Snap them off with your fingers - yes. No need to cut. Not only will you be tidying up your shrub, you will prevent it from setting seed. Setting seed requires a large amount of plant energy that would otherwise be directed to setting flower buds for the next season; skipping the deadheading will result in fewer flowers next year.

Scroll down to Figure 2 following the paragraph on watering for an illustration.

Here is a link that might be useful: Deadheading rhododendron

Morz8,
Thanks for your quick reply. I"m on my way out to deadhead.

Ysop

Also go to the link below and click on Sanitation & Deadheading for photos showing how.

Here is a link that might be useful: How to grow rhododendrons and azaleas. (Deadheading)

Actually flowers don't die, they produce seed pods. In the process the petals wilt but the ovaries develop into seed pods. The seed is very much alive. One reason to deadhead, is to remove the seed pods which "draw energy" from the plant. More importantly, they can harbor disease if you are in an area with petal blight. In that case remove all parts of the wilted flower including the wilted petals.

When we put on a deck, our lovey rhododendron in the sun was transplanted to the shade side of our garden. It did so poorly that the gardener replaced it with a holly. We miss having a rhody and would like to have it there next to the holly, but the gardener says he's only had trouble in the last two years with rhododendron because the current ones are weaker than the older kinds. Note that the spot in almost full shade, zone 5-6.

The old varieties are still around. Most of the better nurseries still handle the "old varieties". Any flowering plant is going to be a little harder to grow in the shade. Some rhodies that do well in shade are:

'Boule de Neige' means "Ball of Snow" in French. As you might expect, the flowers are white, in perfect rounded trusses, and geometrically proportioned to the leaves. The habit is dome shaped. Leaves are matte green, and the plants constitution is tough and very hardy. It grows to a height of 4' and width of 5'. It even blooms well in deep shade.

'Elviira' rhododendron is very hardy. It grows to a height of 2' and width of 18" to 24". It grows well in shade. A very low growing rhododendron cultivar. Densely branched, it is covered with flower buds that are hardy to -30F and open bright red. From the group of Marjatta hybrids developed at the University of Helsinki, Finland.

'Nova Zembla' rhododendron has true hardiness in a red. A vigorous plant that has good foliage and will grow in more difficult areas. This hybrid exhibits some outstanding characteristics. Of course, hardiness tops the list. A nice looking contrast with other plants. Extremely showy, red flowers make a real display in the spring.. Dark red flowers in a ball-shaped cluster. Broad, bushy plant. Cold and heat tolerant and sun and shade tolerant. It grows to 5' tall and is hardy.

'P.J.M'. hybrid small leaved rhododendrons. The 'P.J.M.' group of rhododendrons are smaller, growing to a height of 3 to 5 feet tall. Form is rounded and the foliage is leathery and dark green until fall when it turns almost purplish. One of the reasons the 'P.J.M.' group is such a heavy flowerer is that the plant does not set seed. They are very hardy, among the hardiest and most shade tolerant rhododendrons. They include the following:

* 'Black Satin' has a semi-erect habit and bears an abundance of showy, vivid, dark rose-pink flowers in mid-April. Fall and winter foliage is glossy and very dark purplish-black.

* 'Counterpoint' is a deciduous shrub with a spreading, upright habit, and bears an abundance of showy, semi-double, vivid, bright pink flowers in mid-April.

* 'Desmit' has a dense, mounding habit and bears an abundance of vivid, showy, pink flowers in early April. This cultivar has shown to be moderately resistant to sun scalding.

* 'Elite' is a vigorous, tall grower and bears an abundance of vivid, showy, rich pink flowers in mid-April.

* 'Henry's Red' has a broad, upright habit and bears an abundance of showy, vivid, deep red flowers beginning in mid-April.

* 'Laurie' is a slow grower with a compact habit, bearing an abundance of showy, single to semi-double, very light pink flowers beginning in mid to late April.

* 'Low Red Frilled' has a spreading, short, compact habit and bears an abundance of showy, frilled, vivid red flowers beginning in mid-April.

* 'Marathon' is a deciduous cultivar with a semi-erect habit, and bears an abundance of showy, vivid, magenta flowers beginning in mid-April.

* 'Molly Fordham' has a compact habit and bears an abundance of showy, vivid, white flowers beginning in early May.

* 'Northern Rose' has a semi-upright habit and bears an abundance of showy, vivid, bright pink flowers beginning in mid-April. This rhododendron is the result of a cross between R. 'Waltham' and R. mucronulatum 'Cornell Pink.' It was first developed by Dr. Robert Ticknor.

* 'Olga Mezzitt' is a vigorous grower with a spreading, upright habit and bears an abundance of showy, vivid, peach-pink flowers beginning in late April.

* 'Regal' is a vigorous grower with a broad, spreading habit which bears an abundance of showy, vivid, light purplish-pink flowers beginning in mid-April.

* 'Victor' is a slow grower with a compact habit and bears an abundance of showy, vivid, light purplish-pink flowers in early April.

* 'Waltham' has a dense, mounding habit, to 3 feet tall and wide, and bears an abundance of showy, vivid, pink flowers beginning in mid-April. Leaf spotting occurs when exposed to full sun.

* 'Weston's Pink Diamond' is a semi-evergreen shrub with a spreading, upright habit and bears an abundance of frilled, double, vivid, pink flowers in early April.

* 'White Angel' is a semi-evergreen shrub with an upright habit and bears an abundance of showy, white flowers, which open from lavender buds, beginning in mid-April.

'Ramapo' is a good dwarf small leaved rhododendron. It grows approximately 2 feet tall and 4 feet wide. Flowers are bright violet-pink. 'Ramapo' is hardy to -25°F. Tolerates sun and shade.