The Christmas Potting Dash: Settling Rhododendrons In Before the Summer Break

As we head into summer and towards Christmas, a lot of the important work at the nursery happens quietly behind the scenes. While the plants may not be in full flower right now, this is one of the most critical times of the year for setting rhododendrons up for healthy growth in the seasons ahead.

At the moment, I’m right in the middle of potting up both young plants and established four-year-old rhododendrons. This involves carefully moving plants into larger containers, refreshing their growing mix, and giving their roots more space to develop. It’s a very hands-on process and one I take my time with — strong, healthy root systems are the foundation of resilient, long-lived rhododendron plants.

Potting up at this time of year also helps prevent the potting mix from becoming hydrophobic, where it dries out so much that it struggles to absorb water properly. Fresh mix and extra root space ensure the plants can take up moisture and nutrients efficiently over the warmer summer months, particularly important for container-grown rhododendrons.

 

This is also my main pruning and shaping time for rhododendrons grown in pots and containers. I carefully shape plants now to encourage bushy growth with plenty of strong growth points. On younger plants, I’m constantly removing leaf buds, while on more mature plants I de-head spent growth — all with the aim of creating that well-balanced, rounded plant shape that gardeners look for. These growth points will often go on to form flower buds for the following season.

Behind-the-scenes work like potting, pruning, and shaping may not always be obvious when you visit the nursery, but it plays a huge role in producing the strong, well-grown rhododendrons I’m proud to offer.