Pruning Rhododendron: How To Make The Right Cut

With the right pruning you promote the growth of your rhododendron. Then it will produce lush flowers again. Here you can find out exactly when and how you should prune the rhododendron plant.

Rhododendrons bear lush and magnificent flowers and are popular plants in gardens and parks. May is the flowering month for the rhododendron. The plant can provide years of enjoyment with proper care. Normally, the rhododendron does not require special pruning. In some cases, however, professional pruning can stimulate the plant to new growth. Pruning is especially recommended when the rhododendron has grown very large or has become very bare near the ground.

Cutting rhododendron: the preparation

Before you apply the shears, it is very important to check the location and health of the rhododendron again. Bald patches or conspicuously slow growth may also indicate an incorrect location. Pruning the plant in this case would do it more harm than good.

It can happen that rhododendrons in an unsuitable location stand weakened for years and hardly grow without you noticing. Even then, the plants still form green tips. The first indication of an improper location is long, leafless shoots with only green tips and slow to completely stopped growth.

You can check whether your rhododendron is in the right place by removing some soil from around the root ball and pulling on the stem with a little force. If the bush can be easily lifted out of the ground along with the root ball, it is not rooted properly. A change of location is now an option.

However, if the plant is firmly rooted and cannot be moved out of the ground even by pulling, you can prune without hesitation. The rhododendron seems to be in the right place.

Pruning rhododendron – instructions

If your plant is healthy and well rooted in the soil, you can easily carry out a generous pruning:

Cut the branches of your rhododendron down to a length of 30 to 50 centimeters all around.
On old plants, you can shorten very thick branches with a saw. You don’t have to be timid about this, even thick old branch stubs will grow new, bushy shoots after pruning.
If you’re worried about radically cutting down your large rhododendron in one fell swoop, you can take a gentler approach and prune the plant back gradually. Spread the pruning over two years:

• Cut back only half of the branches in the first year. Go all the way around and leave the second shoot for the time being.
• In the second year, cut back all remaining branches. The cut edges from the previous year will then already have new shoots, so the pruning will be less noticeable.

Pruning rhododendrons – what to look out for?

With both types of pruning, you should always make a sharp cut and cut at a slight angle into the wood. This reduces the risk of germs and bacteria at the cut and prevents rainwater from collecting on the stumps, which can cause rot. Large and old branches can be trimmed with a sharp knife as a precaution.