Rhododendrons are a great choice of flower to add a pop of colour to any garden, offering a bold and gorgeous display when they’re in bloom. Coming in a range of varieties and colours, rhododendrons are guaranteed to put on a show in the summer months.
They’re also a great choice for anyone looking to try their hand at gardening. To keep them growing back year after year with an amazing flush of flowers, there’s an important job every gardener needs to know about. Gardening expert and TikTok Michael Griffiths recently shared a common mistake gardeners make when it comes to pruning rhododendrons, explaining that most people prune them at the wrong time.
Pruning rhododendrons at the wrong time will mean that they won’t flower properly next year. In a recent video, Michael said: “If you want bigger blooms on your rhododendron next year, a quick prune after flowering will keep them in shape and ready to thrive.”
You want to make sure that when you’re pruning the plant that you do it at the right time, as if you do it at the wrong time, it could cost you the flowers. The best time to prune is after the plant has flowered.
When the flowers begin to fade away, you want to give them a light prune. You don’t want to prune too much.
Michael said: “First of all, make sure the flowers are faded like these and then remove any spent blooms to just above a pair of leaves.”
To help identify how much you need to trim away, gardeners should take a look at the stem of the plant and look for healthy buds growing. Once you’ve identified where the healthy buds are growing, you want to trim the stem just above them.
Trim away any leggy or dead branches off the rhododendron. This will allow the plant to get a bit of breathing room for new buds and branches.
Michael urged gardeners to be careful when pruning, as to not knock or cut off any new buds. Avoid the temptation to prune down in the woody part of the stems, as you run the risk of the flowers not growing back at all next year.
He continued: “Now you’ve got a compact shrub that’ll be loaded with blooms next season.”
The Royal Horticultural Society explained that generally rhododendrons don’t require much pruning other than the removal of dead wood and deadheading of spent flowers if practical. When it comes to late winter, the experts at Gardeners’ World advised to remove any dead or damaged wood while the plant is dormant.
Deadheading rhododendrons after flowering will help improve the appearance of the shrub.
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