GardenBanter.co.uk - View Single Post - Albizia Julibrissin Rosea flowering in England ?

Sacha[_1_] · 22-12-2006, 06:07 AM posted to uk.rec.gardening

On 21/12/06 18:35, in article ,
"Chris Hogg" wrote:

On 19 Dec 2006 16:24:48 GMT, (Nick Maclaren) wrote:

In article ,
Emery Davis writes:
|
| g The London definition as opposed to... HRH's definition? The RHS
| definition? The Lib Dem Definition? Just wondering.

Precisely :-)

| Anyway thanks for the clarification. I wonder if there are soil
composition
| maps available somewhere, perhaps representing mean pH by region,
| friability or whatnot. I tried to find such data collections for the
| Japanese islands -- and specifically precipitation by month by region --
| but to no avail. You'd think at least for Britain someone would have
| done a study...

They have. Those are known as maps :-) Geological maps are fairly
easy to locate, and soil composition is one of the things that they
can display. You then have to convert that to pH.

The British Regional Geology Memoirs published by HMSO have some
limited information on soil types. Much of Devon and Cornwall consists
of slates and shales that weather to neutral or slightly acidic clayey
loams. Granite intrusions down the spine result in poor quality peaty
acid soils. The area east of Dartmoor (Ashburton-Buckfastleigh-
Brixham-Torquay, Sacha's patch) is a right muddle, with other
intrusive igneous rocks as well as slates, red sandstones, small
patches of limestone (e.g. around Buckfastleigh and at Kent's Cavern)
and even a little chalky stuff near Haldon. The red soils of Devon run
approximately due north from Torquay to Exeter and beyond, a
consequence of the underlying red sandstones. As you go further east
through east Devon, Somerset and west Dorset the soils become more
limey, with marls and greensands and eventually chalk proper when you
get into east Dorset and Hampshire.

That's absolutely fascinating, Chris and probably explains why one side of
our garden seems different to the other!!
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
http://www.discoverdartmoor.co.uk/