Rhododendron loses leaves: a layer of peat helps

Too moist: “If all branches die in rhododendrons, this often indicates root diseases. These are often mushroom pairs (phytophthora spec.), Which affect the roots and the root neck and cause the death of individual shoots.

This goes so far that the plant dies. This disease is also caused by poor location conditions, ”says Johannes Käfer. “In your case, I suspect that the earth is too wet or even too wet. Moor bed plants basically want a damp substrate, but by no means too much moisture.

Ideally, you should apply a layer of peat every year in the moor bed. Just like in bogs, the plants can grow up with the roots to get away from the wet, strongly decomposed substrate. Peat is the substrate in which rhododendrons grow by nature.

Do not water the bed now and remove sick shoots. The light leaves indicate a pH too high, which in turn causes the iron deficiency, so the leaves have the typical color. The generous addition of peat can also improve this situation. To do this, you can bring in sulfur-containing fertilizers, which is also able to lower the pH (e.g. substral rhododendron cure). The use of peat -free moorbeters do not bring the desired success. ”