"Angel" wrote in message m...
Hello all.
I'd love to be able to plant some rhododendrons, but I'm puzzled as to
whether I have 'lime free' soil. Is this the same as acid?
My soil is quite heavy clay, I try to work in compost and sand when I
dig, so it's not too waterlogged, and I was once told by my local
garden centre that our soil locally is 'slightly acid'. Can anyone
help me out with the terminology of lime and acid? Will I need to buy
ericaceous (sp?) compost to plant them? Or am I wasting my time and
should I just get over it and plant something else? Thanks for all
input, I'm a bit stuck here.

Hopefully,
Angel.

Slightly acid is OK and is low on lime. If you see pH mentioned in this context it's a standard measure of
acidity/alkalinity- Logarithmic scale 7 is neutral, lower is acid, higher is alkaline (limey). Since it is logarithmic 5
is 10 x more acid than 6........ etc
A clay will be better for Rhodos etc if you work in plenty of organic stuff - well composted chippings, garden compost,
well rotted manure etcto improve soil structure. Ericaceous compost is gilding the lily a bit but if you can afford it
mixing some in around the plants as you put them in will probably be helpful. Decent drainage and soil texture is
probably more important than pH so long as you're below about 6.5.

Rod