Growing rhododendrons is quite simple if you follow these basic guidelines. First, plant in a site that receives part sun to part shade. They are woodland plants and prefer the coolness of the forest. Second, they like a moist, but well drained acidic soil. Most of our soils are already acidic, but you can always mix peat moss into your soil for added effect. Do not use bonemeal when planting. Bonemeal makes the soil less acidic. Rhododendrons are shallow rooted so avoid cultivating around their roots and try keep their roots away from standing water or excess moisture. Feed your rhododendrons once or twice a year, before they flower and after flowering has finished in the spring or early summer. Use a special fertilizer like our GardenPro Rhododendron and Azalea food. Remove spent flowers after they have finished blooming. This redirects the plants energy into new buds and leaves as opposed to seed production.