R. mucronulatum has gorgeous flower clusters which consist of small flowers that are an attractive pinkish purple. Of course, it flowers before the new leaves appear, so it doesn’t really even look like a rhododendron. A bright pink variety, “Cornell Pink,” was recently developed by Cornell University.

R. mucronulatum flowers in late winter, but frost and cold weather may delay or interrupt its normal January or February flowering time.  I’ve grown this variety and would recommend that you plant it under the cover of a tree or in a place where there is overhead frost protection, so the flowers will last longer. Since it is a rhododendrons it should be planted in a semi-shady spot where it is protected from spot the hot mid-day sun. An ideal spot would be in a landscape bed with some later flowering varieties of rhododendrons, camellias, and azaleas.

Like all rhododendrons, this rhododendron should be planted so the top of the root ball is level with the soil surface. Planting or mulching too deeply may reduce flower development. At planting time I like to mix about 20% compost, peat moss, or other forms of organic humus with the existing soil.

Now before I suggest when and how to feed this or any other variety of rhododendron, let me make one thing clear: Never feed a rhododendron, or any plant, unless it needs additional nutrients. For example, native rhododendrons can go an entire lifetime without being fed. They simply rely on Mother Nature’s compost, and maintain a nice color and growth. Overfeeding can be as harmful as underfeeding.

How do you tell if a plant needs feeding? Off-color leaves, and stunted growth are often tell-tale indicators of the need for feeding. R. mucronulatum is fertilized on the same basis as the evergreen varieties. Use a rhododendron or evergreen plant food. The best time to feed them is late in the winter, from about mid-March to mid-May. Spread the fertilizer at the drip line of the plant, never under the plant, as it could burn the surface feeder roots.

This rhododendron variety is not readily available, so you may have to inquire at more than one place. However, you will find that the larger independent nurseries and garden centers are more apt to have them in stock or know where you can obtain them.

As always, our videos can be viewed on our blip.tv channel (link to the right) or downloaded for free from the iTunes Store (search for “ed hume”).

Enjoy your weekend, and we’ll see you back here on Monday.

Sincerely,

Ed

Ed’s Podcasts: Planning Your Garden

As always, if you’d like to save the podcast for later playback on your iTunes or iPod, right-click the link above and select “save target as” (Mac users select “save link as”).

Have a wonderful day, and we’ll see you again on Friday!

Sincerely,

Ed

Nurseries & Garden Centers:

Many of these businesses have Certified Professional Horticulturist (CPH) on staff. Often their employees have graduated from the CPH program and can help solve many home gardener problems.

Master Gardener’s Clinics & the Extension Service:

The Master Gardener program consists of home gardeners that have graduated from a State University Extension educational program. In many areas they hold weekly clinics, or answer phone inquiries at local Extension offices. Check with your local county Extension Service for dates and clinic locations.

Radio Garden Talk Shows:

In many areas local radio stations feature weekly garden talk shows which generally answer call-in questions. Most are scheduled on weekends, but a few are on during the week. Check the radio schedule or ask your local nursery for station call letters, days, and times.

Garden Editors/ Columnists:

It’s not unusual for garden writers to list their email, or mailing address at the end of their columns.  Sometimes they’ll use your question for their columns, which helps other home gardeners as well.

Ed Hume Website:

Of course we highly recommend that you visit our website: www.humeseeds.com. You’ll find all kinds of gardening information, including a calendar outlining monthly garden projects, and information on how to care for houseplants.

Google & Wikipedia:

You should not discount a basic internet search when attempting to get answers on gardening topics. Simply typing in a plant species and a brief description of your problem may yield an answer.

Garden Shows:

Practically every garden show features at least one booth where garden questions are answered. Most shows also feature associations which focus on roses, fuchsias, bulbs, bulbs, and orchids. The volunteers in these booths are specialists in growing these particular plants, so they are wonderful sources for information.

Greenhouse & Florist Firms:

Greenhouses and florists are among the best sources for answering houseplant questions. Since these folks are in the business of growing houseplants, so they know the common concerns of growing most tropical houseplants.

Arboretums, Botanic Gardens & Colleges:

Many colleges, arboretums, and botanic gardens feature courses or classes in gardening. Right now most are under-funded and limited to the extent they can devote to individual gardening questions, unless they have volunteers to answer the phone.

Garden Books & Magazines:

All are wonderful sources for gardening information. A trip to the library will provide a wide choice of gardening topics. Take a look at my latest book, “Gardening With Ed Hume: Northwest Gardening Made Easy.”(19.95 on our website)

Hopefully this will give you a few ideas of places you can visit to help you with any garden problems that might arise in your garden.

The current storm in the Pacific Northwest is preventing us from updating today.  We hope you all are safe.  Stay warm, and don’t go outside if you can help it.  We will return Monday with more new content.

Take care, and have a great weekend.

Sincerely,

Holland Hume
Webmaster

Christmas Cactus:

Why does my Christmas Cactus flower a month before Christmas or a couple of months after Christmas?

If your Christmas Cactus is flowering a month before Christmas or a few months after Christmas, chances are you have a different type of cactus. Your cactus is probably either a “Thanksgiving Cactus,” or an “Easter Cactus.” However, it should be noted that a Christmas cactus will sometimes bloom out of season due to varying temperatures and light exposure, so if your cactus is suddenly blooming out of season, it is probably due to one of these factors.

Gardenia:

Why won’t my gardenia bloom?

Greenhouse growers tell me gardenia needs about 10 hours of bright light every day in order to bloom. If your plant isn’t getting this amount of light, it might not bloom.

Poinsettia:

Why do the leaves of my poinsettia start falling off right after Christmas?

This might be because of a couple different factors. First, there might not be enough moisture in the air. Try placing a glass of water near the plant, but don’t mist the plant, as that is apt to ruin the colorful leaf bracts. Second, a poinsettia will also drop leaves if it is too dry. Third, leaves will drop if the plant is in a part of the house that is too cold. Keep the poinsettia in a warm room of 67 to 72 degrees.

Dracena and a Palm:

Why do both my dracena and my miniature palm have considerable browning on the tips of almost all leaves?

The most frequent problem is a build-up of fertilizer salts in the soil. In other words, the plant is being given too much fertilizer. If there is any white substance on the soil or on the bottom sides of the pot, that is a good indicator it is a fertilizer problem.

Another problem can be that the soil was too dry at some point. This is most likely if the dry tips are all on the same level. My suggestion would be to cut off the dry leaf tips in the same pointed shape that they grow naturally. Take the whites of an egg and rub it on the cut edge to help cure it naturally, without leaving the leaf with an ugly brow edge.

Remember, at this time of year most houseplants need little to no fertilizer, less water, and more humid conditions. If you have a houseplant question, I’d suggest going to our website, www.humeseeds.com to see my article on “Houseplants.” This was originally a chapter I wrote for my latest book “Gardening With Ed Hume: Northwest Gardening Made Easy.” ($25.95, $19.95 online) If you still can’t find an answer to your houseplant question, ask us at http://www.facebook.com/HumeSeeds.

Ed’s Podcasts: Winter-flowering Plants

As always, if you’d like to save the podcast for later playback on your iTunes or iPod, right-click the link above and select “save target as” (Mac users select “save link as”).

Have a wonderful rest of the day and if you’re in the Pacific Northwest, drive safe!

Sincerely,

Ed

As always, our videos can be viewed on our blip.tv channel (link to the right) or downloaded for free from the iTunes Store (search for “ed hume”).

Have a wonderful weekend, and we’ll see you back here on Monday for some more great garden advice!

Sincerely,

Ed

Ed’s Podcasts: Dormant Spraying

As always, if you’d like to save the podcast for later playback on your iTunes or iPod, right-click the link above and select “save target as” (Mac users select “save link as”).

Have a wonderful rest of the day, and we’ll see you back here on Friday with our clip of the week!

Sincerely,

Ed

First and foremost, never ever prune for the sake of pruning.  Only prune those trees and shrubs that need pruning.

Many, maybe even I, can say most plants can go a lifetime without being pruned.  All one has to do is look at the trees and native shrubs in a nearby forest, and other then wind, fire, or animals, who pruned and shaped those plants?  Nobody!  Yet look at how beautifully shaped they are!

Indiscriminate pruning can ruin a plant’s shape and, to a degree, the health of the plant.  Remember pruning stimulates growth, so the more growth one cuts off a plant the more growth you are apt to stimulate.  Case in point: look at old fruit trees that have been severely pruned!  The trees are absolutely covered with long leggy suckers or water sprouts.  These new growths are sometimes 6 to 10 feet long.  The trees have lost their shape, look ugly, and fruit production is usually considerably reduced.  Has anything been gained by pruning?

If you are pruning for the first time, take a few minutes to read a bit about pruning, or view a pruning video.  I’d suggest you go to the library and checkout a book on pruning.  Make certain it has a lot of photographs that show step-by-step pruning procedures.  Or maybe it would be a good idea to hire a professional arborist to do your pruning, and watch and learn from him/her.

HERE ARE A FEW BASIC IDEAS:

1) Start by removing all dead, decayed, and severely broken branches.

2) Head back any branches that have grown too long or are misshapen in some way.

3) Make all pruning cuts just above an outside bud.  This encourages new growth to develop outward, opening up the tree or shrub and helping to create a bushier growth habit.

4) Prune at the correct time of the year.  For example, most flowering plants are pruned after they have finished flowering.  Here is the rule I use: if the plant flowers before the end of June, prune it immediately after flowering.  Any plant that flowers after June should be pruned during the winter or in earliest spring, before the new growth begins.  Now you must know, some plants are best pruned when they are dormant, while others should not be pruned until earliest spring.  That’s where a pruning book can really be helpful.

5) If you are pruning a large tree or shrub, you need two people to do the pruning.  One on a ladder (the pruning person), the other on the ground, circling the plant and advising the person on the ladder as to which branches need pruning and where to cut them.  My suggestion is that those two people should never be a husband and wife.

I hope these tips can help you in your pruning adventures.  Best of luck, and we’ll see you here Wednesday with a podcast!

Sincerely,

Ed