Viewing post #2726111 by reyderrs

ViburnumValley said: Check the pH of the water used on Ericaceae members like rhododendrons and azaleas. It is a common mistake to use tap water to irrigate these plants (in-ground or containerized) without realizing that many times such tap water can range into pH of 8.0. This makes ericaceous plants unhappy.

Determine all this kind of base/foundational information, and then make choices to advance the health of your plants.

This is very true. 3 years ago when I started gardening I was super excited about Rhododendrons and I even gave Japanese Andromeda (another Ericaceae) a try. Today I realize that my soil is super alkaline (lime!) and the tap water is worse. All my Rhododendrons are in a pitiful state with the honorable Exception of the Weston hybrids (PJM Elite, Compacta and Weston's Aglo). And the Japanese Andromeda practically dead.