Rhododendron Winter Burn, spider mites, or both? - Ask Extension
Good morning!
My rhododendron had been active in the winter with the leaves opening sometimes in the daytime and closing for night and bitter cold. H...
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Rhododendron Winter Burn, spider mites, or both? #328256
Asked June 03, 2016, 10:59 AM EDT
Good morning!
My rhododendron had been active in the winter with the leaves opening sometimes in the daytime and closing for night and bitter cold. However, in the 5 years that I have lived here, this is the first time it has not blossomed and looks very sick. I am not a plant or garden expert at all, but some online research seems to point to either winter burn and/or spider mites.
I have sprayed it with just water to because of the cob webbing and then just the other day sprayed it with a mixture of plain Dawn dish soap and water. I am very worried I am going to lose this magnificent shrub.
I have attached some pictures that may help you to help me identify what the problem is and then what, if any, action I can take to help it get healthy again.
Thank you for your time.
-Joel Olson
Washington County Minnesota
Expert Response
If there was webbing, there could have been spider mites. However, spraying with dish soap is not a recommended remedy. However, it looks like your shrub did not survive the winter. From the photos, it looks dead. Try squeezing a bud. If it crumbles in your hand, that bud is dead. Same with the leaves. If you want to hope to bring it into another season, you can treat it like a regular shrub but the prognosis does not look good.