Dwarf Rhodie

[Leo in N E Illinois]

Moved into a bit more shade today and have a wintering spot in mind where it will get morning and later afternoon sun for winter.
It has double the flower buds this year and can't wait till next spring's show. After that I need to make decisions about some of the crazy branches. I love the trunk but above that best hidden by foliage at this point.
It's a survivor, that's for sure

If you're not going to display the tree before next year's styling session, you might thin out the number of flowers this autumn, to save some of the energy for getting through the trauma of styling. Forming flower buds takes energy, removing the buds as early as possible the previous autumn allows the tree to store the energy for use for growth. Certainly keep enough flowers to enjoy, but thin the amount. I did have a couple azalea I let every bud bloom, then restyled, then it went into a slow decline, no energy left to recover from styling. Second summer it's finally picking back up, but touch and go for a while.

So thin the number of buds if you know you're going to be working on it after blooming. Some will tell you cut all flower buds off in autumn, but I can never bring myself to do it. The point is at least a few flowers. Otherwise I'd raise boxwoods.

 

[Underdog]

Removed about half of the 50 buds. Some just the bud, most the entire shoot if growing in an undesirable direction or crowded location.
I have no plans to display any of my junk anytime soon. LOL just for my own pleasure.
I value your opinions and input. @Leo in N E Illinois and @GrimLore have offered solid advise to me since day one here.
I've attached some pictures and welcome any suggestions from anyone as to where to go next.
Just don't know what to do with the crazy wingspan. I think I need to grow a new apex/top. Can't seem to get a new shoot out of the middle yet. Big chop there from dead stuff removed.
Thanks once again!

 

[Hyn Patty]

Oh, so glad I found this thread! I picked up one of these today and posted it in the 'flowering' forum. I'm going to let it finish flowering and do nothing with it right away, but I am keen to get in there and cut it back to encourage plenty of new, lower, more compact foliage. But I'm not certain when is the best time of the year to cut it back. Before flower buds will form again I would assume, though flowering again next spring is not really a concern so much as getting it started with some pruning and wiring. We are relocating up into the mountains of NC at an elevation of 4,000 feet so I am keeping an eye out for plants that can take hard freezes. This miniature Rhododendron 'Ramapo' is supposed to be good down to -32 F. I enjoyed reading this thread and definitely seeking input. I'm not finding much online about training this variety for bonsai - just little bits here and there.

 

[MountainExplorer]

After them 4 back to back no easters and then 70 degree days it kicked the bucket.. I did the scratch test it was good and then with the warm days and them COLD nights and massive snow.. I just don't know I'll try again but I just bought myself a bougainvillea since all of my sickest trees are tropicals i can't see how I can go wrong.

 

[Hyn Patty]

Oh no! I am so sorry! ;(

 

[Underdog]

Getting ready for the show. Won't be long now.

 

[Hyn Patty]

Getting ready for the show. Won't be long now.

Nice! Thank you very much for sharing yours with us and keeping us updated on your progress! It's looking good, Underdog!

I got as far as trimming mine back and doing the first round of hard pruning and basic wiring. It now has a decent shape to work with but is also now a little sparse on foliage. I think I'll need to leave it be for a while and let it grow back in nice and thick, hoping for back budding. Any tips are much appreciated. Also, what is the best time of year to do repotting and root trimming? I took some photos which I can post later today. I don't want to do too much too fast and risk killing it.

 

[Underdog]

I've been waiting on the blooms and then repotting w/my azalea and this. You can do early spring if you are removing flower buds I'm told. Not repotting this one this year. Way more experienced folks than me to answer here.

 

[Carol 83]

Getting ready for the show. Won't be long now.View attachment 188880

Can't wait to see it in bloom.

 

[Hyn Patty]

Yep, I was waiting for mine to finish flowering before I attacked it. Got rid of some bar branches. Careful to keep some of the new shoots but was mostly focused on basic shaping. While I know doing that in autumn or late winter is more ideal, I think it'll be fine and bounce back quickly. I've certainly hacked back a lot of Rhododendrens over the years since they grow all over these mountains. They are hard to kill, and I have dug up and successfully transplanted a number of them (and mountain laurels too). Which reminds me I should watch out for a good laurel. They are all over our new property as well. Tons of them along our creek and waterfall.

I'll do more to this later, fine tune things, but for now I'll let it rest and recover for a while.

 

[Hyn Patty]

Ack! I should have posted my update to my own Rhodie thread, not yours! My apologies. I should have checked which thread I'd pulled up on my Alerts before I'd jumped in and dumped photos. I don't mean to be a hijacker.

 

[Underdog]

 

[Hyn Patty]

Nice! Just imagine how it's going to look in another 5 years all grown in and lovely! Well worth the effort, I think.

 

[Underdog]

Yes. It needs a new apex. I got one going but too far off center, Hope for a new shoot this year.

 

[Underdog]

 

[Carol 83]

View attachment 189659

Love the purple, what variety is it?

 

[Underdog]

Ramapo.

 

[Underdog]

Need to weed out some flower buds again. Trying to grow an apex unsuccessfully so far/

 

[just.wing.it]

I have a Gumpo that I have been pruning rather aggressively for 2 or 3 years now...
Never seen a flower bud yet due to my timing, but I get several flushes of foliage growth per summer.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

its coming along, noticeably fuller, more branches. Nice