Rhododendrons for pots

[afw]

Can I have some suggestions for compost in pots?  My wife is very keen on rhodos but I have had little success with them in 'wet' Derbyshire. We have a very good rhodo garden & nursery , Lea Nursery, near Matlock, but,unfortunately, I've lost too many in pots. The garden soil is heavy, sticky clay, Denby Pottery is just up the road, so it has to be pots.

Alan

[TC]

I have used a mixture of composted bark -(cambark)- some sterilised topsoil and some peat quite successfully.  The proportions vary because every time I buy a bag of top soil from either B&Q or Dobbies, the quality varies.  I just guddle about until it feels right, which means free draining, and then plant up.
It's better to err on the side of free draining than plant in a miniature paddy field.  It is also worth remembering that if the foliage is a greater diameter than the pot, this can prevent natural rainfall getting down to the soil. 
Another sensible idea is to get a larger diameter pot than you think is necessary because the Rhododendron's roots mainly grow sideways, not down.

Why not change some of your soil in the garden.  My soil is heavy boulder clay which is death to most rhododendrons, so I spent some money on bales of composted bark and bags of topsoil.  I dug this into some areas in the garden and effectively raised the height of the planting area by about 12".  The rhododendrons and camellias are thriving.  The rain in Derbyshire is nothing like what we get on the west coast of Scotland.

[afw]

Tom,

Thanks for your advice.

One used to be able to purchase Cambark 'Fine' which I used, together with peat & ericaceous compost from Ashwoods, to make a deep bed in very chalky soil in Hertfordshire which was a great success and I grew a large range of acid loving plants.

Alan

[mark smyth]

Thanks everyone for your input

[birck]

No 18 in limit here.
From Tivoli , Copenhagen
birck

[mark smyth]

I like what I see. What size are the pots and what the, , is the big pipe coming down the garden

[birck]

Pots are app. 70 cm in Ø.
The pipe is 5 in glassed tile hand rail - 12 in from the camera lens!
And here a shot from job done. (No peat o fobia here)
birck

[mark smyth]

thanks for the information

[johnw]

The pipe is 5 in glassed tile hand rail - 12 in from the camera lens!

Don't believe him Mark! Those Danes have really big hands and that's why the handrails are so huge.  They always seem to grab the best rhododendron seed and plants at the sales.

johnw