Please help - What can be causing my rhododendrons leaves to look like this. Please see pictures.
I have cedar chips as ground cover in the beds.
Are the cedar chips robbing the soil of nutrients?
Should I remove the cedar chips and spread mulch instead?

ryanp said: Please help - What can be causing my rhododendrons leaves to look like this. Please see pictures.
I have cedar chips as ground cover in the beds.
Are the cedar chips robbing the soil of nutrients?
Should I remove the cedar chips and spread mulch instead?

Welcome to the forum.
Not sure of your location…
However, when the weather get's really cold, some rhodos will lower their foliage, when it gets a little milder, they come up agian!!.
This might be the case here.
The deepening colour of the Rhodo bloom's also result from a hard winter.
John

My location is Western Washington south of Seattle.
Does it appear they have a disease?
Should I cut off the brown leaves and dark buds?

ryanp said: My location is Western Washington south of Seattle.
Does it appear they have a disease?
Should I cut off the brown leaves and dark buds?

I could be wrong, but it looks a little neglected, but not diseased.
You could remove the leaves, and dead buds
Prune all the dead and spindly wood out, and then mulch the plant with a pine needle mix at the base, this should help.
John

I see they are up under some evergreens that have shallow roots. Remove half of the
chips as the evergreens drop lots of needles. Remove the bad leaves and I know others will scream but give it a lite feeding of rose food. Down here in SW WA state we have had to deal with the same issues when the neighboring trees were there. When they removed them the Rhodie we have took off! But the recent snow and ice have beat it down again.

Thank you all for your information.
This time of year (March) can I remove the dead leaves, prune all the dead and spindly wood out and give a little rose food and or mulch?

Don't see why not.
I would not apply a liquid feed till it starts into growth.
Might be better to sprinkle rhodo granular feed around the base of
the bush, then spread a pine bark mulch over that.you can give a liquid
feed when the growth is under way
And don't be afraid to get stuck in to pruning, the dead wood, dead buds, and the weak and stringy growth that's chocking up the centre
of the bush.
Remember Rhodos can be tough old buggers, so get stuck in.
You will learn as you go.
Good luck with all your efforts.
John