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Thinking of making my own ericaceous compost instead of buying it but...

elderberryelderberry Posts: 118
in Plants
...but the recipes I've read all include a lot of bought-in stuff. I might try to simply use some composted bark that I've got, and mix it with stable manure and (washed) sharp sand/grit. Would that be so bad? I can't use my garden soil because I'm on chalk.

Posts

  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    What are you aiming to plant in it?
  • elderberryelderberry Posts: 118
    Fire said:
    What are you aiming to plant in it?
    Rhododendron luteum
  • Allotment BoyAllotment Boy Posts: 6,774
    If you are worried the pH is not right then buy a simple test kit & follow the instructions the coloured solution will tell you if it's acid enough.
    AB Still learning

  • BobFlannigonBobFlannigon Posts: 619
    I thought that when using Ericaceous compost for planting you're supposed to mix it with neutral compost, so you could just supplement your home-made compost?
    Otherwise I think fir tree cuttings are acidic, maybe you could grow some so you have an acidic supply?
  • elderberryelderberry Posts: 118
    BobFlannigon said:
    I thought that when using Ericaceous compost for planting you're supposed to mix it with neutral compost, so you could just supplement your home-made compost?
    Otherwise I think fir tree cuttings are acidic, maybe you could grow some so you have an acidic supply?

    I'd need to compost them first, wouldn't I.

  • NollieNollie Posts: 7,529
    Is all bark acidic??? I know pine bark/needles are, well rotted oak chips/leaves will be in time, but take an age to get there. My leaf mould is almost exclusively oak from my surrounding woods, but 18 months later it’s still not fully rotted down.
    Mountainous Northern Catalunya, Spain. Hot summers, cold winters.
  • Allotment BoyAllotment Boy Posts: 6,774
    Do have a particular reason for not wanting to buy it or did you just want to try your own?
    AB Still learning

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