compact tightly-growing azaleas within irrigated landscape beds. Rhizoctonia web blight is often seen during the warmer, humid summer months. Infection begins in the interior of the plant as the fungus survives in the soil or container rooting medium. Infected leaves develop brown lesions and eventually the entire leaf will brown and separate from the stem. The affected leaves often remain matted together by the fungus´s web-like growth (hyphae) that holds the brown leaves within the canopy. As the temperature cools in the fall, the fungus stops growing and the matted leaves drop from the plant. The disease is only a problem in landscape azaleas that are sprinkler irrigated. Wet foliage and high humidity favor infection. Use drip irrigation or soaker hoses to irrigate landscape beds. Also, remove fallen leaf debris from beneath plants. Fungicides can provide some control but should not be relied upon solely. Apply fungicides at the first sign of disease and continue through the summer months. The Department of Agriculture Research Service has found a prevention. Plant pathologist Warren Copes found placing the cuttings in water at 122 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes is the most effective method to eliminate Rhizoctonia without damaging the plant, thus eliminating the need for fungicide treatment. The pathogen can be eliminated in less time when placed in water at higher temperature, but the risk of damaging the cutting increases. According to Copes, there is still potential for the cuttings to be re-contaminated in other areas of the production process. He is trying to identify which steps pose the most risk for re-contamination, with the goal of maximizing control of this fungal disease with the least amount of effort and expense for producers. Here is a link that might be useful: How to care for rhododendrons

The link worked OK for me. Here is a clickable version: http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=8AcNmzlw1Ytmab&notag=1 The "rhododendron bush" just looks like a bunch of dead branches covered with lichens except for these bunches of new growth starting in many places. The new growth looks healthy, so my recommendation is to do nothing except to start mulching. Rhododendrons have shallow roots, so they don't compete well with grass and other plants. They also don't like their roots disturbed too much like they would be if you were to pull the weeds and grass. Hence, the best solution is to use mulch to smother the weeds and grass. This also conserves moisture in the soil and protects the roots from temperature extremes in summer and winter. Good mulches include pine straw (needles), pine bark, oak leaves, etc. The branch you label as dead probably is dead. I tend to wait 12 months to see what will sprout, but you don't want things to sprout too late in summer or it won't harden off for winter. Hence, I would say that old branches that look completely dead on August 1 can be pruned off. I don't know where in Alaska you are located, but if you have a harsh winter, I would protect these new sprouts from extremes in winter sun and winter wind. A burlap wind break would work nicely. Leave the top open. If you get snow, that is good protection. You shouldn't need the burlap wind break then. Here is a link that might be useful: How to grow rhododendrons and azaleas.

"Rhododendrons will die in wet conditions even if phytopthora isn't present...lack of oxygen to the roots will kill them." No doubt this is a useful reminder. But it's true of most plants other than things like bald cypress. Rhododendrons are notable for an extra sensitivity to this problem, almost certainly related to pathogens. I have camellias thriving in places that aren't exactly low-lying, but are on flat ground that doesn't drain well (even though, yes, camellia enthusiasts say they need drainage too) during the torrential downpours I tend to have from July to October. It's hard to imagine rhodies doing well under similar situations. Along similar lines I noticed out west along the Pacific that rhododendrons seem less sensitive to planting aspect...not exactly growing in swales but not needing to be on high spots either. I surmise that because of the lack of conditions favoring root rot out there, they can get away with this. Their innundations occur in winter when the plants are dormant anyhow. OTOH could there be a bald cypress like rhodie? Remarkably I had a Rhododendron delavayi for breeding* whose 14"X14" pot was left in a non-draining display box during Hurricane Irene. It was concealed in some shrubbery and with the semi-disastrous conditions at my place: power out for almost 72h, cellar flooded, several large branches down, I forgot about it. It's roots were *completely* underwater for roughly 72h. Amazingly it survived the unscathed and had absolutely no top dieback! * not a long term outdoor plant here though I'm sure it would survive milder winters like the last 2. My goal is to breed a tree-like zn 7 hardy, semi-sun tolerant red rhododendron. Here at least R. arboreum/R. delavayi seems relatively sun tolerant, and in maritime climates like New Zealand they grow in full sun as specimen plants in lawns. This post was edited by davidrt28 on Sat, Nov 9, 13 at 15:30