continued A Very Sick Rhody

Thank you all for your input. Let me tell you the only tree anywhere around it is an ( I put a pic on this forum June 8, 2008, heading, I Think it's ugly but my daughter in law wants one.) I got two answers either it's a sumac or an elderberry. It's right out in the middle of the yard and there is nothing preventing it from getting any rain (or snow). The bright yellow stems seem not right. Since it is early should I cut back a little more than just the dead stuff since there are absolutely no buds on it, and give it some rhody food or just take the dead stuff off and feed. Susybell you live in my city. Have we had enough rain and snow to keep it wet enough if it is in the open and not blocked by anything?
Thanks again
vicki

What's the soil like - is it sandy and sharply draining? That might also affect the amount of water it has retained.

I had a rhody in a similar condition when I moved to this property. It was very spindly. I cut it back to make it more compact and watered it once. I don't think I ever fed it. That alone was enough to perk it up and now it's a great looking plant. It's taken awhile to bloom, but there are buds on it this year. I think that maybe it needed stimulation from pruning and to have less plant to support while it worked on its root system.

Bright yellowish green stems would probably be new growth.

It may just be the cold/warm/cold weather conditions we've had this year. I have several plants that are looking worse than they usually would after a winter. I'm going to wait another month and see how/if they perk up.

Hi Vicki!
Hmm...well, I'd say that today we certainly have had enough rain-bleah!! ;) I haven't watered mine yet this year, but then, most of them are in fairly moist spots as it is. I did have to water a few other things in a dryer spot under my doug fir, though.

I think I'm with Kathy on this one. I'd be inclined to just take the dead stuff off and give it a good feeding for now. This winter has been pretty hard on lots of things already, so give it a chance to recover first. I'd keep watching it over the next month or so-it is still early. You can always prune it harder later.

Great, thank you all. I'll just take the dead stuff off and any bad leaves and give it lots of love.
Thanks
Vicki

Sounds good ^_^

LOL (Lots Of Love)