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Ericaceous fertiliser for azaleas, camellias and rhododendrons

Updated: October 2026

The camellia's leaves are yellowing, and the bottle by the watering can is an all-purpose liquid that did a fine job on the bedding. Ericaceous fertiliser is a different job. Azaleas, camellias and rhododendrons need an ericaceous feed, an acid compost, and, where your tap water is hard, rainwater. An all-purpose liquid is not a stand-in. Shelf prices recorded on 19 October 2026 sit on the [flower fertiliser comparison](/hub/fertiliser-soil-and-bark-mulch/flowers-fertiliser). A qualifying purchase can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you.

The camellia's leaves are yellowing, and the bottle by the watering can is an all-purpose liquid that did a fine job on the bedding. Ericaceous fertiliser is a different job.

Our top picks

Miracle-Gro Miracle-Gro azalea, camellia and rhododendron granules

Best overall

Miracle-Gro Miracle-Gro azalea, camellia and rhododendron granules
7.2/10about £8.10
View offer
Westland Westland ericaceous granules, 900 g

Alternative

Westland Westland ericaceous granules, 900 g
6.5/10about £6.00
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Why the all-purpose bottle is the wrong job
  2. 2.Two granule packs
  3. 3.Compost and water
  4. 4.Stop, including camellias in July
  5. 5.Leaves, eyes and the maker analysis

Why the all-purpose bottle is the wrong job

Baby Bio Pour & Feed and Miracle-Gro All Purpose concentrate are ordinary soil feeds. They do not name azalea, camellia or rhododendron. Pouring them on a camellia because the plant has flowers does not turn the bottle into an ericaceous feed. The same refusal covers Topline's multipurpose granules and every cut-flower sachet. If you are still sorting the jobs, use the flower fertiliser buying guide. Yellow leaves can also be dryness or water. A bag of feed does not diagnose that.

Two granule packs

Westland's jar is listed at £6.00. The bullets say a 3 month slow release. The manufacturer page says the end of March and the end of June, at 40 g per square metre or 30 g per 30 litres of compost. The title says 900 g and the item weight is 770 g. Miracle-Gro's granules are £8.10. The spec names azalea, camellia and rhododendron and claims one spring application. The amazon title does not state a pack weight. The item weight is 900 g. How to feed flowers is the liquid method, not a way to dissolve these granules.
Miracle-Gro Miracle-Gro azalea, camellia and rhododendron granules

Testsieger

Miracle-Gro Miracle-Gro azalea, camellia and rhododendron granules
7.2/10about £8.10
View offer

Compost and water

Feed on chalky soil does not make the soil acid. The Royal Horticultural Society puts rhododendrons and camellias on acid ground, about pH 5.0 to 6.0, or in peat-free ericaceous compost. On an alkaline garden, use a pot or a bed isolated from the surrounding soil. In a hard-water area, prefer rainwater.

Stop, including camellias in July

The Society says feed camellias in spring with an ericaceous fertiliser, and do not feed later than the end of July. Late or heavy feeding is linked with bud drop. Westland's second dose at the end of June sits inside that window. A July top-up is the feeding to skip. Topline's February-to-October interval does not apply here.

Leaves, eyes and the maker analysis

Keep granules off the foliage. The Miracle-Gro page warns of serious eye damage and harm to aquatic life, so wear gloves and eye protection. A maker line states 12-11-18 for the Westland food and 20-7-16 with magnesium for the Miracle-Gro granules. The product data does not repeat those figures.

Common questions

Will Baby Bio or Miracle-Gro All Purpose do for a camellia?
No. Those are all-purpose liquids. They do not name azalea, camellia or rhododendron, and they do not replace ericaceous compost or rainwater in a hard-water area. Use one of the two granule packs on this page, and keep the liquids for ordinary pots.
What is the difference between the Westland jar and the Miracle-Gro granules?
Westland, £6.00, claims a 3 month release, and the manufacturer page says the end of March and the end of June at 40 g per square metre or 30 g per 30 litres. Miracle-Gro, £8.10, names the three shrubs and claims one spring application for the season. Westland's item weight is 770 g against a 900 g title. Miracle-Gro's title does not state a weight; the item weight is 900 g. The amazon listings did not repeat the makers' analyses.
When do I stop feeding a camellia?
By the end of July. The Royal Horticultural Society links later or heavier feeding with bud drop. A second Westland dose at the end of June is inside that limit. Do not follow a September or October calendar from a general fertiliser, and do not add an all-purpose liquid in August because the bush is in growth.
Do I need ericaceous compost as well as the feed?
Yes, if the plant is in a pot or the garden soil is alkaline. The Society wants an acid compost, peat-free ericaceous compost in containers, and soil around pH 5.0 to 6.0 for rhododendrons in the ground. Feed sprinkled on ordinary multipurpose compost, or on chalk, does not correct the root zone.
Should I use tap water?
Prefer rainwater where the tap water is hard, because of the calcium. The Society says tap water can be satisfactory for a month or two in summer if the butt runs dry. That is a stopgap. In a soft-water area the risk is lower. A water butt is the practical fix, not a different all-purpose bottle.
What if the Westland parcel weight is not 900 g?
The listing itself disagrees: the title and unit count say 900 g, and the item weight is 770 g. Weigh the jar. Follow the gram rate on the label you received, which the product data does not print. Opened packaging is also in the reviews, so check the seal.
What if granules get on the leaves, or in an eye?
Brush granules off leaves and stems and water them into the compost, so they do not scorch foliage. For Miracle-Gro's azalea granules, the maker warns of serious eye damage and harm to aquatic life, and says to wear gloves and eye protection. If product gets in an eye or is swallowed, call NHS 111 or a vet and take the pack. Do not pour leftovers down the drain.

Related pages

Best flower fertiliser by job

Flowers fertiliser

Flower fertiliser buying guide for pots, beds and vases

Cut flower food: sachets for the vase, not the bed

How to feed flowers: the dose, place and stop date

Sources

Public UK and maker sources from the research digest, used for this page in October 2026. Prices, stars and review counts are from the ten amazon.co.uk listings captured on 19 October 2026. Scores use the method dated 21 October 2026. This is not a laboratory test. An analysis on a maker label is that label, not a figure the amazon bullets always repeat. The 2026 consultation on UK Fertilising Product Regulations is not law in force.

  1. RHS, fertilisers (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  2. RHS, feeding plants (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  3. RHS, conditioning cut flowers (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  4. RHS, growing camellias (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  5. Fertilisers Regulations 1991, legislation.gov.uk (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  6. GOV.UK, manufacturing and marketing fertilisers (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  7. Miracle-Gro all purpose concentrate label (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  8. Miracle-Gro azalea, camellia and rhododendron label (retrieved 19 October 2026)