Cultural Directions 
SOIL: Generally speaking, Rhododendrons require 
an acid soil that is well drained. A generous 
application of peat or well decayed leaves 
scattered on the bed before spading will 
provide a friable compost for the hair like 
roots and also assist in keeping the soil acid. 
PLANTING: Rhododendrons are essentially surface 
rooters, therefore, plant them so that the 
top of the root ball is barely one inch below 
the soil level. We feel safe in saying that 
90% of the cultural difficulties encountered 
are directly traceable to deep planting. 
Dig a hole several inches in excess of the 
ball’s depth and width, fill in around the ball 
with equal parts of peat and loam, tamp with 
a shovel handle to prevent undue settling 
and water thoroughly. In a heavy clay, we 
advise that the soil be removed to at least 
twice the diameter of the ball’s width and 
replaced with a silty loam. Planting may be 
carried out between the months of Septem- 
ber and April, but we strongly recommend 
that this operation be performed in the fall 
so that the plant has a chance to become es- 
tablished before the summer months. 
MULCHING: After planting, mulch with two or 
three inches of peat, decayed leaves, or dried 
fern. This mulch has a three fold purpose. 
1) It protects the roots from drying out. 
2) It helps conserve moisture during the 
summer heat. 3) It ultimately becomes a 
source of food available to the surface feed- 
ing roots. On well established specimens, a 
top dressing of decayed cow manure, applied 
before the fall rains, will be found bene- 
ficial. 
WATERING: The progenitors of most Rhododen- 
dron hybrids are native to regions where the 
humidity is relatively high so that during 
warm summer days the plants appreciate 
overhead sprinkling night and morning to 
reduce the evaporation rate on leaf surfaces. 
They imbibe water in quantity during the 
growing season, but overwatering is dis- 
asterous if the soil has been insufficiently 
lightened and water accumulates about the 
root system. The question of adequate drain- 
