Forum home› Plants
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

How do you change the soil pH of small potted houseplants?

NewGardener25NewGardener25 Posts: 47
in Plants
Thank you! ☺

Posts

  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    Pot them in the compost they need.   Don't use hard tap water if they need ericaceous compost.
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • NewGardener25NewGardener25 Posts: 47
    Compost as in the mulch of rotting fruit and greens etc? Asking because that definition and compost just being used as another term for soil seems to be quite interchangeable 😫
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    Compost as in planting media sold as loam based or multi purpose and available as normal or ericaceous for lime haters.
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • NewGardener25NewGardener25 Posts: 47
    Ah, thank you, that clears it up 😊 How will I know which compost is suitable for my particular plant? From what i've seen, the bags dont say what the pH is.
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    edited April 2021
    Simple.   If it doesn't say ericaceous chances are it has some lime in it.

    My personal preference is for a loam based John Innes formula as they have better drainage and don't clag up like multi-purpose or you could do a mix.  Both forms have ericaceous versions.  They will say ericaceous and/or that they are suitable for heathers, rhodos and azaleas.

    If your tap water is hard make sure you use strained rainwater or distilled water for watering.
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • NewGardener25NewGardener25 Posts: 47
    Ah okay. So I could mix some of my usual potting soil that I'm currently using with some of the ericaceous soil? I guess then the only thing would be to consider how much to put in. I have Gerbera daisies that are in pH 7 and ideally would be in about 6.3. Theyve started having yellowing leaves, and I know its not overwatering. My first thing to change was going to be to pot them in a slightly more acidic medium and see if that clears it up before I end up adding amendments and things.
  • ButtercupdaysButtercupdays Posts: 4,546
    You don't need to be too precious for most things. My only experience of growing Gerberas is some pathetiic specimens I took pity on on the deadordying stand at a local outlet.
    They were watered, repotted in bog standard multipurpose. They grew well and flowered for me and survived another year or 2, though I lost all but one this last brutal winter.
Sign In or Register to comment.