Rhododendrons After Flowering

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23525, 9 December 1939, Page 10 (Supplement)

Rhododendrons After Flowering

need attention as soon as the flowers have faded, in order to make sure of a good display of blooms for next season. All the old flower heads should be picked off to prevent the seeds forming. The energy of the plant is concentrated on making new growth and the shoots will soon appear just below the point where the flowers were removed. On these new shoots next season's flower buds will develop. It is because of the close proximity of these tender and valuable shoots that the work should be done by hand instead of by the knife or secateurs. This may seem tedious work, but it will be well worth the trouble, especially if the plants were only put in this year. If the shrubs are attacked by thrips, which cause the leaves to go silver grey on top and a dirty brown beneath, spray with a solution of nicotine sulphate and soap, making sure that the full fox-ce of the spray reaches the underside of the leaves where these small black insects live. Two or three applications will be needed to kill them all.

The roots of rhododendrons are very shallow so that cultivation should be confined to light stirring of the surface with a hoe. After this, a mulch of lawn mowings will help to keep the soil moist, as well as provide a certain amount of food.