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Ericaceous plant food granules for UK acid-loving shrubs

Updated: October 2026

The rhododendron yellowed after last year’s all-purpose tub, and the azalea in the peat-free pot looks no better. Ericaceous plant food granules are the jar for lime-hating shrubs: rhododendrons, azaleas, camellias and blueberries, not a second helping of 7-7-7. An all-purpose Growmore and an all-purpose coated feed are the wrong first click on these plants. The two examples sit on the [plant granules comparison](/hub/fertiliser-soil-and-bark-mulch/plant-granules). This page is the soil job, not a second grid. It is from Peter F., the DIY and tools editor, on 21 October 2026. Those listings and public UK sources were read for this page. There was no laboratory test. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

The rhododendron yellowed after last year’s all-purpose tub, and the azalea in the peat-free pot looks no better.

Our top picks

Miracle-Gro Miracle-Gro Azalea, Camellia and Rhododendron Continuous Release

Best overall

Miracle-Gro Miracle-Gro Azalea, Camellia and Rhododendron Continuous Release
9.2/10about £8.10
View offer
Westland Westland Ericaceous Plant Food Granules 900 g

Alternative

Westland Westland Ericaceous Plant Food Granules 900 g
9.0/10about £6.00
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Why all-purpose granules fail these shrubs
  2. 2.The two ericaceous granules
  3. 3.Compost, tap water and yellow leaves
  4. 4.When the jar is the wrong next step

Why all-purpose granules fail these shrubs

On chalk, or in ordinary compost, iron locks up even when the bag was complete. Westland’s Growmore page says 7-7-7 is not recommended on ericaceous plants. Topline’s 8 kg listing does not print that warning, so a shopper can still put the plot tub on a camellia. An all-purpose coated pack will not rewrite the pH of a chalky border. Yellow leaves are not always hunger. Acid soil or ericaceous compost comes first, then rainwater in hard-water areas. A waterlogged pot or a lime mortar wall will yellow with or without a jar. Hydrangeas appear in reviews but are not on either target field. All-purpose jobs stay on the plant granules buying guide.

The two ericaceous granules

Westland’s jar is about £6.00, titled 900 g, with an item weight of 770 g. A bullet claims three months and high potassium. It is 4.5 from 282 reviews. The manufacturer page, not the amazon listing, says March and June at 40 g/m², and 30 g per 30 litres. Miracle-Gro’s azalea, camellia and rhododendron pack is about £8.10 for 900 g, one spring application, no mixing required, 4.6 from 785 reviews. One reviewer said the granules took weeks to dissolve. Choose Westland for the lower sticker and a June repeat. Choose Miracle-Gro for one spring dose and the larger sample. Skip both on a vegetable plot. Do not treat the Topline Growmore or the all-purpose twin pack as a pick here. Two Westland reviews describe dead blueberries after the granules dissolved at once. That sits next to the manufacturer rate, not as a defect rate.
Miracle-Gro Miracle-Gro Azalea, Camellia and Rhododendron Continuous Release

Testsieger

Miracle-Gro Miracle-Gro Azalea, Camellia and Rhododendron Continuous Release
9.2/10about £8.10
View offer

Compost, tap water and yellow leaves

Ericaceous compost is the longer fix. Granules will not sour a chalk border. In a hard-water area, rainwater matters more than a second jar. Tap water left in a saucer is a slow lime dose. Iron chlorosis, yellow leaves with green veins on new growth, is not always a granule job. Sequestered iron sits on the iron fertiliser comparison when the compost is already ericaceous and the feed has been correct. Do not buy an iron bottle instead of the right jar on day one. Scattering without heaping the stem is on how to apply plant food granules. Miracle-Gro’s azalea listing has no gramme rate.

When the jar is the wrong next step

If the shrub is lime-hating and the compost is already ericaceous, use one of the two jars. If it is in chalk or ordinary compost, change the compost or the site first. An ericaceous granule will not rewrite a limestone wall. Do not double the June application because May was disappointing. Call a professional if a mature shrub still declines after a correct rate, a compost check and a moisture check.

Common questions

Can I use Growmore on rhododendrons?
Westland says no: Growmore is not recommended on ericaceous plants. Use the Westland ericaceous jar or the Miracle-Gro azalea pack instead. An all-purpose 7-7-7 will not correct chalk, and it is the wrong habit on these shrubs.
Should I buy the Westland 3-month jar or the Miracle-Gro season coat?
Buy Westland at about £6.00 if you will reapply in June and want the lower sticker. Buy Miracle-Gro at about £8.10 if you want one spring application and the larger review sample. Both are 900 g-class packs. Neither is a vegetable feed.
Will granules fix yellow leaves on chalk?
Not by themselves. On chalk the usual long fix is a pot of ericaceous compost or a plant that likes lime. Granules help when the plant can take the nutrients up. If the newest leaves stay yellow between green veins after a correct feed, look at iron and at the compost, not at a second all-purpose tub.
How often do I reapply?
Westland’s manufacturer page says March and June. Miracle-Gro’s azalea listing says one spring application for the season. Follow the pack you hold. Do not run both calendars on the same shrub.
Are hydrangeas ericaceous?
Some hydrangeas like acid soil, and they appear in reviews. They are not on either target-species field in these listings. Read the pack. Do not assume every hydrangea in a UK garden wants the rhododendron jar.
Can I use these granules on blueberries?
They are lime-hating plants, so an ericaceous feed is the right group. Two Westland reviews describe dead bushes or no change after the granules turned to mush. Stay on the manufacturer rate, water in, and keep heaps off the stem. Blueberries in ordinary compost still need the right compost.
Do I still need ericaceous compost?
Yes if the plant is in a pot or on chalk. Feed does not replace lime-free compost or rainwater in a hard-water area. The jar is the feed. The compost is the home.
When should I call a professional?
If a mature shrub still declines after a correct ericaceous rate, a compost or pH check, and a moisture check. If granules are eaten, get urgent medical or vet help. If run-off may reach a watercourse, stop and ask for advice rather than washing the rest off the drive.

Related pages

Best plant granules

Plant granules

Which plant food granules to buy for beds and pots

Growmore vs Miracle-Gro continuous release for UK pots

How to apply Growmore granules on beds, pots and roses

Sources

Sources from the research digest; data on file 21 October 2026.

  1. Royal Horticultural Society, Fertilisers: types and uses (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  2. GOV.UK, Manufacturing and marketing fertilisers (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  3. The Fertilisers Regulations 1991, Schedule 2 (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  4. Westland Growmore product page (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  5. Westland Ericaceous granules (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  6. Love The Garden / Miracle-Gro, How fertilisers work (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  7. Miracle-Gro All Purpose Continuous Release pack label (PDF) (retrieved 21 October 2026)