I should be blooming very soon. Many are already blooming in the Reading, PA area.

If the PJM is a shady area, that explains its spindly growth habit. It also means that it would be risky to cut it back too much. Even though they bloom in shady areas, they will grow tall and spindly. The safest way to cut it back is to cut the ends of the branches back, but do not remove more than 30% of the leaves each year.

If it was in a more sunny area, it would be much less risky cutting it way back.

If you can remove some of the shade or move it into more light, it won't grow so tall and spindly in the future and will fill out faster.

Here is a link that might be useful: How to care for rhododendrons

Thanks rhodyman for the quick reply. It is in full bloom right now but there are only leaves on the very ends. You are right, it is in a very shady spot. It wasn't when I first planted it but it is now under an overhang of a fast growing redbud tree. I have thought about trimming the redbud to give it more sun but I might just try to move it instead. Any thoughts on another bush for that area? It only gets late afternoon sun and I do have a hydranga there also that does really well.
Are you in the Reading area? I am near the Lebanon/Lancaster line and we buy all our plants at Conestoga Nursery in East Earl - great place, great prices!

We go to Conestoga Nursery and also Black Creek Greenhouse.

I personally would thin out the shade of the redbud. They tend to grow tall and gangly. Rhododendrons love "high shade". That is the shade of tall trees that gives dappled shade. PJM's bloom in shade, but do become gangly.

I have several PJMs in partial shade. Not deep shade, and they seem to do fine with no signs of legginess... yet. They are between 6 and 8 ft. tall.
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Click on the picture to go to my albums and use the search feature for more pics of my PJMs.

Out here this variety mildews and becomes gaunt - as do many others. If that or another pathogenic problem is what is affecting yours as well, what it needs is to have the pathogen beaten back - and not its own branches.