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What to do with plants which needs acidic soil on neutral soil bedding

jinnywu476jinnywu476 Posts: 7
in Problem solving
I am newbie in gardening and need some basic help if possible.  I have just one bedding with Acer, Azalea, Pieris (which needs ericaceous soil) and other neutral soil plants on the same bedding.  Should I be separating the acidic soil plants?  Can I use multipurpose compost and put ericaceous fertilizer on the three plants which needs it?  Please help.
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  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 17,618
    I am assuming you are planting in the soil, not in pots.  The soil for ericaceous plants needs to be acidic. Just putting ericaceous fertiliser on does not work.   You need to do a soil test. If your soil is on the alkaline side, do not waste your time and money trying to grow plants that are acid lovers. If you are growing in separate pots, you need to pot them into ericaceous compost and then use ericaceous fertiliser.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    The three shrubs you mention don't need acidic soil - they're fine in neutral soil as long as it's at the acidic end of neutral and not the alkaline end.
    What do you mean by neutral soil plants? Many plants aren't terribly fussy, but info will often say 'neutral to acidic' which means if the plants you have are in that pH range, they'd be fine planted with the other shrubs. If you can tell us what those other plants are, that will help.  :)
    As @fidgetbones says - if your soil pH is alkaline, you can't change it permanently, so don't try to grow plants which need a much lower pH. They can be grown in containers, in a soil based mix, but it's not ideal to place them on the soil - that affects the drainage as well as being unattractive.  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • GardenerSuzeGardenerSuze Posts: 5,692
    @jinnywu476 I agree with all that has been said. You must work with the soil you have. Trying to change it simply won't work.
    I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
  • bédébédé Posts: 3,095
    edited August 2023
    It's not alkalinity or acidity per se that is needed, but access to minerals, usually iron.  You can top up with sequestered iron any time.  Or calcium for brassicas.

    pH 7.0 is considered "neutral" and is the pH at which litmus turns pink (acid) to blue (alkaline).  But anything below 6.5 is acid enough for plants called "ericaceous" (from Erica = heather).
     location: Surrey Hills, England, ex-woodland acidic sand.
    "Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
  • jinnywu476jinnywu476 Posts: 7
    Thanks all so much for your expertise!  So happy to be on this platform.  I have landscaped the whole garden, only a small one, and the soil is all new, just top soil, which I think should be pH neutral soil.  The other plants are just small things like hauchera, salix nishki,  lavender, alliums, hibiscus. Potentilla fructicosa Double Punch Gold, sambucus nigra golden tower, magnolia grandiflora (leaves are small and yellow green, that why I thought maybe the soil is no good) and one william pear.  It's the first time I have a garden, I just chose what I like and have not thought deeply about pH, companion nor final size of plants!  I am wracking my brains to reorganize the plants so they grow better.  Learning everyday!   
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    I hope it's big border!
    Many of those want to be large shrubs/trees ,especially the Magnolia and the Elder. Probably the pear too.
    Salix are willows, and need lots and lots of water, and will struggle if they get dried out, so I doubt it'll be happy in with lavender or alliums, depending on the drainage of the bed. The latter need good drainage. Hibiscus too I think - although I don't grow those as they aren't really suited to my climate or taste.
    Although that one [the willow] is regarded as a small variety, it isn't that small...

    If you can load a photo or two, that will always help with advice. The icon that looks like hills is the one for that. If you can keep them small - around 1MB or less, they load better.  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    As you see,  the Magnolia is starting to suffer, some will just about grow with soil bordering on alkaline but most prefer it more acid. 
    All you can do it put them I. And see what happens, seeing as you’ve already bought them.
    That’s a lot of plants for a small garden,  but they won’t get too big for a few years yet then you can oik them out and replace with something else if it’s looking overgrown. 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • jinnywu476jinnywu476 Posts: 7
    Thanks all.  I have moved my magnolia to a sunnier spot and have rearranged a few plants.  Will see how it turns out next spring.  
  • bédébédé Posts: 3,095
    edited August 2023
    Some plants will suffer more from frequent moving than the "wrong" pH.
     location: Surrey Hills, England, ex-woodland acidic sand.
    "Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
  • punkdocpunkdoc Posts: 15,039
    Do you have any evidence for that statement?
    How can you lie there and think of England
    When you don't even know who's in the team

    S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
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