How can I restore this unhappy rhododendron?

[NewspaperTaxis]

Bought this from the local town market, to be fair I left it a week or so before planting, to give it the appropriate compost needed for such a plant. The flowers sort of went off quickly. Now, should I clip them back or just let it take its course? You can see some new green leaves are coming through on top. If I'm meant to clip the flowers off - and I have done that with a few of them - how would the plant endure of its own accord?
I do water it every day.

Plants generally look at their worst just after flowering so that's what you're seeing now. Rhododendrons like acid soil/ericacious compost (as you know).

I think it just needs time to recover from the effort of flowering.

I guess you're watering with tap water. This often has too much calcium for rhododendrons and you should preferably water with rainwater, especially if you live in a hard water area. Obviously we've had no rain so any type of water is better than nothing.

There are two reasons to take off dead flowers 1) to stop the plant putting its energy into seeds 2) because if they don’t fall cleanly they look untidy. Both of these are for human benefit, not the plant’s. The plant would “endure of its own accord” very happily and get on with producing seed for the new generation. (In practice many garden hybrids are sterile).

I wouldn't water it everyday.

Thanks everyone! These are useful tips. I wasn't sure about 'dead heading' because on roses it's done it seems to encourage growth of other blooms rather than putting its energy into ex-blooms, I wasn't sure about this one though. I will leave it more to its own devices.

Roses bloom for several months so dead-heading will encourage new blooms. Rhododendrons are more of a one-off bloom (May-ish, though there are always exceptions - some have longer flowering periods and some come again later in the year).

Yes, sorry, I forgot the third reason: some plants pack up flowering once they feel they have a seed pod. Courgettes are one of these.

Its just finished flowering, I’d get some ericaceous plant food and feed it every couple of weeks p, so it will put on new growth to flower next year.