Rhododendrons all need a porous or open acid soil. These plants are shade tolerant but not shade loving. They are best planted in an area that receives morning sun with shade from mid to late afternoon in summer and winter. As they need protection from the coldest winter winds, they should not be planted in open, windy areas unless they are well protected through the winter with burlap screening.

Soils
Rhododendrons and their companion plants must have a well-drained, yet moist, acidic soil that is high in organic matter. A light sandy loam soil with added peat moss is also ideal but most soils in our area are heavy clays with poor drainage.

Planting
Dig a hole 15 cm. deeper than the rootball and two to three times wider. Loosen the soil in the hole thoroughly but do not remove it. Well-rotted garden compost can also be used in place of half of the soil. The soil can be retained by stone or timber or the sides sloped gradually so that support is not needed if you want to make a raised planter bed.  The plants must not be planted deeper than they were in their nursery container. Plastic or metal containers must be carefully removed. Fibre posts need only have the rim and bottom removed and the sides slid vertically in 3 or 4 places. Balled and burlapped (B&B) plants should have the knots untied and the burlap pulled back from the stem after the plants are placed in the hole. There is no need to remove the burlap. If roots are circling the soil ball they can be loosened carefully by hand before planting. Compact the soil mixture around the root ball, water thoroughly and fertilize with Water Soluble Evergreen & Shrub Food or Miracid 30-10-10.

Mulches
The surface should be mulched with shredded bark, cocoa beans, or a mixture of peat moss and compost or Cattle Manure. Never mulch with peat moss alone as it can dry out and cake, causing most moisture to run off. Rhododendrons have very shallow roots near the soils surface, and they must be mulched to help reduce excessive drying. Do not cultivate around plants. Remove any weeds by hand.

Watering
Water only when the soil has dried out to a depth of 5 cm. Use your fingers as a moisture meter. Soak thoroughly using a gentle overhead sprinkler or with a soaker laid on the surface. Check for moisture levels at least once a week, more often during hot, dry summer weather. Also be sure that the soil is moist before the ground freezes in the fall.

Fertilizing
Rhododendrons should be fertilized early in the spring as soon as the soil starts to warm up and root growth begins. Use a Water Soluble Evergreen & Shrub Food, 30-10-10, according to the directions. Once the new growth has matured the plants should be fed again with a high phosphorus/low nitrogen fertilizer such as a Water Soluble Fertilizer Flower Food 15-30-15 according to directions. This feeding will encourage the development of flower buds for the next year. Root growth also occurs in late fall and can benefit from a half strength application of a Water Soluble Evergreen & Shrub Food just as the Maple leaves colour up. Iron deficiency can result from high soil pH and can be corrected by acidifying the soil with peat moss for long term green colour. For the short term, the plants can be sprayed with a solution of Plant Products Iron Chelate. Do not use Aluminum sulphate to acidify the soil as it builds up in the soil and will damage your plants in time.

Pruning/Dead-Heading
Normally very little pruning is required in this climate unless a plant becomes lopsided or grows out over a sidewalk. Such pruning can be done when the plants are in bloom if you want to use the flowers for a bouquet or after flowering while “dead heading” which is the removal of the finished flower clusters. “Dead-heading” encourages greater flower bud production for the following year. Greater branching can be encouraged by removing the centre bud of the leaf bud clusters in late fall. Such pruning can be done to help prevent plants from becoming straggly.

Winter Protection
Winter protection is often beneficial, particularly during the first winter after planting and in windy locations. Use a burlap screen with four stakes at the four corners but open at the top to keep the burlap from touching the plants. Leaves and cut up evergreen boughs can be used around plants where extra protection is needed. Rhododendrons can also be sprayed in the fall with an anti-desiccant such as Wilt-Pruf.