Rhodie finishing flowering.

Hi, my rhododendron 'bow bells' has given a great flower display but has now has lots of flowers that are fading and falling. When these flowers fall leaving their stalks behind, do you cut the stalks back or leave them ? Hope that makes sense ?
gazania

 

You should deadhead them by snapping off the stalks, which is best done by hand so as not to damage the young leaf growth underneath

 

Ah thanks Merle. And what a helpful pic !
gazania

 

Me having no fingernails makes life difficult for dead-heading etc. I use Secateurs. As Merleworld says you need to aviod the new leaves, however I'm a bit clumsy and have damaged a few in my time. The plant seems to cope with my inadequacies though.

I am jealous that your plant has finished already. I'm still waiting for the arrival of my first flower. Lots of buds though so the pleasure is still to come. The one I bought last year seems the most forward and should flower in the next week or so.

 

I've had a couple of weeks of flowers. The flower buds themselves were impressive like big red walnuts ! I grow it in a pot and I only bought it last month. Leaves too are a nice roundish shape. A nice plant.
gazania

 

IV Only just learnt Iv got one of these

Did Not know wot it was Called

just about to Flower

 

Just to add that I've found if you leave the dead heading for a few weeks or so the stalks break off easier and you're less likely to remove the new bud below the stalk. Once you get the knack it's a quick/easy job, well unless your Rhodie is huge! Dead heading not only stops the Rhodie using energy to make seed it also smartens it up.

 

Looks in great nick, Nick. Looking forward to a piccie please? Did you put this in your garden, or was there when you moved in?

 

You're in trouble now Nick.
Once it's flowered and you find out the colour you have, you'll then look to see what options there are - OH DEAR!

 

It's a lovely specimen Nick - just remember to post pics when it flowers

 

it was there when i moved in

 

will do You CHAMPION WINNER AND Wot an Exiting FINISH

 

Didn't do my heart any good - I was having palpitations five minutes from the end! But got the result in the end