"Suzanne ODonnell" wrote
in :

I have just bought a leucothoe shrub - it requires acid /peaty soil -
question can I just spread some peat compost around the area it will
grow in? - or do I need something more specific like 'ericaous' if
that's spelt correctly.

Do you know what sort of soil you've already got? Mine is slightly acidic
naturally, and I find rhodos and so on thrive without any special
additives.

If your soil is noticeably alkaline, I understand that raised beds or pots
are the only way to be sure of keeping acid-loving plants healthy.

You can get soil tester kits quite cheaply. I was intrigued to discover
that my sloping garden is pretty much neutral at the top, but becomes
mildly more acidic as you go down. (What this says for the state of the
Tamar river, which is at the bottom of the hill, I don't know...)