If you take good care of your rhododendron and pay attention to a few special features, you will be rewarded with a magnificent sea of flowers. Depending on the variety, the flowering period lasts from March to June. After that, a faded rhododendron offers a rather sad sight. And the question arises: remove rhododendron flowers or not?
As much as the rhododendron fascinates with its abundance of flowers, then comes the big work. Because the flower stalks of the umbels do not simply fall off. Now the hobby gardener has to intervene and remove the flower.
Freeing rhododendrons from contaminated sites
Even if the rhododendron only grows 10 cm to 20 cm a year, the faded parts must be removed. New shoots form around the dead umbel by the end of July. Caution! The cancellation must be done with great care and takes some time.
Remove rhododendron flowers - that's how it works
Removing the flowers is particularly recommended for large-flowered rhododendron hybrids and Yakashimanum hybrids. Otherwise, the formation of the seed pods weakens the development of the plants, especially in the first few years.
Breaking off wilted flowers prevents the exhausting ripening of the seed heads. In this way, the plant saves the energy it needs for the subsequent flowering in spring. But be careful when breaking off the withered flowers! The bud for the new umbel sits directly below the previous flower.
There is a risk of damaging these new flower buds.
Take the stalk in your hand where the old umbel is. Now press your fingers tightly around the stem so that it does not bend. Use the fingers of your other hand to snap off the withered umbel. Important: The strong clamp handle prevents breakage in the wrong place. If the stem breaks at the wrong point, no new bloom will form the following spring.
Do not use secateurs, knives or scissors to avoid unnecessary injury to the plant! The dry remains of the flowers are sticky. However, they are easy to break off, as they are usually located above the floating buds, which must not be damaged. It is advisable to break out wilted inflorescences, especially in young plants.
If rhododendron flowers are not plucked out, significantly fewer flowers will be formed next year. With smaller to medium-sized rhododendrons or weakened plants, the work is worthwhile. Larger plants, on the other hand, have enough reserves to supply both seed heads and flowers at the same time.