Marianne's Response
Ppsyldav541’s Question
Good Day. I live in Longview, Washington. We had a 3-4ft high cedar hedge in our front yard that was in place before we bought the house. It was beginning to lean and get brown spots so we removed it. On one side was our orchard and the other side we had planted rhodies. When we removed the hedge of course the back side of the rhodies were quite bear. My question is, will they come back on their own and get new growth there, or should I do some pruning to encourage new growth? Thank you~
Posted by Ppsyldav541 on December 13, 2016
Marianne's Response
Your rhododendrons will fill ii with new growth with more sunlight but to hurry this process I recommend you prune them by up to one third in late spring after they are done blooming. When it comes to rhododendrons, the spot where you make the cut is where the new foliage will sprout. You can prune the front of full side by just a bit but prune the back or bare side by shortening the longest bare branches. Water well during summer dry spells to encourage more foliage. You should have full and balanced looking shrubs in two to three years. Keep growing, Marianne Binetti
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