Rhododendron issue-wont flower

Hello everyone, I am new on here and new to gardening. I have read the other posts on here about similar issues and I believe I may have a ph problem....but I wanted to post a pic of my 2 rhodo bushes....I planted them in the summer of 2011. So far no flowers. Tons of buds and this year one of the bushes is TRYING to flower....but its like something is stopping it! I have done mushroom manure mixed in with the dirt, compost mix, and sugar water....that is over the past couple years, and nothing seems to help. If you have any thoughts, I would really appreciate it. Thankyou and I will try and post a pic!

 

Welcome to GC

Mushroom manure often tends to be too alkaline, so I wouldn't use it on lime-hating plants such as Rhododendrons (personally I would remove it asap). What sort of compost have you used? Be careful not to over-feed plants - it's worse than giving them too little.

If you could post a picture of the plant (including buds) please - I don't think as a newbie that you can attach pics for the first few posts, but if you could use Photobucket or something similar to upload pics it would help.

 

Thank you fat controller, and merleworld for the feedback Yes, your right - I cannot post pics yet........but I really appreciate your posts!
There is one pic of the one rhodo I have that won't even flower but has tons of buds - lighter and bigger leaves. The other three are pics of my poor little rhodo that keeps TRYING to flower, but it's like something is just stopping it. Leaves look dried out almost....as soon as I can, I will post the pictures....
And fat controller, I am not sure if it was ericaceous - I don't know if I even know what that means......but from the sounds of it - perhaps the mushroom manure was? Sorry, but as I said - not a very well-versed gardener I am trying though!

 

Hi

the reason they wont open is maybe to do with last year , did you keep them well watered during the summer last year. Are you in Canada ?what was your summer like last year ?

does any one close to where you live grow them in open ground in the soil ?? if not I would say the PH is wrong you may have to grow them in pots , by using Mushroom compost they add lime which Rhodies hate .

Spruce

 

Hello and welcome Islandgirl

When people speak of ericaceous compost, they mean compost which is free of lime and slightly acidic, suitable for lime hating, acid loving plants such as rhodedendrons and azaleas etc. Lime hating plants like rhodedendrons can't effectively extract nutrients from neutral or alkaline soil, so they slowly starve to death, even if the ground is well fed and other plants are thriving in the same soil.

No, its horse poo, chicken poo and gypsum. About pH 7.5 according to my meter, so far too alkaline for rhodedendrons I'm afraid.

 

Thankyou so much...thats most likely what I have done wrong! When I planted them I mixed the soil with the mushroom manure so, I think I must have to do what You are saying.....

 

How big are they and how long since you planted them? If they've not been in too long, you might get away with digging them up, shaking off some of the soil from the roots, and replanting in acid soil. Are they in containers or open ground?