That old timer at the Everett farmers market gave me bad advice about rhododendrons

Back in 2018, a retired landscaper named Bill told me to prune my rhododendrons in early spring instead of after they bloom. I followed his advice and lost almost all the flower buds for two years straight. Has anyone else gotten confidently wrong advice from a stranger that set them back?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_tessa2mo ago

Oh man, Bill's the worst (prune them right after they finish blooming, not before).

margaretm232mo ago

Three years I followed his advice and got zero blooms that season.

uma_johnson1mo ago

And three years of zero blooms? I give Bill a solid A-plus for consistency. I swear that guy gives bad advice just to see the rest of us suffer. My neighbor followed his pruning tips for hydrangeas and ended up with the most beautiful pair of green sticks I've ever seen.