Mid-Atlantic Gardening: Yardening mid March 2015 , 1 by Gitagal

Gitagal wrote:
I was so "energized" to do something outside today.
Such a rare, wonderful day cannot be wasted!

I cleaned up my Hellebores
I spread Humus-Manure all over my raised be--and also my compost
on top of that. Still will dig all that up together...soon...
Of course--all this went on top of a layer of half-rotten leaves from last fall.

Then--I transplanted my Yaku Prince Rhodo in the raised bed's right corner.
Poor...poor--Rhodo! It does not look good at all....Everything is droopy.

Last year--after me and others got this from the HD--as fall arrived--I knew
I did not have a place to transplant it in--so I potted it up in a bigger pot.
This pot spent the winter nestled down in another pot with soil in it.
Me thinks---that all this just created a muddy place for the pot.
Maybe almost no drainage? Just thinking........It was not a good thing...

As time went on--I noticed that all the leaves on this Rhodo were drooping.
I thought--Well--OK! It is winter. It still had bloom buds all over--so not to worry.

Today--as I was transplanting this in my raised bed--there had been NO new roots
developed at all in the new soil in the bigger pot.
More like--there were LESS....I am pretty sure it had root rot b/c of all the moisture.

As I transplanted it today--many of the bloom buds just snapped off.
They were not fresh or green or robust. More like dry---just holding their shape..

SO! Now it is potted into my raised bed--in leaf mold and compost and
a bit of humus manure---all mixed in. The soil is so wet--i did not dare water it any more.
MAN!!! You should have seen all the earthworms in the soil as i was digging the hole!!!!

I now need your opinion on what the chance are that it will recover.
Does not look promising to me....time will tell....

Here are a couple pictures from today:

1--The now potted in the raised bed Rhodo
2--Looking down from the top of it.

HELP!!!! G.