Rhododendrons are among the easiest garden shrubs available to the Pacific Northwest gardener. When I visit mature gardens, I often find rhododendrons a bit overgrown and in need of some proactive care. Caring for rhodies is very easy. Here is an easy feeding strategy:

1. Fertilize your rhodies in March or April with 1/2 cup of rhody/azalea fertilizer for every 4 feet in height; i.e., a 2' tall rhody needs 1/4 cup, and a 6' tall rhody needs 3/4 of a cup. Since rhodies are shallow rooted, I work the fertilizer into the soil surface lightly and around the drip line. It is important to not disturb the root system very much.
2. In May or June repeat your fertilizer application outlined in step #1 above. Since your rhododendrons are likely to be actively growing, it will be important to keep them well watered when applying fertilizer at this time of the year to prevent accidental fertilizer burns.
3. If your rhodies are exhibiting yellow veining in the leaf canopy, I would use a liquid fertilizer that has chelated iron, zinc, and manganese. This will clear up any leaf chlorosis in one or two applications. There you have it...simply painless!

We'll have the following types of rhododendrons: