THE LANDSCAPE ASK PROFESSIONAL Linda K. Lillie of Sprigs & Twigs CELEBRATING 28 YEARS! Q: Hi Linda, what happened to my Rhody? It looked normal earlier this winter... - Tim A: Hi Tim, Winter injury is the culprit. Broadleaf evergreens, such as Rhododendrons, Azaleas and Andromeda lose water as they breathe through their leaves. In the winter, frozen ground prevents replacement of the lost water from the leaves so the leaves curl as a protective measure to deter water loss. Once the weather warms, the leaves usually unfurl. Prolonged cold, windy weather exacerbates the drying process which injures and/or kills the leaves. The plant will grow back. If the entire shrub has been damaged, wait until late spring and note if there is any new growth at the base of the plant. If new growth is present, cutback all the dead stems to the base of the plant and leave the new growth. If new growth does not appear, remove the shrub and plant a new rhododendron. One suggestion to deter damage is to deeply water broad leaf evergreens in the Fall. Continue watering until the temperature drops below 40 degrees. This helps to keep an ample amount of water in the soil to help the shrub survive the winter. Be sure the soil under the rhododendron is covered with 2-3" of mulch to keep the soil moist. Rhododendrons have shallow roots and dry out very easily. THESE ARTICLES ARE GOING DIGITAL! DON'T MISS OUT! SCAN THE QR, SIGN UP & SUBMIT YOUR OWN QUESTIONS Sprigs & Twigs WWW.SPRIGSANDTWIGS.NET | 860-235-0752 THE LANDSCAPE ASK PROFESSIONAL Linda K. Lillie of Sprigs & Twigs CELEBRATING 28 YEARS ! Q : Hi Linda , what happened to my Rhody ? It looked normal earlier this winter ... - Tim A : Hi Tim , Winter injury is the culprit . Broadleaf evergreens , such as Rhododendrons , Azaleas and Andromeda lose water as they breathe through their leaves . In the winter , frozen ground prevents replacement of the lost water from the leaves so the leaves curl as a protective measure to deter water loss . Once the weather warms , the leaves usually unfurl . Prolonged cold , windy weather exacerbates the drying process which injures and / or kills the leaves . The plant will grow back . If the entire shrub has been damaged , wait until late spring and note if there is any new growth at the base of the plant . If new growth is present , cutback all the dead stems to the base of the plant and leave the new growth . If new growth does not appear , remove the shrub and plant a new rhododendron . One suggestion to deter damage is to deeply water broad leaf evergreens in the Fall . Continue watering until the temperature drops below 40 degrees . This helps to keep an ample amount of water in the soil to help the shrub survive the winter . Be sure the soil under the rhododendron is covered with 2-3 " of mulch to keep the soil moist . Rhododendrons have shallow roots and dry out very easily . THESE ARTICLES ARE GOING DIGITAL ! DON'T MISS OUT ! SCAN THE QR , SIGN UP & SUBMIT YOUR OWN QUESTIONS Sprigs & Twigs WWW.SPRIGSANDTWIGS.NET | 860-235-0752