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Asked by: Vitoria Ubiña
hobbies and interests beekeepingHow do you take care of a rhododendron in the winter?
These plants should be mulched at the base with3-4″ of compost, bark or straw. Add winter protectionfor this plant in late November and remove it in mid April.Watering in late fall is very important for the winterhealth of any evergreen and should be done to young plantsevery year in early November.
Similarly, it is asked, how do you prepare rhododendrons for winter?
How to Prepare Rhododendrons for Winter
- Add 2 to 3 inches of mulch around the rhododendron to protectthe roots.
- Avoid fertilizing the plants after July.
- Protect the rhododendron from strong winter winds withburlap.
- Install a snow shelter, a small structure that look like atepee, over the rhododendron to keep snow accumulation off theplant.
- Mulch plants every spring with 2 to 5 inches of pine bark chipsor pine needles to protect shallow roots and retain soilmoisture.
- Fertilize azaleas and rhododendrons sparingly and only whenflower buds swell in the early spring, even if they are fallbloomers.
Simply so, do rhododendrons need to be covered in winter?
Rhododendron, if the proper cultivar for our areaand planted correctly, should not need to be covered forwinter protection. However, rhododendrons and azaleasshould be planted in a somewhat protected area so they are notsubjected to the brutal north wind and harsh wintersun.
Garden rhododendrons and azaleas are shrubs ofcompact growth, wellsuited for planting in home gardens.Rhododendrons are pleasing at all seasons of the year. Inwinter, when most shrubs are bare, the foliage of theevergreen kind is very attractive.