The acid test
Rhododendrons are in their prime right now. Yes, they thrive in acid soil, but if you garden on chalk, they’ll flourish in pots too
THEY are not to everyone’s taste, but rhododendrons do make one heck of a splash when they come into bloom – and May is their prime season.
Folk like me, who garden on chalky soil, have to grow them in large pots or tubs of ericaceous (lime-free) compost, but if you have acid soil then you can plant them out and give them full rein.
You’ll see rhododendrons in full flower in nurseries and garden centres now, and this is the best time to choose them so you know exactly what you are getting. There is a trick to planting rhododendrons and azaleas – the name we give the deciduous types that lose their leaves in winter. The knack is not to plant them too deeply.
Enrich the ground with masses of organic matter and plant the root ball so it is about an inch above the surface of the soil, then gently mound up the leafy, organic mixture so the plant is sitting just a little proud of the surrounding earth. Rhododendrons and azaleas that have been planted too deeply are often reluctant to flower and can sit and sulk instead of romping away.
However, this planting technique ensures their contentment. And mulching around the plants with a couple of inches of chipped bark will keep down weeds and help seal in moisture. If you grow them in containers, make sure they are always kept gently moist and never dry out. Planted in the ground, dappled shade suits them well. And around them you can put other woodlanders that flower in spring – dog’s tooth violet and wood lily (trillium), wood violet and ferns. After flowering, nip off the faded blossom trusses with your fingers or snip them off with secateurs, taking care not to cut past that first leaf where next year’s buds will be forming.
The odd feed with dilute iron sequestrene will be to their liking and will ensure your rhododendrons, if used as background to border blossoms in summer, will not look dull and dreary when out of flower. Rather they’ll be earning their keep in showing off later blooms. So treat yourself to a potful of spectacle this weekend – and celebrate spring with a wonderful plant that has never been afraid to arrive with a fanfare.