Irrigation Frequency during Container Production Alters Rhododendron Growth, Nutrient Uptake, and Flowering after Transplanting into a Landscape

Abstract

One deciduous cultivar of Rhododendron L., Gibraltar (AZ), and two evergreen cultivars, P.J.M. Compact (PJM) and English Roseum (ER), were grown in containers for 1 year to determine the effects of irrigation frequency during container production on plant performance the next spring when the plants were transplanted into the landscape. While in the containers, each cultivar was irrigated once or twice daily, using the same amount of water per day, and fertilized with complete nutrient solutions containing 0, 35, 70, or 140 mg·L−1 nitrogen (N). Three months after transplanting into the landscape, nutrient uptake, growth, and flowering were evaluated. In general, the effects of irrigation frequency in containers on performance in the landscape differed between the deciduous cultivar and the evergreen cultivars. In AZ, less frequent irrigation in containers had a pre-conditioning effect that resulted in greater vegetative growth in the landscape but less reproductive growth. In contrast, less frequent irrigation reduced vegetative growth of evergreen cultivars in the landscape and improved flowering. Different growth responses to irrigation frequency between deciduous and evergreen cultivars appeared to be related to differences in timing of nutrient uptake and mobilization. In the deciduous cultivar, less frequent irrigation increased nutrient reserves and improved the ability of the plants to absorb and use nutrients after transplanting, but in the evergreen cultivars, it generally decreased nutrient uptake after transplanting. Less frequent irrigation also altered plant attributes that are important to consumers, including developing a sparser canopy in ER and a fuller canopy in PJM, and producing more but smaller inflorescences in both cultivars. Landscape performance was related to plant nutrition in containers; however, irrigation frequency in containers disrupted relationships between nutrition and performance in all three cultivars. Our results indicate that irrigation frequency during container production of Rhododendron results in a tradeoff between vegetative and reproductive growth the next spring when the plants are in the landscape.