Rhody leaves getting smaller every year

11 years ago

Hi! I have a rhododendron (I think it's a loreley). Since moving it from a shady/wet neighborhood to our new house in a dry/sunnier area, the leaves on the rhody have been getting smaller every year (we've been here two years). I water it pretty copiously, so I don't think it's a water issue, but what else could be making the leaves smaller?

It's in an area with a lot of oaks and firs, so the soil is acidic...would that do it? Also, while I put it in a semi-shady area, it's definitely getting more sun than it used to.

It wouldn't bother me, but all the new leaves coming in are about 1-1/2" long....three years ago they were about 4" long, last year about 3" long. At this rate, the bush will disappear in a couple of years! Plus, it's the first Mother's Day gift my kid ever gave me, so I gotta keep it alive!

Thanks for any help you can give!!

Featured Answer

akamainegrower

11 years ago

First thing I would do is find a written description for Loreley. This should give you the normal dimensions for the leaves. When rhododendrons are grown in shade, it's quite normal for the leaves to be the maximum size for that particular variety. Moved to a sunnier location, the new leaves will be smaller. A range of 4" to 1.5 " does not, however, seem reasonable. So...

Lack of nitrogen can also cause abnormally small leaves. A soil test is necessary to see if this is the problem - don't just add nitrogen without a test. A test can also give you the soil pH. It's rare, but sometimes soil can be too acid for rhododendrons. Finally, check the rootball for moisture. It's possible that it dried out because of the move and has not recovered despite watering.

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Comments (6)

rhodyman
11 years ago
akaMEgrower is right on.
However, something you said bothers me.
"I water it pretty copiously, so I don't think it's a water issue, but what else could be making the leaves smaller?"

Watering copiously can cause other problems. It is best not to water unless the leaves show some sign of dryness in the heat of the day. Too much water, especially in warm weather, causes root rot. Too dry causes warning signs such as leaves wilting in the heat of the day. This is reversible. Root rot is not reversible.
hyakamooks thanked rhodyman
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akamainegrower
11 years ago
There is also a third possible reason for abnormally small leaves which I overlooked in my previous post. Right after bloom is a critical time for rhododendrons. This is when the growth of new stems and leaves takes place. If there is insufficient water at this time, leaves will definitely be smaller. Sometimes watering will saturate the surrounding soil but leave the roots of the rhododendron too dry. This is especially common in newly planted or newly moved ones. If there was little rainfall during the critical post bloom period and the artificial watering failed to moisten the roots, you would get smaller than normal leaves. Not terribly likely to have happened two years in a row, but certainly not impossible, either.
hyakamooks thanked akamainegrower
mikebotann
11 years ago
Where do you live? 8a covers a wide area. Western Wa. St., where I live, and parts of Texas are both 8a.
I agree with all of the posters above.
Mike
hyakamooks thanked mikebotann
User
11 years ago
Hyak,
It's the roots from the other trees that are stealing from your Rhody. Yes, it will disappear eventually.
Is there any way at all you could pot it up?
Leave it where it is, and put it in a pot?
Nice fresh soil, water it, and see if it takes off.
I have that problem too, those tree roots are unbelievable.
hyakamooks thanked User
hyakamooks
Original Author
11 years ago
Thanks, everyone for your help! Sorry it took me a bit to get back, I couldn't figure out how to get past the Houzz site back to the GardenWeb login, then sorta lost track.

It's an interesting problem - the rhody blooms like a lunatic, but its leaves just get smaller and smaller. I'll try the nitrogen and fluffing up the soil outside of it to add mulch to hold in the water better. And I'll start digging deeper to test for moisture before I water in the summer. And you might be right about the tree roots - I'll try the other stuff and then move it to a pot if all else fails.

I'm on the side of a hill on an island in N. Puget Sound, so in the summer it gets up to about 90 deg during the day and verrry low humidity, and 50 deg during the night when the sea breezes blow in. It's really hard to keep stuff alive up here, so I've given up on just about everything else.

Thanks again - will keep you posted, after trying the nitrogen check, etc.