I just got some big branches of a bush that was 10 feet in diameter, it had 4 inch lems on it . Only one of them had roots. What do I need to do to get the cuttings that i'm going to have started. I'm thinking cut the tips off , and place three or four nodes in the ground with abouut three inches out of the ground. I,ve never done anything with Rhoradendron's before. Any help in next few hours would be very much appreciated. I hate to see them go to waste. Thanks in advance . Mike.
sorry I'm having trouble with pics.
Well maybe I'm not.
more pics.
well I must be still having trouble
To root rhododendrons, you need to take a 4-6" piece of current seasons growth (essentially a new shoot that grew this past summer). Select non-flowering shoots, not ones with flower buds for next spring. You need to wound the stem. Take a sliver off both sides at the bottom of the stem. Cut the large leaves in half to reduce area where moisture would be lost during the rooting process. Dip the cutting in #2 rooting hormone and place them in a 50-50 peat-sand mix, then place the pot of cuttings in a clear plastic bag to act like a mini-greenhouse. Place it in bright light. Bottom heat works tremendously and professionals actually use a mist chamber. If all works, it may take until next spring before they are properly rooted. I've done it using the technique mentioned so I know it can work. Good luck, Todd
rb250, around here they call those " Laurel" or "Mountain Laurel"... the rhododendrons have much larger leaves.
What Todd suggested above is appropriate for either.
