We've moved to a new home in North Carolina and now have many rhododendrons and azaleas. Spring was simply breath-taking here!

But I'm a novice with the rhodo, though I've gardened generally for some 50 years. So I'd appreciate some help from you knowledgeable growers.

1) I've had difficulty identifying dormant buds on old wood. Maybe none are present? I don't want to risk cutting back "hard" our spindliest plants. Any hints/advice to improve compactness? (I've learned rhodos are classified "difficult to prune")

2) Is there value in dead-heading spent bloom stalks?

3) One plant develops ugly white bulbous growths on a few branch tips. These seem to be formed of distorted new leafs, as pictured, though they go on to get larger. Is this a commonly recognized problem? Probably a disease or insect?

We much appreciate the effectiveness of these forums. THANKS!