Southern Gardening Guide

Spruce up your garden with fresh ideas and simple how-tos

Taking Care of Your Rhododendrons

Are your shrubs looking sickly? This South Carolina expert has the cure for what ails them.

Photography Ralph Anderson, Article by Steve Bender

3 of 6

View all

Let There Be Light

The Right Light
Dappled sunlight and shade provided by tall pines and hardwoods with their lower branches removed works best. "You need a certain amount of sunlight to get blooms," he notes. "If it's too shady, you'll get fine foliage but no blossoms."

The Right Food
Use an azalea/rhododendron fertilizer at the rate recommended on the bag. Feed immediately after blooming, not before.