On Tue, 12 Jul 2005 17:58:08 +0000, solaara
wrote:


I put it in a tub with ( j.arthur bower) compost...I do feed it with
phostrogen now and again. I think it must be the tap water that's doing
it.. will do as you say..feed,etc.and stick to rainwater instead...(It
has made new growth) many thanks..solaara


Was that compost specifically for ericaceous plants, or just a general
compost? If the latter, then that's probably where the problem lies,
as many of the general composts are slightly alkaline. If this is the
case, then it definitely needs ericaceous feed. Ordinary Phostrogen
won't do. It doesn't contain the chemicals necessary to compensate for
the alkaline soil.

But preferably under these circumstances, you should give it a dose of
sequestered iron and manganese. Murphy do it; it's called Sequestrine.
It comes in sachets of powder that you dissolve and water on to the
soil. Get it at any garden centre or in the garden department of a DIY
store. I'd treat it sooner rather than later, so that the rhodie can
take up the nutrients well before the autumn. One treatment should
last several months, but ideally you should re-pot into proper
ericaceous compost.

OTOH if it was in ericaceous compost in the first place, then as you
say, it's possibly hard water, and a standard ericaceous feed should
be sufficient in the future.


--
Chris

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