rhododendron

Rhododendron 'Maxecat' prefers moist, but not soggy, soil that is well-drained. It should be watered deeply 2 to 3 times a week during its active growing period in the spring and summer. During this time, check the soil each day and water when the top couple of inches becomes dry. In the winter, reduce watering to once a week. If temperatures in your region have dropped, stop watering altogether to avoid damaging the roots. Additionally, spraying the leaves with water in the morning will help keep this variety healthy and help remove any dust or dirt from its leaves.

Rhododendron 'Maxecat' prefers full to partial sunlight. It should receive a minimum of 3 to 4 hours of direct sunlight per day. It will tolerate some shade, but does best in full sun. If grown in shade, the flower buds may be limited or non-existent, decreasing the showy flowers. During winter and summer, the amount of sunlight may change as the season progresses, so regularly check the foliage of your Rhododendron to ensure it is receiving proper amounts of sunlight.

Rhododendron ‘Maxecat’ should be lightly pruned in late spring or early summer. This variety of rhododendron develops buds for flowering in late winter/early spring so for best results, pruning needs to be done before these buds break. Remove any dead, diseased or damaged branches, and any shoots that are too close together. Cut back all of the remaining stems by a third or more to encourage new growth. It’s best to avoid pruning rhododendron ‘Maxecat’ any later in the season as this can reduce the number of flowers that develop due to disruption of the flowering cycle.