Huge Rhododendron

[Uhtredswoman]

We have inherited a HUGE rhododendron in our new garden. I'm not a gardener so am unsure how. I've looked online but can't find instructions for the truly ignorant gardener! Photo has bench in it for scale!
What can I do?

Do you like it? When they get this big (and old) they can be pruned after flowering, but you would have to be quite severe with this to reduce the size, and it may not recover, or spend several years without flowering. The buds for next year's flowers are formed straight after this year's flowering, so obviously, if you go for a hard prune you will cut most of these off. I would either leave it alone (bar a bit of chopping off any sticky outy bits) or remove the whole thing. It's taking up a lot of space and light.
Honestly, there are much nicer things to plant. Rhododendrons are great if you've got sprawling acres, but not when they grow this big in an average garden. It's not even a particularly interesting colour. You have 3 or four weeks of flowers and thereafter a great looming evergreen bush, in you case, an enormous one. They are very deep rooted so you would need some strength and persistence to dig it out.
So, in short, if it were mine, I would get rid of it.

Enjoy it

Blimey, it's huge! Lovely colour though. You could prune the lower branches, so it is more of an ornamental tree shape. Looking at your photo there are less flowers on the bottom half, so it could be an ideal solution if you wanted to keep it (but open it up a bit).

Large rhododendrons can be good climbing trees for small children, if you have any.

Rhododendrons when they get large can look great. This one is years old. And stands around 6ft tall. Not pruned it for 6 years for maximum flowers and I feed it twice a year. Once early spring before flowering and again after flowering.

I'm uou could try shaping it op. So cut the bottom leaves off and effectively try to create a lollipop shape, so you open the space underneath it.

I do think that one as is it a bit too big for thr space, but as we can't see your whole garden that might be wrong.

Sorry bottom branches,

Here are tips on crown lifting from an article online:

"Prune trees and shrubs just before they come into growth, in early spring, or before they go dormant in late summer. Avoid cutting during prolonged cold, frosty conditions in winter.

Always start from the bottom and work up. To build confidence, remove dead or dying shoots first, then weak or congested ones, before removing anything larger.

Use secateurs for cuts up to 3/4 in thick, loppers for 1 ½ in and a pruning saw for larger cuts. The idea is to remove branches on the main trunk up to the desired height. Do not leave unsightly stubs, as they could also become infected by disease and die back."

www.amateurgardening.com/top-tips/ornamental/raising-the-skirts-of-trees-and-shrubs-5490

Thanks all - it is definitely too big for the garden as it takes up most of our space!

I think I'll try the cutting back into a lollipop shape suggestions, and if that doesn't work, get rid and plant something more interesting and less space-hogging!

Thank you!