All the time people say to me; “Rhododendrons don’t do well or grow for me.” Right here and now I’ll tell you why that is so and how to fix it.
Why so many people have problems with Rhododendrons in their landscape.
Spring Parade Rhododendron.
Believe it or not, Rhododendrons and Azaleas are quite easy to grow and it only takes a few things to make them happy. There’s a fundamental secret about growing Rhododendrons in your yard or your landscape that cannot be overlooked and it cannot be stated strongly enough. Here it is . . .
Rhododendrons Do Not Like Wet Feet!
They cannot tolerate any kind of moisture standing or collecting around their root systems. If you have a rhododendron or rhododendrons in your landscape that are struggling go outside, stand back and look very closely at the location of your rhododendrons and run through this check list.
1. What is the soil like in the planting bed?
2. Is it good topsoil that drains really well?
3. If you take a shovel and scoop out a shovel of soil from that area will the soil easily crumble into a small pile of soil, or will it remain in one solid lump?
4. Is your rhododendron near a downspout or does the gutter overflow anywhere near your Rhododendrons?
5. Is the rhododendron near the back of the bed and has the soil in that area settled to the point that it is lower than the surrounding areas of the bed?
6. Do you have an automatic watering system in the bed or do you regularly water the plants in that bed?
7. How much mulch do you have in that bed?
8. Do you ever loosen the mulch in the bed or just keep re-apply fresh mulch over what’s there?
9. How deep were your Rhododendrons planted when originally installed in the landscape?
All of these things can contribute to an environment that is not super healthy for Rhododendrons and other plants, especially evergreens and Japanese maples. Make sure that you’ve seen My Guide about Buying Good Topsoil. You really need to watch that short video. It’s an eye opener about what some are passing off as good soil.
Spring Parade Rhododendron is very winter hardy in zone 5.
All Plants Breath through their Roots! Did You know that?
All plants need to have the ability to transfer oxygen from the air to their root systems. I know that sounds a bit crazy, but it’s true. That’s why when a plant is installed too deep in a landscape, or planted in a wet location, they struggle and often die. Some plants are more tolerant of soil that breathes poorly than others, but they all need to breath. Plants like rhododendrons, Japanese maples and other evergreens are much less tolerant of this than many flowering shrubs.
It’s important for you to understand how much rhododendrons dislike wet feet conditions and exactly what constitutes a wet condition. To illustrate what I am trying to explain to you, I’ll tell you “a real life story about my relationship with some rhododendrons”.
My Story of Rhododendrons and the Rock Farm.
Many, many years ago I was growing some plants with my two friends Larry and Dale. My backyard was filled with plants, Larry’s backyard was filled with plants and Dale owned a vacant lot so we filled that with plants. We had 705 rhododendrons in my backyard that we either had to sell or move to an area where they had more room. We decided to move them so we could later sell them for more money. We planted 600 of them in Larry’s backyard then ran out of room so we took the other 105 over to Dale’s vacant lot.
We had a lot of stuff already growing in Larry’s backyard and the soil was a bit sticky, but the dogwood trees and other plants seem to do well there. Because the soil was sticky digging a root ball when it was time to sell the plants was easy because the balls never fell apart. That’s a handy feature to have when ball and burlap digging plants.
New growth on a Spring Parade Rhododendron.
Dale’s lot on the other hand was very, very different. It was all sand and gravel. Mostly gravel! Digging a root ball on that rock farm was challenging and you could literally see sparks coming off the spade as you hit the rocks in the soil. Many of those rocks were the size of a nice sized baked potato!
The soil was well drained, but during times of drought that wasn’t great because we had no water on that lot whatsoever. It was so dry one summer that some of the Chinese dogwoods that had been there for two years dried out.
The soil was hot, dry and as rocky as can be.
The 105 rhododendrons that we planted on that rock farm loved it!
They were as happy as happy can be and they grew like weeds. The 600 that we planted at Larry’s house did okay, looked okay but it took them at least an additional two years before we could sell them. We sold the 105 off the rock farm in no time flat but it took several years for the ones in the heavier soil to each reach landscape size so we could sell them.
It was right then and there that I realized how much rhododendrons dislike wet feet!
Two Winter Hardy Rhododendrons that Will Knock Your Socks Off!
Spring Parade Rhododendron in bloom.
Three years ago I decided to plant out some Rhododendrons and I was having a really difficult time finding small plants that I could line out and grow on to landscape size. That, by the way, is an on going problem in the industry with many different plants which is why I tell people just starting out, forget about growing plants in the field, just grow small plants in beds and sell them right out of the propagation beds. No digging and burlaping root balls! Just pop them out of the bed, put them in a box and drop them in the mail like this!
A Side Note . . . (I am easily distracted.)
We have brand new member who told me that she is really good at propagating Dark Night Spirea and just stuck 600 cuttings that will be ready to sell in August. Immediately I said; “I’ll take at least 400, let me know when they are ready!” I think she quoted me $1.18 each. And I’m still on the hunt for thousands of other plants!
But anyway, I’m in Ohio and I had to order rhododendrons from Oregon, and even then all they had available was a mixed bag of a number of different varieties so I was able to get 600 plants, but many different varieties. That worked out good because in that lot were some Olga Mezitt Rhododendron and some Spring Parade Rhododendron. I was familiar with Olga Mezitt but didn’t have a lot of experience growing them and I had never even heard of Spring Parade.
Olga Mezitt Dwarf Rhododendron.
Immediately both of these varieties grew very well for me, out performing many of the old standard varieties that I had grown in the past. I was really impressed with both and we sold a lot of them last spring at our plant sale.
Notice that Olga Mezitt is a dwarf Rhododendron and often mistaken for an evergreen azalea. But it’s not, it’s a dwarf from the PJM family of rhododendrons which bloom much earlier in the spring than evergreen azaleas.
Olga Mezitt Rhododendron in bloom.
These two Rhododendrons, Olga Mezitt and Spring Parade are super, duper winter hardy!
Like much of the country the winter of 2013/2014 was super, duper cold with temps well below zero for days at a time and a low of 15 degrees below zero F. for at least one or two nights. It was brutal cold!
Super winter hardy, Olga Mezitt Rhododendron.
The rhododendrons that you see on this page, in these photos, spent the winter outside in pots, completely uncovered! Can you believe that? First of all, on my nursery there is no greenhouse. I grow nothing in a greenhouse, because . . . You Do Not Need a Greenhouse to Do this Business! I do recommend covering your plants for the winter, even though I don’t cover mine. My soil drains well I have my container areas about 8″ below grade and this winter truly was the test of how well that works. I’m a renegade, what can I say?
I took these photos in mid May of 2014, just weeks after the harshest winter that Ohio has seen in years. This truly proves how hardy these two Rhododendrons, Spring Parade and Olga Mezitt are. You can’t ask for more proof than that.
My niche is growing small plants in small containers and selling them for $4.97 each. If I root a cutting myself, and we do root tens of thousands of them each year, my profit margin on a $4.97 plant is super high. The cutting is about as close to free as you can get, the containers are less than 25 cents each and I figure the potting soil cost me about 15 or 20 cents per pot because I make my own potting soil. That makes for a nice, big, fat margin per plant. I like that.
And . . . and this is a great big “And . . .”
When I sell these plants and help a customer carry them to their car? I can carry three in each hand! That’s awesome! That’s a lot more fun than lugging a balled in burlap tree or shrub to somebody’s car!
But still, part of me wants to put at least 1,000 Olga Mezitt Rhododendrons and 1,000 Spring Parade Rhododendrons in the field to grow for the landscaping market. If I were to do that, chances are pretty good that I could sell them right in the ground to a local nursery who would send their crew over to dig them. Hmmmmm . . . I guess we’ll see.
Can you guess why that won’t happen anytime soon?
I am super pumped right now about buying as many rooted cuttings as I can get my hands on to put in small pots so I’m pretty sure this whole rhododendron idea will go to the back burner. Today I am expecting a box of hydrangeas and other small plants that I ordered from one of my customers in Georgia. $545.00 worth to be exact. And as soon as we get those potted, or before, I’ll order more from other customers. I have it in my head that I don’t have enough plants!
I don’t think I can be cured.
At this point I don’t suppose there is any cure for my affliction. Each day I undergo a Session of Donkey Therapy to help me deal with my plant buying addiction but the donkeys are really learning to appreciate plant sales because they get a loooooot of attention on sale days so I think they are conspiring against me getting any better. Can you blame them? One lady keeps bringing them treats! She loves Finnegan and Fergus!
Questions or comments? Post them below and I’ll come around to chat you up!
Hi! I love your videos and articles! I am in NC (zone 6b/7a) and am wanting to propagate rhododendrons for privacy along my very long property line. I noticed I have some already here that are huge and evergreen; thought they would be good to take cuttings from. I watched your video on propagating arbor vitae in sand. Is sand best for most cuttings? The list of what I’m wanting to propagate from cuttings is: rhododendron, camellia sasanqua, peach tree, apple tree, What would be the best medium for each of those? I was thinking of using the technique from your arborvitae video. Also, was wanting to get started on cuttings now (mid February); wondered if that is okay? And if so, should I put the cuttings outside right away? Any info is MUCH appreciated, as I’m a newbie!! Thank you!
CC,
Rhododendrons are a bit tricky and most growers do them now, over the winter, but they do them inside with bottom heat. That means that the rooting medium is about 70 degrees but the air temp is kept at about 40 degrees do they don’t break dormancy. It would be easier to do them outside in the summer in a Nearing Frame and if you added heat cables in the sand that would be even better. Other things you can do now in sand. They won’t root until mid summer though.
Mike’s Nearing Frame: http://www.freeplants.com/nearingframe.htm
Detailed instructions: http://www.eskimo.com/~enumclaw/Tips/Propagation/Making%20a%20Nearing%20Frame.html
Rhododendron propagation and nearing frames: http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/JARS/v11n1/v11n1-baldsiefen.htm
Dear Mr. McGroarty,
This is Brandon Allen here in Texas.
I really loved your article on rhododendrons. I have not seen any rhododendrons here in Texas. I’ve always loved seeing them in magazines and catalogs. For years I’ve wanted to try growing some of them here in my coastal climate 9a of the Gulf Coast. We have many gorgeous varieties of azaleas that grow and do well down here. We have the evergreen azaleas down here. They are just gorgeous every spring. They live for a very very long time here. I’ve wanted to try growing some rhododendrons here but I’ve heard it is too hot here for them. What do you think? Would the rhododendrons make it here? If so i would love to get my hands on some. Most articles claim they will only grow well through zone 8 which is not really too far from me. Im also seeing this about the deciduous azaleas as well. I’ve also read the same things about the Exbury and Molly azaleas. Do you think any of these will survive here in zone 9a? If you think they will grow here please give me some growing tips for them to make it here.
Brandon,
I think it would be iffy at best. Tips? Shade. They are an under story plant and appreciate some shade. But they also probably need a good dormancy period.
hi mike… i am peggy and live on the east coast of ma. i planned and planted a new design for our local library . so far everythng lived with the exception of axaleas and rhodys, i have in my garden olga mezzit and they are sooooo hardy and beautiful and i thought about doing some cuttings….but then i thought about possibility of asking you if you had any good cuttings to sell of the olga mezzit variety. i know shipping is expensive, but you are ot in china so it may be less…. let me know if you have any and thanks for the very helpful videos ..
Peggy,
I do not have any Rhododendron cuttings. They are a bit hard to come by. Only a couple nurseries in the country do them.
Im looking to plant a something in a 5ft x 8ft bed on the north and west side of my house, its a pocket thats sheltered on the west and south side by the house and garage. Thinking the Rhododendron would he a good choice? West central Indiana.
Also I have hundred of hands of Canna and Elephant ears I cant seem to get rid of from digging them up every season, hate to toss them, is it worth trying to sell them to a nursery?
Aaron,
I’m sure a Rhododendron would do fine there as long as the soil is relatively dry. Rhododendrons hate wet feet and often get stuck in places where downspout drains empty around their roots and they are not happy. Technically you should not sell those plants without a license and all licensed growers agree to not buy certified plants. In other words, plants that have not been inspected and deemed pest free by the state. That’s something that we all abide by.
On a totally separate topic:
How can I get rid of invasive running bamboo where there are other trees growing?
Deborah,
1. Spray new sprouts as soon as you see them.
2. Cover the area with two layers of cardboard, then mulch and hope for the best.
3. Cover the area with a heavy plastic but please do not make it permanent. I hate seeing plastic become a permanent part of any landscape.
4. Till the area repeatedly. About every 7 days or even more often. This will take months at least.
Hello, I am very new to gardening. I planted Olga Mezitt last summer and this spring all it’s leaves are curled and brown. Does it mean it’s dead? Or do they shed leaves in some 5?
Gagan, doesn’t sound good, there should be some new growth by now. This is how you test to see if a plant, or a branch on a plant has died. Just scratch the bark of your plants with your finger nail. If the tissue below the bark is green and firm your plants are fine. If the tissue is brown and mushy that part of the plant is dead.
Hello Mike,
Thanks for your response. Yes I have got some new growth now. But are these plants suppose to drop leaves every spring?
Gagan,
Evergreens should not drop all of their leaves in the spring, but some leaves, mostly on the inside of the plant, yes.
My question is if I propagate a rhododendron that is a bright color will it come out like the original it started from. You know the ones that are hybrid and gorgeous colors. I am new at this and want to do this right. Hope you can help Mike, or Hope you get what I mean. Thanks abunch for all the wonderful info in all the newsletters.
Char,
Cuttings will be exact clones of the parent plant.
Hello I’M from northern California,humboldt county to be exact and I have millions upon millions of rhododendros that cover my property of 320 a range from around fourteen feetthigh to one’stwo feet high. could I have personally trained people dig up the big ones and sale them like that.want to sell them whole sale price
please add my name to your mailing list
Pamela,
you have to do that, should be a box on the right.
I have a Rhododendron which has never blossomed. I have cut it back twice now, in the fall. It only gets watered if it rains. I didn’t plant it, it was here when I moved here 2 years ago. It has beautiful green leaves every time it comes up, but not one flower. Can you help me, Mike? Thanks ahead of time.
Mary,
Could be the variety, flower buds being damaged by the cold before they ever get a chance to open.
Don’t rhodies set their buds before fall ? and then carry them over the winter to bloom in the spring ? She may be cutting off her new buds if she is pruning too late in the fall.
Laurie,
That’s true, but if a plant needs pruning, it should be pruned even if it means losing the flowers for one season. Right now is the ideal time to trim Rhododendrons unless the pruning is really hard, then it should be done in the late fall.
Rhododendron grow very, very well in Oregon. They are usually in partial shade under big fir upper story trees, so they get lots of acid fir needles. Here they get rain all winter and lots of it,but are shaded from all that by the big firs. During the summer, they get little or no water. Mostly I have seen them on the sides of hills (so they drain, I guess). My mother has 4 different ones in her shady front yard with sticky soil she has never watered them (other than the rain!!!) The other thing with Oregon is that there just isn’t much sun and we still plant them in the shade, So Texas sun would probably cook them, unless you could plant them under the cedars….bet that is where they would do best. I don’t remember Rhoddies at big box stores in ND, MS, TX, So CA, or AL.. Usually I found they sell easy to grow in the local things at the big box stores.
But I love that Mike has tried all sorts of things in Ohio…..as one gardener said “better gardening thru experimentation!!!”
Hi Mike!
I recently purchased the Mantis Tiller. My husband scoffed at me during purchsse! When I, at 67 y/o, was able to till his vegetable garden (which manual labor was preventing him from starting this spring), in about 15 minutes, he invited friends and neighbors over to see “his”/ Nancy’s new toy! Ha! He was impressed! Took it to my son’s house in Raleigh (Ugh! Red Clay Soil like Sedona Az) and that little Mantis helped him start to dig planting holes (to be ammended) for Rose of Sharon Trees. Everyone has fallen in love with MY Mantis!
Nancy,
That’s awesome! I use my Mantis all the time!
I just purchased your Backyard Cash Machine ebook, and I think I would like to propagate the PJM Elite Rhododendrons if possible. Do they have a patent that prevents this? Rhododendron (the larger leaf mountain laurel) grows wild here where I live in the NC mountains, so I think this smaller landscaping size would be a great beginner for me. Can I just buy a few and begin rooting cuttings when the time is right?
Michael, try some in the summer as softwood cuttings, https://mikesbackyardnursery.com/2015/01/easy-summertime-plant-propagation-techniques-can-home/. No patent that I am aware of.
I see that Rhododendrons can grow and thrive in zone 8. But I have learned that zone 8 in Oregon or the Carolinas is not quite the same as zone 8 in Texas. The zone chart seems to focus on winter temps. and ignore summer temps. Can rhododendrons survive the summer here if grown in sun/shard under a canopy of trees? –what do you suggest to help make it more likely to survive. Azaleas do great here if that is any indication for you.
Rhododendrons and Azaleas are pretty the same family. I agree, shade would be a big help and of course, well drained soil so you can water as needed when it’s hot. You’re right about the zone maps, that’s basically cold hardiness, but there is a heat index map as well, but nobody really references it very often.
It is informative to see the Heat Index vs the Cold index and it is obvious why Oregon’s zone 8 is not compatible with Texas zone 8.
I can grow azaleas and camellias here easily .. with minimum care. I well experiment with a few Rhod0dendrons planted in the same area and will make sure the drainage is good . does anyone have a good source to buy small/young Rhododendrons?
comments are welcomed.
B.D. Wise
I understand rhodies like soil that is on the acid side. Perhaps some people are having problems growing them because the soil is too sweet, maybe a little aluminum sulfate or sulfur would do the trick.
Rod,
That’s rarely the case, they fail because they are too wet. Unless of course you are in an area that has a very high alkaline soil.
I call this the Rhododendron Files.
I have no problem growing them all I have is lots and lots of deer that eat the buds every winter. I have covered them , put netting over them and sprayed them. I guess the best thing what will solve the problem is a case of led poisoning. Deer will eat anything that is presented to them. My knock out rose they ate every bud off of them.
Rose bushes are great food for deer. I’m surprised they did not eat the entire bush, and not just the buds.
The best solution is for the deer habitat to be improved in your area. Deer need thick woods to hide in, but like a variety of grasses, forbs and shrubs to eat. Harvesting some of the deer to keep numbers in balance helps, too.
Try putting a sauce made of Ghost Peppers onto your shrubs. It will have to be reapplied after rain, but this stuff is so hot that it will put them off eating your plants!! We use it to keep deer and livestock from tearing open the hay bales wrapped in plastic before winter. Works so well, it took awhile to convince them it was ok to eat the hay once we opened it up for them!
Mike I have enjoyed this article especially the comments. I live in Charlottesville, VA in a deer rich environment; as a result I need plants that are “Deer resistant’. Can you provide a list of flowering plants and schrubs that meet that criteria? Thanks
John K
p.s. Just ordered your marketing book; I run an Internet business as an Amazon middle broker….
John,
Here you go https://mikesbackyardnursery.com/2014/02/which-plants-are-the-most-deer-resistant/
Irises
Enjoy your emails even though I am not able to do gardening. Love your donkeys. I would like to know how to care for, prune, and fertilize fig trees. Thank you!
Jean,
Being in the north I’ve never grown figs but we have members in warmer climates that grow and sell them like crazy. I think an organic fertilizer, one that is safe for food crops would be ideal. I would assume you prune them much like any other fruit tree, remove branches from inside the tree and keep the tree low enough that you can pick the figs.
Mike
I have grown figs in Madison OH. They are heavy feeders and like lots of water. My father has figs in Euclid OH. As you probably know they do not like our winters. During a really cold winter they die back to the roots and start all over again in the spring. They do well in containers if you have a protected area to keep them during the winter.
Thanks Rick, I knew a guy in Painesvile that used to up root one side and lay them over and cover for the winter.
Eh, my Rhododendrons flower in winter…is that weird?
JB,
It’s not unusual for them to get out of sequence sometimes. They’ll find their way back to a normal routine.
mike,
do you have a video on rooting azales? I am having problems rooting them, Just wondering what i am doing wrong. I have 3 azales in gallon pots and they are ready to be trimmed, so i was going to watch your video and see what i am doing wrong.
Greg,
Just do them as softwood cuttings now, in the summer. See this https://mikesbackyardnursery.com/2015/01/easy-summertime-plant-propagation-techniques-can-home/
regarding the soil for rhodos. treat them like blueberries. The soil MUST BE ACIDIC so you may use
some (only a small amount at a time) of DEGRADEABLE SULPHUR< one brand would be TIGER 90.
i pay about $19;00 foe a 20kg bag. ussse 1/2 to 1 cup mixed in with the soil pre planting or on old plantings 1/3 to 1/2 cup per plant to or just beyond the drip line and scratch it in a little, best time is fall so the winter moisture takes it down and lets it do its chemical transformation in the soil.
you may need to do the sulphur several times. DO NOT try to do it all in one season.
blueberry grower. Carl
Me?
I never amend soil for things that I’m planting in the ground. I don’t fertilize, I don’t add acid, I just plant them and they do fine as long as the soil drains well.
What is the best/cheapest way to acidify the soil for rhodos and azaleas?
David,
I’m curious about where you are located and do you know for sure that the soil does not have the proper PH. Here in Ohio I never attempt to amend the soil, I just plant things.
I have a house in Knoxville,TN( East TN) and a house in Waynesville,NC( in the western mountains) Some of my plants are getting yellow leaves.
David,
Just make sure they are not to wet, other than that I wouldn’t be concerned about a few yellow leaves. Pretty normal really.
Oak leaves add acidity and make great mulch…and rhodoes grow well under them too.
You have wonderful advice on cuttings and winter-hardy plants. What about us in California?
Gloria
Gloria,
We have members in California, Arizona, Florida, Texas and other warms states. All of the information that I share applies the only that is different is the plant selections.
have a beautiful dwarf rodie that has been growing my shady back yard for 12 years – in fact it is planted under two 80 ft oak trees. I have no idea which one it is , I just remember it’s a dwarf. I do nothing to it – no water unless it happens to get sprinkled when I water that whole area of my garden, no fertilizer, no pruning, no nothing and it blooms like crazy every spring! It is beautiful! If I had any idea what it is I’d try to propagate it.
Kathy,
And that’s to the advice that I often tell people, if you just leave your plants alone they know what to do. Over watering, over fertilizing, over caring for things is what often creates an issue.
I planted my first rhododendron 3 years ago in zone 8. It has bloomed less each year. Only 3 blooms this year. The trees from lot behind me have shaded it more and more. How much sun do they need? Should I move it more into the sun? You asked about amount of mulch. What is good amount? Thanks!
Sally,
Yes, moving it to an area where it gets more sun should help. About 2″ of mulch.
I live in Western North Carolina. We have rhododendron growing wild on our property. Can I propagate them by root cuttings?
Kathleen,
You can, but they can be tricky. Try some cuttings now using one of these methods. https://mikesbackyardnursery.com/2015/01/easy-summertime-plant-propagation-techniques-can-home/
I really like both of these. How much do you sell them?
Please let me know. Also how they are and how big.
Thanks,
Marie
Marie,
Completely sold out for now.
I really would like to plant one each of these. How much do you sell them?
let me here from you.
Thanks,
Marie
I love your site and good advice. I really need to rejuvenate my 20 year old lilacs. One light purple and one white. Purple has become spindly and sparce but blooms every year, just less. the white one is over 9 feet and all the flowers are at the top. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I live in Erie, Pa. just down the road from you. Take care.
Beth,
Not much you can do right now, but after Thanksgiving you can trim them both down considerably. Cut them down as low as you like as long as they are dormant. Then if you really want to give them a jump start dig around the base out about 3′ from the plant disturbing some of the roots. It will take a full growing season to see a difference, but you most certainly will see a difference.
Mike
Speaking of Lilacs we have 3 that are just not in the best location. When would be the best time to attempt a move with them and do you have any special suggestions on caring for them until they are settled in?
Rick,
The time to move them is between Thanksgiving and mid March before they leaf out. They have to be dormant to be moved. Once moved they won’t need any special care.
I’ve been growing rhodies for over 35 years here in Portland, ME and in Manchester, Maine. I’ve tried many varieties! Your comments on rhodies not liking wet feet is right on the money. However, I try to drip irrigate all my plants.
I wouldn’t exactly call Olga Mezitt a “dwarf”. I have some approaching 5 feet. A great sister to Olga is “Aglo”.
Brad,
Drip irrigation is great, but for Rhododendrons you’d have to have really well drained soil if you want to water them on a regular basis with drip. For most people they would be too wet all the time.
Tell it like it is, You have to be licenced to do any interstate sales!!!
Jim,
Of course you have to be licensed. You have to be licensed to be in any business, some businesses require multiple licenses. In our industry a license is the process that prevents the spread of infected plants all over the country.
Hi Mike! I love your site, been following you for years. I’m in N E Texas, what are some good plants for me to grow?
Nita,
See this list;
21 Plants that are Easy to Grow and Sell Like Crazy
The following 21 plants are really easy to grow and they sell like hot cakes. They always have been really good sellers and they always will be really good sellers. And this list is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to plants that you can grow and sell that people want to buy.
1. Forsythia
2. Red Weigela
3. Varigated Weigela
4. Pink Flowering Weigela
5. Red Twig Dogwood
6. Fragrant Viburnums
7. All Flowering Viburnums
8. Potentilla
9. Dappled Willow
10. Pussy Willow
11. Daylillies
12. Hosta
13. Huchera
14. All kinds of Perennials
15. Armeria
16. Boxwood
17. Japanese Hollies
18. English Hollies
19. Rhododendrons
20. PJM Dwarf Rhododendron
21. Hydrangeas
22. Rose of Sharon
23. Dwarf Alberta Spruce
24. White Dogwood trees
25. Chinese Dogwoods
26. Blue Rug Juniper
27. Gold Flame Spirea
28. Gold Mound Spirea
29. Ornamental Grasses of all kinds
30. Crimson Pygmy Barberry
31. Rosy Glow Barberry
Okay, that’s 31 and I could go on forever.
Here are some plants for warmer zones, 8,9, and 10
Fragrant Tea Olive,
Gardenia,
Camellia,
Azalea,
Jasmines
Palm trees
Tropical Hibiscus
Burgundy Chinese Fringe Flower
Bogainvilla
Owari & Hamlin Oranges
Satsuma
Kumquat
Azalea (out the wazoo down here)
Crepe Myrtle (ditto)
Lilies
Camelias
amaryllis
hybrids such as Blossom Peacock and Papillo
Japanese Pieris
Satsuma’s
Star gazer lilies
Crape Myrtles of all kinds
Gardenia varieties-evergreen
Azalea varieties-evergreen & deciduous(native)
Camellia varieties-evergreen
Fragrant Tea Olive-evergreen
Nandina varieties-evergreen
Loropetalum/Chinese fringe flowers
Chase Tree
Abelia -so many new exciting varieties -good for zones 6-10!
Viburnums
Daphne
Cleyera-evergreen
Burning Bush/ Euonymus varieties…
Spirea -especially Bridalwreath, Little Princess, Goldmound…
Butterfly Bushes
Jasmines (vines-Carolina, Confederate)
Confederate Rose
Lady Banks Rose
Anise (check out Florida Sunshine)
Holly-Soft Touch/Sky Pencil/Youpon/Burfordii….
Crape Myrtles
Japanese Magnolias(Saucer, Betty, Royal Star…)
Southern Magnolias
Dogwoods
Red Buds
Japanese Maples
Evergreen hedge trees/shrubs
Leyland Cypress
Murray/Arborvitae
Japanese Cedar(cryptomeria)
false cypress(Chamaecyparis…)
Junipers-Blue Rug, Sargentii, Blue Point,…
Trees:
Chinense Pistache
Fruitless Mulberry
Weeping Willow
Live oak
Red oak
Catalpa
Vitex (or Chaste Tree)
Desert Willow
Shrub:
Nellie R Stevens
Wax Myrtle
Red Tip Photinia
Korean Boxwood
Radicans Gardenia
Loropetalum
Yaupon Holly
Perennials:
Salvias
Sedums
Butterfly Bush
Reeves Spiraea
Van Houtti Spiraea
Vines:
Honeysuckle (coral)
Crossvine
Star Jasmine
WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY can’t EVER get basil or cilantro-actually most herbs-to grow inground or in pots on the patio??????? I live in zone 9
Luana,
Plants are plants and they really only require three simple things, good soil, water and sunlight. If yours are failing, I’d start with the soil and amount of water.
I am loking for some verigated wigea root cuttings do you have any for sale or li ners please help me you can call me at 1 706 764 2541 I want about 20
mike please help me I have a rhodadaeran and they don’t bloom how can I get them to bloom thank you
Rhododendrons need to be pruned after blooming, because they soon begin to set their buds for next Spring’s bloom. If you wait until fall to prune them, you will be pruning off most of the flower buds that have developed over the summer. I’ve just finished pruning three of my rhodies that bloomed first, and have several more, as well as azaleas that I plan to prune in the next couple of weeks. Pruning at the wrong time of year is, in my opinion, the biggest problem with non-blooming rhodies.
Carole,
You are right about the pruning. Do not prune them in the fall if you want flowers the following spring.
I have some over grown azaleas that I need to cut back.. when? how much? also I have some rhododendrons that are in shade… when should I move them?
Jan,
The best time to do both would be after Thanksgiving.
what about a whole sale nursery licence?
you can not sell interstate without a licence. You can buy but you can.t sell unless you you have a licence
Jim,
We sell a $7.00 Ebook that explains all of this in great detail.
Mike,
Is Olga Mezitt Rhododendron or Spring Parade Rhododendron patented or copyrighted? If either is true, I assume we cant propagate them.
Al,
they are not patented that I know of.
Hello Mike
I looove your site, but have a question.I have 7 rododendrons and they have a lot of damage from last winter, I live in the most southern part of Canada (close to Niagara Falls) they are now starting with there new growth, but the plant is pretty much bare exept for the new growth at the end of the branches. Can I prune them to let them fill in the lower part of the branches and can I still do that now. Hope you can help me.
Thank you so much,
Francien Hiebendaal
Fracien,
At this point since they are just starting to put on new growth I’d leave them alone, then around Thanksgiving you can trim them back then when they are dormant.
Hey Mike! Love all your articles–so helpful! About the Rhodies you mention in your blog–“Spring Parade” and “Olga Mezitt”: these are non-patented varieties you are propagating? If so, where can I buy a few plants for my yard & then propagate more?
I have Rhodies that are beautiful. They were here when we bought the house so they must be 10 to 20 years old. How do I know what kind I of Rhodies I have?
Barb,
In all honesty you’ll never figure out what variety you have. There are way too many that are very similar.
I have a large Rhododendron that is growing low and spreading that needs pruning badly help I am lost as how to start .Blooms each year but needs help!
Thank you!
Can you make cuttings of rhodies and root them?