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| Help - My husband and I just planted two Purple Gem Rhodies and I think he prepared the soil with too much Hollytone. We used a mix of peat moss, soil (clay-ish), and the hollytone. The bag said to apply 1 cup at planting, but I think the hubby wasn't paying attention and put more than that in. How will this affect the plant? Anything that can/should be done at this point?
Thanks much. |
Follow-Up Postings:
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| wait..that is kinda what I needed to ask...I haven't added any yet..my olgs mezitt is having a horrible time...when I posted the pics I got lots of ideas..but since it's problems can't be pinned down...I decided to buy some hollytone... I haven't used it yet...the plant is not very big..do I follow the diections on the package or do you guys have others? |
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| Too much Hollytone will kill a new plant. They are already heavily fertilized at the nursery and don't need any more fertilizer. I recommend digging it up, removing all the soil you added and replanting, using just a little of the original mix. A cup sounds like a lot in the first place. Any more would kill the plant. Hollytone is an excellent product, but only apply once per year in the spring at half the rate on the package. Most new plants have the little colored beads on the surface of the soil. This is a slow release fertilizer they use in nurseries. That is all they need the first year. |
Here is a link that might be useful: How to grow rhododendrons and azaleas.
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| Did you say that your virgin soil is clayish and you mixed in a peat type amendment into it? If so, the soil may retain too much moisture for a healthy Rhodie, which needs to be planted in a much better draining soil. They do not do well when planted with a lot of peat in clay soil. It is better to acidify the soil by making a bed of shreaded pine bark mulch mixed with the clay instead of using peat for rhodies. Azaleas need the extra moisture peat provides, but the Rhodie roots will suffer from so much constant moisture that does not drain well enough. |
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| I planted several Encores azaleas yesterday. I put about 1/3 cup of holly tone in the soil before planting each of the azales. Did I put in too much? These Encores are expensive. I don't want to kill them. |
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| You should only use half the amount on the package. They recommend using the maximum so they sell more fertilizer. The plants can't use that much. You can replant with fresh soil if you think you over did it for the size root ball you have. |
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