Sorry to hear that your rhododendron did not bloom. That must have been disappointing after seeing it in full bloom when planted. There are a number of factors that could be at play that caused the buds not to bloom—disease, stress caused by drought, over fertilizing, and incorrect soil makeup. Rhododendrons like acidic soil, so anything higher than 6.0 can cause them to not flower. If you have not already, it would be good to have the soil tested to determine its pH and then either amend or move your plant.
In terms of the buds, you will want to remove them, in case it is disease. If the new buds look at all like they have a chance to bloom this year, you should hold off on removing the old ones until after bloom time to avoid damaging the newer ones. Once it has bloomed or the bloom season has passed, remove the buds so your rhododendron can have space to form new buds that will hopefully bloom next year.
Hi Kay,
Sorry to hear that your rhododendron did not bloom. That must have been disappointing after seeing it in full bloom when planted. There are a number of factors that could be at play that caused the buds not to bloom—disease, stress caused by drought, over fertilizing, and incorrect soil makeup. Rhododendrons like acidic soil, so anything higher than 6.0 can cause them to not flower. If you have not already, it would be good to have the soil tested to determine its pH and then either amend or move your plant.
In terms of the buds, you will want to remove them, in case it is disease. If the new buds look at all like they have a chance to bloom this year, you should hold off on removing the old ones until after bloom time to avoid damaging the newer ones. Once it has bloomed or the bloom season has passed, remove the buds so your rhododendron can have space to form new buds that will hopefully bloom next year.