Hi Ken and welcome to GoY. Sorry it looks to me as if your rhododendron is dead! You say it was pot bound, did you tease out the roots before planting? Did you water a lot and regularly? Unless you have acidic soil did you create a large planting hole and fill with acidic/ericaceous compost? Regardless of whether you did or didn't that, in my opinion, is a dead rhodo.

Hello Moon Grower, that was a really quick response albeit not the one i wanted to hear!! No I didn't tease out the roots and the rhodo was regularly watered. I watched a gardening programme with Alan Titchmarch where he said this isn't necessary as the roots will find their own way, so I took his advice. The hole I dug was much larger than the pot size but did not prepare with acidic/ericaceous compost. looks like a visit to a gardening centre for new plant is on the cards. Many thanks for your help and assistance, regards,
Ken

What compost was the potted rhododendron growing in, Ken, and what treatment did you give it before planting out. If the rhododendron was growing in peat (normal) and the pot was a solid mass of roots then the root system will look just the same now and the plant will not live. A number of years ago, actually during the last foot&mouth outbreak, we bought a similar rhododendron from a nursery near Oban. Poor looking thing but the price was right. We took it out of the pot and put the root ball in a bucket of water. Over the next couple of weeks we kept working on the rootball, teasing out the roots and removing the peat. Eventually we had a plant with a reasonably loose set of roots which we planted. It took immediatly and is now one of our nicest rhodos.

Opps, we are talking at once. I do not agree with the advice of Alan Titmarsh here; roots definitely need teasing out otherwise they just stay in a tight packed bunch and the plant does not thrive.

Hi Bulbaholic, the original compost was one for Rhododrenrons, can't remember brand. Looks as if I shall don surgeons mask and attempt life saving surgery, really hope Moon Grower can be proved wrong as I would hate to lose this plant as it has a beautifully subtle shade of mauve flower. Over the next few weeks I shall keep you both posted as to progress (or otherwise) many thanks for help from both of you, regards,
Ken

Bulba. is my husband and he is right we did rescue a very badly pot bound rhodo. When you do replant make sure it is in ericaceous compost and water far more than you think necessary. Have to say though the rhodo. we bought we bought was not nearly as sickly looking as your and was much smaller. Good luck!