Don’t spare the fluids when you relocate a rhododendron
The garden erupts with color in mid-May, and the explosion of blooms is free to enjoy. Walk your neighborhood and take some time to appreciate the rhododendrons, dogwoods, lilacs, wisteria and other show-stoppers this week. Then get to work making your little corner of the world more beautiful.
Q. I have a rhododendron that has grown too large for my front yard. Should I move it or prune it down to a smaller size? It has red flowers, but I do not know the name of the variety. T.Y. Tacoma
A. I vote for the transplant operation as pruning back shrubs like rhododendrons will only be a temporary fix to the problem of a shrub in the wrong place. In general, rhododendrons with large leaves will grow the tallest while those with small leaves are more compact. Rhododendrons with dark flowers (red or purple) and dark green leaves can take more sun than those with pale pink or white blooms. The key to an easy move is to soak the root ball the night before the transplant, dig a circle around the drip line of the shrub, then pop the entire root ball out of the ground and on to a tarp. Next, drag the shrub to the new location; make sure the soil has been improved with rotted wood chips or compost and do not plant a rhododendron deeper than it was originally growing. Water, and then remember to water all summer as new roots form. No need to fertilize a newly transplanted shrub. Would you be looking for a big meal after a transplant operation? Push the fluids.
Q. We have a new house. When do I prune lilacs and wisteria? W., Email
A. Pruning right after blooming is the general rule of green thumb. You can be a strict disciplinarian with both lilac and wisteria as pruning stimulates new growth.
Q. I would like to plant a dogwood and need some advice. The area is near where my beloved dog is buried, and I know it sounds corny, but a dogwood tree will be to honor his life. What type of dogwood tree does best in the Bellevue area? N.N., Bellevue
A. Fetch yourself a Cornus kousa or Korean dogwood as this variety is less susceptible to disease than the traditional pink dogwood or Cornus florida. Korean dogwood also has colorful fall foliage and a later bloom time and a more compact growth habit. You may also want to check out other pack members of the dogwood family. Shrubby dogwoods with bright red or yellow winter stems (Cornus sanguinea or bloodtwig dogwood) the elegant Cornus alba ‘Elegantissima’ with green and white foliage or the low growing groundcover called bunchberry or Cornus canadensis.