Maybe this isn't the correct group to post plant health questions..could someone direct me to another group please?
I don't know of another group you could try. I didn't post earlier because I thought someone with more gardening experience would give you advice. However, I'll give you my two cents if no one else will. I've had rhodies burned nearly as badly as yours appear to be. They recovered when left in place. Moving yours was probably an additional stressor. Now the plant is dealing with settling into a new spot as well as burned leaves. Let it alone for a while. Rhodies prove to be pretty tough, in my experience.
This is an appropriate place to ask this question, yes. However, your plant is not sunburned. It defnitley has some kind of fungal infection, most likeley phytophthora. Unfortunatley at this stage you really have no option other than removal of the plant. Since the pathogen is soil-borne, I would not recommend planting another rhododendron in that spot.
Toad
Thanks all,
I didn't mention that it is in a very large planter so moving it was simply a matter of sliding it into the shade. The temp here was in the high 90's low 100's for about a week and that's when it started to show what I thought was sunburn damage,my other Rhody which is in another planter but always partially shaded shows no signs except where the direct sun hit it so I'm hoping Toads analysis's is hopefully misdiagnosed.
I didn't reply because I am way too far south to know about these plants and have never owned a Rhodo in my life. But it looked a lot like simple heat stress to me- and hearing that it is in a planter box certainly doesn't change my thoughts.
The wilting and rolling of leaves is not sunburn, it looks terminal if you are in the northern hemisphere. The browning can be sunburn or winter damage.
The wilting and leaf roll can be one of the following:
Fungal disease Lack of soil moisture Too much soil moisture Root damage from high root temperatures. If the sun hit the large pot, it could have cooked the roots.
The actual damage is dehydration. The cause can be diseased roots, damaged roots, or dry roots. Wet roots can cause diseased roots. High soil temperatures can cause root damage also.
Thanks Stephen,I guess I'll just have to wait and see if it recovers..maybe I over watered after the sunburning but it's been so hot.
A neighbor said she'd read a large can of tomato juice poured around the root base may revive it..she'd read it in an old-folk gardening book.
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