A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2007 My poor Rhododandreon!

It has white spots and browning on edge of leaves! Help! Bought it at Home Depot last summer. Has grown very little, but I know it is a slow growing plant. Hope it blooms this year, it did not last year.







P.S. check out my mystery plant in the other topic area. I need to identify it.

So I haven't pulled the weeds yet. So shoot me!!!! (That is embarassing though!!!)

Wow. There are so many diseases, weevils and general nasties that attack rhododendrons. Not sure what this one is but if it isn't too late I seriously suggest you get rid of those weeds. They act as a home for many bugs. I suggest you check diseases of rhododendrons on Wikipedia and also look on http://www.apsnet.org/online/common/names/rhododen.asp
which lists a few. The accepted U.S. authority is Ohio State University and you might like to browse round http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/3000/3043.html

I don't know what your winters are like or what zone Oklahoma City is in but, if you get heavy freezes in winter there is a just a possibility that it is suffering from freeze drying (no not like your instant coffee). Rhodas are evergreen but don't like being dry even in winter. The symptoms are browning of the leaves but I am rather more worried about the white spots, which have an aura of a fungal infection. If it is freeze drying then it should recover as the new growth starts (although freeze drying slows that as well). Let's hope that it is and if so then water it well in late fall this and future years, before the first freezes. But with the small amount of info we have the definitive answer is that we just can't tell.

Sorry I can't be more help.

John

You gave me a start. Thank you. I was worried about a fungus too. I did not really think about the weeds and bugs but I guess that makes sense.
Now I guess I can take my pics and a leaf to a nursery maybe and they can help? I think those look like buds on the tip top. flowers maybe?? I am going to get it some help right away. Poor thing

Has anyone ever tried Pinefines to acidify and amend the soil for such things as azalia and rhododandreon? I just heard about it recently at a class. I thought I would give it a try.

Serenity

I mixed manure in my garden last year when I started it b/c Rhododanreons like organic soils, and my mom was helping me get started as a gardener, but I planted it in mostly peat moss for acidity.