rhododendron sinogrande

[Mr List]

assuming it is still alive is it ok to rub out spare buds on these to keep them single stemmed until taller?

last year I snapped of a bud to keep it single stemmed as it was only 2 foot tall, I want to go for more of a tree look so at least 4-5 feet tall before branching is ideal.

just wondering if doing this is dangerous/harmful to the plant at all?

[Conifers]

Leave the buds. You can always prune off side shoots later when it gets taller, but at the moment it'll need all the leaf area it can get to thicken up its stem.

[Mr List]

wouldn't keeping it to one stem make bigger leaves a bit like a foxglove tree?

[Conifers]

Unlikely. It'll just mean its trunk doesn't get the photosynthesis energy to grow thicker diameter, leaving it liable to wind breakage.

[Mr List]

well it covering plants underneath is a problem that I was talking at the same time.

hmm...

I will just have to remove buds going in certain directions and leave others to grow. no choice really.

[Dave Brown]

isn't the Rhodo evergreen, if so it won't have such a high growth rate as deciduous in spring, so unlikely to grow bigger leaves.

[Mr List]

didn't know that worked like that.

[Dave Brown]

didn't know that worked like that.

It doesn't have to replace all it's leaves, so it just continues where it left off in early autumn.

[redsquirrel]

i never took that on board before Dave but you are spot on.both my sinogrande and barbatum are both still fully leaved
there are some beauties at carwinnion,only 4/5ft tall,but so attractive with the dark green wrinkly leaves