On Thu, 24 Mar 2005 20:45:12 GMT, Pam Moore
wrote:

I have some camellias in pots, and a blueberry, also potted, plus a
few other things which are in ericaceous compost.
They don't get fed much because the only ericaceous feed I have, which
is Miracid (now renamed "Miracle Gro ericaceous plant food" for some
reason) is very high in nitrogen;30-4.4-8.3. Camellias and
blueberries surely don't want high nitrogen, when I want them to
flower or fruit.
Is there any other ericaceous feed more suitable for such plants?
My camellias are flowering well and I the blueberry is budding up
nicely, but I feel they need a reat! All they get is an occasional
dose of tea!
I remember Arthur Billett saying on TV once that he gave Camelllias a
dose of sulphate of potash after flowering. This I have tried but it
surely goes the other way!
Any suggestions please?

Pam in Bristol

Pam,

See my reply to an earlier question on feeding rhododendrons. Camellia
feeding is pretty much the same. In brief, feed nitrogen at monthly
intervals after flowering up to the end of June, then a potash feed in
July to encourage flower bud formation in late summer for flowering
the following year. My camellias revel in a heavy mulch of raw seaweed
in late spring. If you can't get raw seaweed, perhaps a liquid seaweed
fertiliser might go some way, but it would be second best as it would
contribute virtually nothing to the soil structure.

Not sure about the blueberries, although I would guess a similar
feeding regime, the difference being that they flower and fruit in the
same year as they set the flower buds, so perhaps the potash feed
needs to be earlier.

IIRC Miracid claimed it made alkaline soil acid, which of course it
didn't. But it did contain chelated iron and manganese compounds which
allowed ericaceous plants to grow on alkaline soils without becoming
chlorotic, and presumably it still does. I imagine someone pointed out
to them the error of their claims for Miracid, and they had to change
the name. It's not necessary for ericaceous plants already growing in
an acid compost, but will do no harm.


--
Chris

E-mail: christopher[dot]hogg[at]virgin[dot]net